Next question is from a journalist in Chechnya, who starts by thanking Putin from all the citizens of Chechnya. Asks about the constant "absurd accusations" by the U.S. against Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and the sanctions against him and his family. Asks Putin what is the U.S. trying to achieve?
Putin says that the U.S. not only makes up accusations against Kadyrov but against Russia as a whole all the time. Says that Kadyrov gets attacked because he is so loyal to Russia. Putin says it isn't a particular problem and praises Kadyrov for taking the sanctions in stride.
Putin says Russia is an independent country and Chechnya is developing quickly, so there is nothing to worry about. Says he knows Kadyrov well and "all his life is devoted to the Chechen people."
- By Mike Eckel
Putin used the first question from a non-Russian media outlet (the BBC) about global tensions, and whether Russia is to blame for the current state of tension in the world, to give a mini-diatribe against the United States, and the West, more broadly
(paraphrase):
"It wasn't us who pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty. It wasn't us who pulled out of the Open Skies treaty."
"What, do you think we're idiots or something?"
This is less Putin getting angry, and more him showing his trademark sharp elbows (and selective facts), and even his judo and jujutsu skills: turning an attack by an opponent back on himself, rather than confronting it with one's own force.
This commenter suggests Putin's calls for dialogue with the West on the basis of mutual trust don't fit well with Russia's alleged actions abroad in recent years.
Peskov gives the next question to the BBC. Says that people are always talking about a "new Cold War" and that Russia always blames others for tensions between Russia and the West. Asks does Russia accept at least some of the responsibility because of its own actions (the Skripal case in Britain). Also asks about the Bellingcat report on the Navalny poisoning.
Without mentioning Navalny by name, Putin says that if there is evidence that chemical weapons were used, the West must provide it to Russia. Putin says that Russia has asked repeatedly for this evidence, and the West refuses to provide it. Putin asks the BBC reporter to explain why Germany won't provide its official conclusions.
As for the first question, Putin repeats that the annexation of Crimea took place after a referendum. Says if Crimea is a case of annexation, the people of Crimea shouldn't be punished. And if it wasn't an annexation, the people of Crimea shouldn't be punished -- (by Western sanctions, that is).
Putin then returns to the West's purported promises to Gorbachev not to expand NATO. Blames the U.S. for withdrawing from the ABM treaty and developing anti-missile systems. Blames U.S. for canceling INF treaty and leaving the Open Skies treaty. Says that Russia had to react.
Putin stresses that nonetheless Russia wants to extend the New START treaty but the U.S. has not responded to overtures. Says Russia has just a couple foreign military bases, while the U.S. has forces everywhere. Says Russia's military budget is much smaller even than the U.K.'s, to say nothing of U.S. spending.
Putin, addressing a British BBC journalist, asserts that "we are more white and fluffy than you" -- in other words, he claims that Russia holds the moral high ground over the West, and proceeds to repeat a litany of complaints about actions of the United States and other Western countries over the past three decades, including the enlargement of NATO.
A Russian journalist says it seems like Putin is "stuck in 1976 and likes it there," and asks: "What about the the country's problems in 2020?"
- By Mike Eckel
Putin was also asked about the South Caucasus, in particular the recently ended war over Nagorno-Karabakh. The answers he gave were some of the most extensive he's made since Russia brokered a cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, about seven weeks ago.
"The situation went out of control after the problem was there for many years. Russia's position was always to reach agreement... via talks... We have always said that seven districts adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh must be returned under Baku's control and then start discussing the status of the region. From the international point of view, all these territories, including Nagorno-Karabakh, are part of Azerbaijan."
The deal cemented in place the battlefield wins of the Azerbaijani armed forces, who took back control of the territories surrounding the mountainous enclave, and much of the region itself. It also resulted in the deployment of 2,000 Russian troops to monitor (and enforce) the cease-fire.
It did NOT, however, decide on the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh: The region had been controlled by ethnic Armenian forces since the early 1990s, but the recent war all but reversed that situation.
By many accounts, Russia has turned out to be the big winner, asserting itself decisively in what it sees as its historic sphere of influence, and holding the original regional power, Turkey, at arm's length. It also elbowed out the other foreign powers who had long been involved in trying to resolve the conflict: France and the United States.
It's unclear, however, if the situation on the ground is viable for the long term.
- By Current Time
Last year @CurrentTimeTv dug up and published video of the very first press conference that Putin gave as president, some 20 years ago.
Next question is from RT (Russia Today). Asks about the Charlie Hebdo case in France, noting that Russia condemns terrorism but also doesn't allow the publication of caricatures of Muhammad.
Putin says one freedom ends when it violates the freedom of others. At the same time, he says reactions to such incidents can't be violent. Putin says that Russia evolved as a multi-confessional state and so has great experience with tolerance. He notes there have been problems and mentions the mass deportations of ethnic groups under Stalin, but claims there has never been repression based on religious intolerance.
Says that Stalin's repressions were against all religions, not a particular one. Says that multiculturalism in Western Europe has been a failure compared to the tolerance that he claims has developed in Russia "over centuries."