Putin now talking about unemployment, about aid to large families, etc. Says aid to families set to increase on January 1. Putin says that the main thing is to "develop the entire economy" -- create new jobs, develop artificial intelligence and new technologies, etc. That is what the National Projects are for, Putin says.
A journalist calls Putin's erroneous reference to a coronavirus vaccine as an antidote a "Freudian slip" -- presumably a wry suggestion that Putin's got Aleksei Navalny's poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok, which an investigative report this week alleged state security agents carried out, on the brain.
Next question comes from the Yekaterinburg call center. Peskov calls on a journalist from Magnitogorsk holding a sign saying, "Garbage." Question is about why the issue of dealing with trash and waste is such a problem for the whole country.
Putin says the country needs to develop a "closed system" for processing and reusing waste. Russia needs to introduce trash separation and recycling. Putin says more must be done to work with producers of products and producers of packaging to reduce waste and to move responsibility for dealing with waste from the state to the producers, "like the rest of the world is doing."
Putin says the federal and regional governments are working on these issues. Putin says he received a question from a resident of Magnitogorsk about air pollution. He asks the reporter if there is a problem with air pollution in the city. Reporter says a lot of local people confuse ordinary fog and steam with pollution.
"I don't think the situation is as bad as people on the Internet make it sound," she says.
Putin says that he knows the smelter at Magnitogorsk has reduced its emissions, so he was surprised by the question.
- By Mike Eckel
Trash.
Sixth question is about trash (garbage) from a reporter from Magnitorgorsk.
This is a surprisingly stubborn and emotional issue that has had political resonance for years now, as Russians in various regions fight proposals for landfills and similar trash disposal locations.
The northern region of Shiyes has seen some of the most longstanding protests, over a landfill there, and it's become shorthand for the larger national question of what to do with cities' and towns' trash.
More broadly, environmental issues regularly galvanize Russians in a way that many other political issues do not.
Putin also asked his own question: about air pollution in Magnitorgorsk, a city in the Ural Mountains.
The city, which is home to a massive steel smelter, is known for some of the country's worst air pollution, though the reporter who responded said she didn't think it was bad as people were making it sound.
Next question is "why weren't Russian hackers able to secure the reelection of U.S. President Trump" and will Russia give Trump political asylum? Putin says the question is a "provocation." Says Russian hackers have never interfered in U.S. affairs and that such claims are aimed at ruining relations between the two countries and weakening Trump's political position. Putin hopes the new U.S. president, who is "experienced," will settle problems in relations. Putin says Trump won't need any help because he still has a large following and does not plan to leave U.S. politics.
Next question is about recent journalistic investigations, including one about Putin's alleged former son-in-law and one about the poisoning of Aleksei Navalny. Question is, who killed Navalny?
Putin says such false reports are very common these days. Putin says that "reading such material is impossible," regarding his former son-in-law. Putin picks out a few alleged details that he claims are wrong. Does not deny that Shamalov was his son-in-law. Says the "main thing" is that the information in the report came from anonymous hackers.
Says this reminds him of the hack of the Democratic Party in 2016 and says both hacks were carried out by U.S. secret services. Says the "goal is clear" -- "revenge" and "an attempt to influence Russia's internal politics."
- By Mike Eckel
Putin riffs off a question about Russian hackers and cyberintrusions in the United States to offer some lukewarm praise for President-elect Joe Biden:
"He's an experienced man. I hope that problems that arose under the current administration will be solved."
Putin waited six weeks after the November 3 election to congratulate Biden on his victory, waiting only (like many Republican lawmakers) until the Electoral College confirmed the win on December 14.
In 2016, Putin was among the first leaders to congratulate President Trump, just hours after Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, conceded the election (and WELL before the Electoral College met).