Vladimir Putin marks 63rd birthday with ice hockey match

The leader, famous for posing shirtless on horseback and in other unashamedly macho situations, played in a hockey game Wednesday night alongside former NHL stars. Yet, Dr. Robin McFee, who generally focuses on Weapons of Mass Destruction preparedness as well as medical matters, writes that Putin, who has invaded Ukraine and is now backing the Assad dictatorship in Syria with troops and weapons, “has emerged as the go to global statesmen [sic] on the world stage” because he gave a United Nations speech describing chaos in the Middle East resulting from President Obama’s policies.

In the game, which was broadcast live on Russia’s state broadcaster, Putin scored seven goals and steered his team to thrash their opponents, 15-10.

On the social media page of the popular newspaper Metro, ordinary Russians related dreams in which Putin had come to them and helped solve their problems.

Both Gennady Timchenko and Arkady Rotenberg were slapped with Western sanctions past year for their ties to Putin in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin take a break from skiing in Krasnaya Polyana near the Black Sea resort of Sochi, in southern Russia on January 3, 2010.

In addition to Putin’s government buds, a few former NHLer’s also joined in on the festivities, including Russian born Pavel Bure, who was nicknamed “The Russian Rocket” and was one of the most prolific goal scorers in National Hockey League history.

According to The Guardian, the Russian president has made great effort to develop the sport in his country.

It’s hard to believe that Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, could have had another ideal gift.

Filmed partly on Red Square, the sleek and well-produced video even features dancers wearing Putin masks, with Timati and another rapper performing in front of a giant Putin mural.

They are part of a 30-image art exhibition, called Putin Universe, being held in Moscow and London to celebrate Putin’s 63rd birthday yesterday.

“This is an artistic view of Vladimir Putin’s personal character”, says Milos Kojic, one of the organizers.

Last year, Putin celebrated his birthday in the Siberian wilderness, secluded and away from the public gaze; this year was clearly different, with his birthday celebrations extending to as far as Grozny, Chechnya’s capital.