Putin Says Sanctions On Russia Nothing To Do With Ukraine

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Putin Says Sanctions On Russia Nothing To Do With Ukraine

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Putin Says Sanctions On Russia Nothing To Do With Ukraine

Russia

Live Blog: Putin Holding Televised Q&A

April 16, 2015 07:42 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his annual question-and-answer show with the nation.

Final Summary

-- In his annual question-and-answer session with the public, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Western sanctions are aimed at restraining Russia, asserting that Moscow's role in the crisis and conflict in Ukraine are only a pretext for the punitive measures imposed by the European Union, United States, and other nations.

-- He said that "the Russian army is not in Ukraine," repeating Moscow's denial that it has sent troops to aid pro-Russian rebels.

-- Putin highlighted the recent rise of Russia's ruble currency, which has gained more than 20 percent in 2015 after a steep decline last year. He also touted high oil production figures and a good harvest. He said Russians are living longer and death rates decreasing.

-- Putin linked his decision to lift a ban on supplying Iran with surface-to-air S-300 missiles with what he said was Tehran's demonstrated desire to resolve a yearslong dispute over its nuclear program, which Western nations fear is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

-- Putin took on comparisons that suggest parallels between the reigns of Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, saying that "Nazism and Stalinism cannot be put on the same desk...because the Nazis directly, openly, and publicly announced as one of their goals the annihilation of concrete ethnic groups -- Jews, Gypsies, Slavs."

-- He described the killing of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov as "tragic and shameful" and praised investigators for identifying and arresting five suspects days after Nemstov was gunned down steps from the Kremlin on February 27.

-- Putin said his country will never be a "vassal" of the United States. He said there are "superpowers" that "consider themselves the only center of power in the world."

The economy has recently appeared stronger than analysts had earlier thought.

On new threats to country:

There are so many threats we cannot forecast. But if we maintain the domestic political situation then "no threats will be dangerous to us."

Question: Is the primary strategy to simply wait for the oil prices to go up?

Putin: This is an overly critical question. When you have criticism it makes you look at things freshly. Nevertheless, the plan to stabilize the situation is something that takes "professionalism." We have a "large-scale blueprint" for the economy.

Some budding disappointment among journalists that a whole half hour has focused on macroeconomics. These usually don't get fun until questions from audience...which is starting now.

Kudrin: Your adjustments are not enough

Putin: "part of the blame is yours"

Aleksei Kudrin, former economics minister, to Putin:

If you take this presidential term, even if the oil prices are $65/barrel, our GDP will be at 1.5 percent, which is lower than the world average. We won't have investment and we'll be lagging further and further behind, which could have an impact on the defense industry. These figures will remain for the next three years. "Adjustments are not enough." What is needed for a new development model?

Putin replies: Your forecast is very close to what is likely to happen. [However] you were one of the authors of our 2020 program, which we haven't radically changed. If, with you we couldn't see certain things, part of the blame is yours. We need to improve monetary policy. This is a difficult task but we have to do it, even if it looks scary.

If you want people to trust us, we have to have heart too. If we disregard how people feel and what happens in real life, we can end up with a situation like in the early 90s -- when the government loses the trust of the people.

The U.S. and EU have a lot of public debt. This is alarming. What will happen to them? Can EU leaders handle it?

Kudrin Goes back at Putin with "follow-up"

Putin: On the whole we should do our best for salaries to grow. You're right about that.

Question: Please don't lift sanctions, give us time to create our own organic goods. (Well, not really a question)

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Putin Says Sanctions On Russia Nothing To Do With Ukraine

Live Blog: Putin Holding Televised Q&A