MOSCOW, Jan 27, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia's future ruling class should be made up of army veterans, and not "weirdos" who "show their backsides".
 
  His comments appeared to be a veiled attack on a raunchy naked-themed celebrity party held in Moscow last month that drew a fierce public backlash and the ire of many Russian politicians.
 
  In a televised government meeting, Putin said he met earlier in the day with "students who interrupted their studies" to fight on the battlefield in Ukraine.
 
  "These are the people who should form the elite of the country in the future, not those who expose their genitals or show their backsides," Putin said.
 
  "Well, we need them, too -- weirdos. They're allowed in, too. But the real elite of the country should be formed from these people," the president said, referring to veterans.
 
  The Kremlin has ramped up conservative rhetoric since launching its military assault on Ukraine, casting the conflict as a battle against the West and its values.
 
  Numerous high-profile Russian celebrities and household names attended the so-called "Almost Naked" party in Moscow's Mutabor nightclub last month.
 
  The event flew in the face of the family-oriented image Moscow has been trying to portray, and prompted calls for investigations from conservative politicians.