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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks via video call during his annual news conference in Moscow on December 17.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks via video call during his annual news conference in Moscow on December 17.

Live Blog: Putin's Annual Press Conference 2020

For 4 1/2 hours, Russian President Vladimir Putin took questions from reporters on December 17 in his highly choreographed annual news conference. Our experienced team of Russia-watchers listened intently to it all, and tell us what was news, what was not, and provide perspective on the answers.

-- Putin dismissed a fresh investigative report pointing to involvement by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in the poisoning of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and alleged, without evidence, that the Russian opposition leader was working for U.S. intelligence.

-- Putin said that Russia, like other countries, faced problems in 2020 linked to COVID-19 but that the country handled the pandemic better than most. Russia, with a population of around 145 million, has the world’s fourth-highest number of confirmed cases at around 2.7 million and the 10th-highest number of COVID-19 deaths.

-- Putin forecast that Russian GDP would fall 3.6 percent in 2020, a figure he said was lower than the United States and European Union. He said the country’s financial system is “stable” and personal incomes are set to rise by 1.5 percent by the end of the year, although Russians might not feel that.

*Time stamps indicate local time in Moscow

12:41 17.12.2020

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.

12:42 17.12.2020

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."

12:44 17.12.2020

Same Chechen journalist asks another question about Russia's relations with the Arab world and Kadyrov's role in those relations. Putin says Russia has good relations with the Islamic and Arab worlds. Says they have been a priority back to Soviet times. Says that the extent of Russia's activity in this area is expanding all the time and Russia will continue to develop it.

12:49 17.12.2020

Putin comes out with full-throated praise for the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, whom rights defenders in Russia and abroad accuse of severe human rights abuses. Without evidence, suggests criticism of Kadyrov is part of a Western effort to undermine Russia.

12:51 17.12.2020

Next question: Journalist asks if there should be some sort of "international certificate" allowing people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel.

Putin says that idea can be discussed but it is still not clear whether a vaccinated person can spread the virus. He emphasizes that the vaccine is a means of protecting your own health.

Journalist also asked about the growth of the National Welfare Fund. Putin calls it a "safety cushion" that must be in place. He also notes that there is a law on how money from the fund can be spent (only when it exceeds 7 percent of GNP). Putin says that money from the fund is being used to fill the budget deficit, including to finance pandemic-related assistance. Says more than 300 billion rubles have been taken from the fund this year.

"But we are using it carefully," he said.

12:54 17.12.2020

Next question is from a journalist from Novgorod. Says her region has a problem with housing for students in colleges and institutes. Putin says this is a general problem across the country and the federal government is trying to help, but the main responsibility is with the educational institutions themselves.

13:00 17.12.2020

Peskov notes that we have passed the four-hour mark for this year's press conference.

13:03 17.12.2020

13:05 17.12.2020

And we’re now exactly at 4 hours for Putin’s news conference…

13:10 17.12.2020

Next question is also about the possible extension of the New START treaty. Journalist asks if there will be a new arms race if it is not extended.

Putin repeats that Russia wants to extend New START, but that if nothing happens by February, it will lapse. He says there is already a new arms race, which started "when the U.S. abandoned the ABM treaty." Since then, he says, Russia has been both developing its own missile defense and developing weapons designed to penetrate U.S. ABM systems.

Says the U.S. will soon develop hypersonic missiles (as Russia already has) and that Russia is working on defenses against them. Putin then mentions all the new weapons systems that Russia has been developing in recent years.

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