As well as claiming he might meet members of Russia's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community for talks, he insisted that he is comfortable working with "people of non-traditional sexual orientation" and has even granted them state awards.

"People of non-traditional sexual orientation are in no way abused professionally, or when it comes to the level of salaries, or...even if they achieve something creatively in their work, they are not abused even from the viewpoint of the Government's recognition of their achievements, I mean when they get awards, medals," Putin told Russia's state Channel One television.

"They are absolutely fully valued citizens of the Russian Federation, equal in their rights.

"I assure you that I work with these people, I sometimes award them with state prizes or decorations for their achievements in various fields.

"We have absolutely normal relations, and I don't see anything out of the ordinary here."

United States President Barack Obama weighed in on the Russian anti-gay debate and insisted he will not tolerate gays being treated differently at Sochi 2014


Putin signed Russia's controversial anti-gay bill, which criminalises the promotion of "non-traditional" relationships, in June, sparking international outcry and fuelling fears that LGBT athletes competing at Sochi 2014 would face discrimination and potentially punishment.

However, when asked if the law would be enforced during next year's Games, he said: "There will be no negative consequences, I hope".

"We have no laws directed against persons of non-traditional sexual orientation," added Putin, who last month also signed a decree banning all demonstrations and rallies in Sochi throughout the Games.

"A law banning the propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation has been adopted in Russia, but these are absolutely different things.

"Russia will strictly support the Olympic principles that do not allow discrimination against people for any reason - nationality, gender, or anything else you mentioned, including sexual orientation."

Russian LGBT rights activist Nikolay Alexeyev took to Twitter to request a meeting with Vladimir Putin


On the subject of meeting with members of Russia's LGBT community, Putin said: "As a rule, I meet with everyone who comes up with a request about a meeting and offers to discuss a certain problem that they think is important.

"So far, there have been no offers."

However, this soon changed with leading Russian LGBT rights activist Nikolay Alexeyev, who has been trying to hold a gay pride event in the country for years, taking to Twitter to claim that he had requested a meeting with Putin.

"Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! I ask you for a meeting to discuss the situation about LGBT [issues] in Russia and in the world!" he said.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia in 1993 and was only removed from the list of mental illnesses in 1999.

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