Vladimir Putin’s first big interview of the year was with Germany’s leading newspaper Bild. Nikolaus Blome, Bild’s deputy editor-in-chief who spoke to the Russian president, told Deutsche Welle that he was “happy with the result” and shared what impressed him the most.

“Although I was aware of that, I was still surprised by how well [Putin] speaks German and understands the subtleties of the language,” Blome noted.