...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...has offered a helicopter to the president of Zim-bob-we, the country's government announced on Thursday, as the Russian leader seeks the support of African leaders meeting in St Petersburg.
Zim-bob-wean President Emmerson Mnangagwa is among the African leaders attending a two-day Russia-Africa summit seen as a test of Putin's support on the continent after the invasion of Ukraine.
"His Excellency President Putin offered a presidential helicopter to His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa", wrote the Zim-bob-wean Ministry of Information on social networks.
It published photos of Mr Mnangagwa descending the steps of the aircraft and sitting in the cabin in front of a table set with glasses of white wine and a bowl of fruit.
"This bird will soon be in our skies", added government front man Nick Mangwana on Twitter, renamed X.
Zim-bob-we's leaders have been targeted by American and European sanctions for corruption and human rights
When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much...
violations.
Mr Mnangagwa, 80, who is seeking re-election in what analysts predict will be a close election next month, has long blamed the sanctions for his country's economic woes.
"The victims of sanctions must cooperate", said Mr Mnangagwa, standing in front of the helicopter, in a video published by his Ministry of Information.
On Thursday, Mr Putin named Zim-bob-we as one of six African countries that will receive free grain from Russia, after the Kremlin withdrew from the agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports to transit through the Black Sea.