Politics Politics & Government News Putin Says Seeing Western Leaders Shirtless Would Be 'Disgusting' After Getting Mocked at G7 Summit The Russian president was responding to jokes Boris Johnson and Justin Trudeau made about his history of going shirtless in photo ops By Aaron Parsley Aaron Parsley Aaron Parsley is a former senior news editor at PEOPLE. He left PEOPLE in 2023. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 30, 2022 11:16AM EDT Vladimir Putin lashed out at Western leaders Thursday after he was mocked for his habit of going shirtless while enjoying outdoor activities. "It would be a disgusting sight" if his counterparts stripped down, the Russian president told reporters while visiting Turkmenistan, AP reports. Putin's slam came after leaders gathered for the three-day G7 summit in Bavaria, Germany, joked about his relatively frequent bare-chested appearances. The Russian leader has famously been seen shirtless amid majestic Russian landscapes while riding a horse, fishing, hunting and swimming with dolphins over the years in photo ops designed to portray him as powerful, masculine and healthy. Hillary Clinton Says Putin 'Was Very Sexist Towards Me' and Would 'Manspread for Effect' in Front of Press Alexsey Druginyn/AFP via Getty Images "Jackets on? Jackets off?" U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday, according to video of the meeting, as he and his G7 colleagues, including U.S. President Joe Biden, took their seats in Bavaria, where they discussed Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. "Can we take our clothes off?" Johnson continued. "We have to show that we're tougher than Putin." Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images "We're going to get the bare-chested horseback riding display," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau replied. "We've got to show them our pecs," Johnson added. Biden smiled during the banter but didn't make any comments about Putin or taking off garments. Biden Calls Putin a 'War Criminal' as Aide Says He Was 'Speaking from the Heart' "I don't know how they wanted to get undressed, above or below the waist," Putin said Thursday when asked about the gibes, according to AP. "But I think it would be a disgusting sight in any case." The Russian leader also offered his advice for looking good in less clothing, "It's necessary to stop abusing alcohol and other bad habits," he reportedly said, "do physical exercise and take part in sports."