Vladimir Putin, who has announced his separation from his wife of almost 30 years, has no plans to remarry and will continue to dedicate his life to his duties as Russian president, his spokesman said on Friday.
Putin has long been rumoured to have had a series of dalliances with much younger women, and there has been speculation that he fathered a child with a former Olympic gymnast.
His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said rumours that Putin may retie the knot in the near future were "idle gossip".
In 2008, Putin scoffed at claims by a Moscow-based tabloid that he would marry former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabayeva, known for her "incredible flexibility". Kabayeva, 30, has also dismissed speculation that she has had a child by Putin.
Full story by The Guardian at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/07/vladimir-putin-separating-wife-lyudmila