Japanese wrestling icon Antonio Inoki recently recalled a past visit to the Soviet Union in 1989 where he briefly met Vladimir Putin. Inoki spoke with Tokyo Sports for an interview and recalled his visiting the country early in his political career, during which he encountered the now-President of Russia.
"When I first went to Moscow, I had a chance to meet with some important people over there," he said (translation via DeepL Translator). "As Masaru Sato (former chief analyst at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) wrote, when I entered the KGB building, Putin, who is now in absolute power, was serving tea. However, I understand that Putin is KGB, but I don't think he experienced the war. I wonder what kind of people are attached to the general staff there and how they give instructions."
Inoki had two stints in the Japanese House of Councillors, first from 1989 to 1995 and second from 2013 to 2019.