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Russian President Vladimir Putin fielding questions for his annual question-and-answer session in Moscow today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin fielding questions for his annual question-and-answer session in Moscow today.

Live Blog: Putin Holds Televised Q&A

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

Key Points:

On The Economy:

-- Putin admitted that Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP), incomes, and investment were falling while inflation stands at as high as 12.3 percent since the start of the year.

-- He said that Russia's economic activity is showing “signs of stabilization.”

-- Putin said the Russian government predicts growth next year of 0.7 percent, rising to 1.9 percent in 2017 and 2.4 percent in 2018, based on an oil price of $50 a barrel -- more than $10 higher than its current level.

On Syria:

-- Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will never agree to any outside force deciding on whether Bashar al-Assad should remain Syrian president, and added that the crisis in Syria can only be resolved politically.

-- Putin said that Moscow generally supported the U.S. initiative to prepare a resolution on Syria in the UN Security Council.

On Turkey:

-- Putin said Turkey's shooting down of a Russian warplane last month was "a hostile action" and said "it is practically impossible" to make any deals with the current Turkish government. He also accused Turkey of sheltering Islamic militants.

On Georgia:

-- Putin says Moscow is ready to restore relations with the former Soviet republic of Georgia, seven years after a brief war sent relations to an all-time low.


*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Moscow (GMT/UTC +3)

11:06 17.12.2015

A question from a newspaper titled Young Leninist about pensions made Putin smile.

11:14 17.12.2015

Russia's ambassador to the United Kingdom seems to be misinterpreting Putin's words. He didn't mention missiles in that phrase. Putin merely said that they could get anyone they wanted to without mentioning the means.

11:15 17.12.2015

RBK just asked about Yekaterina Tikhonova, Putin's alleged daughter.

11:17 17.12.2015

"Journalists wrote that my daughters lived abroad. In fact they never lived abroad, they never studied abroad. I am proud of them. They continue to study. They work."

11:18 17.12.2015

"My daughters don't do politics. They don't do business. I am not going to say specifically where my daughters work for various reasons, including safety."

11:24 17.12.2015

Putin promised to look into the case of jailed RBK journalist Aleksandr Sokolov.

"It's the first time I hear this name. I'll help, but I need to know more."

Sokolov has been accused of participating in a banned organization. He wrote extensively about corruption.

11:25 17.12.2015
11:28 17.12.2015

A journalist sends happy new year greetings from local pensioners. Putin congratulates them in return, thanks them for all the support.

11:33 17.12.2015
11:37 17.12.2015

Dozhd TV summarizes:

It's been 2 1/2 hours, six rounds of applause, two jokes.

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