In the west, you might be more used to seeing the Russian leader's name spelled as Vladimir Putin, but in France it is different, and for a rather amusing reason.
Because of the standard French pronunciation that does not sound out the final letter of a word, Putin in France would be pronounced puh-ta.
And that's essentially the same pronunciation as one of France's favourite swear words - putain.
Putain literally translates as whore, but it's used by the French in a way more similar to the English word fuck, although it's often used in milder contexts too - the tone of your voice is crucial.
Putain is absolutely France's go-to swearword, you'll hear it everywhere from softly muttered by the person who has dropped their glasses to screamed in rage during street brawls.
Putain: An ode to France's greatest swearword
But although it's popular it's not exactly polite, and would be unsuitable for the diplomatic world - even though many might be calling the Russian leader much worse given the events of recent years.
His name is therefore rendered in French as Poutine and pronounced Puh-teen.
For Canadians, however, his French rendering has an extra layer of meaning, as a poutine is an extremely popular snack consisting of French fries, cheese curds and gravy.
Still, probably best to be thought of as a tempting junk food than a gros mot.
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