We’re covering the Russian president’s traditional end-of-year Q&A marathon LIVE on RT. This year’s session has attracted nearly 1,400 journalists, ready to pose a wide variety of questions. It is expected that the focus will be on international issues, but domestic issues such as the economy will also be up for discussion.
17 December 2015
Vladimir Putin's 11th annual press conference lasted 3 hours, 8 minutes, much the same as the similar event a year ago. During the event, Putin answered questions from 32 Russian and foreign journalists.
Putin said American presidential candidate Donald Trump is a “talented” person and an “absolute leader” in the US presidential race. The Russian president welcomed Trump's recent statement about stronger cooperation with Russia.
Putin said it was necessary to wait for the official results of the investigation into opposition figure Boris Nemtsov's murder. The president stressed that he has never discussed the matter with Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, even though two Chechen nationals are suspected of committing the killing.
Russian authorities do not plan to lift the ban on adoption of Russian children by foreigners, the president said.
Fighting terrorism implies uniting efforts, not dissipating strength, Putin said.
The creation of an Islamic counterterrorist coalition headed by Saudi Arabia while there is another anti-terrorist coalition headed by the US can be explained by some kind of regional interests, Putin said. The president expressed hope that Moscow and Riyadh will be able to work out common rules of interaction.
Russia's decision to halt flights to and from Egypt is not political and is not a sign of distrust toward the Egyptian leadership; it is necessary to maintain the safety of Russian citizens, Putin said, adding that the Egyptian president is showing great personal courage in the fight against terrorism.
Moscow is ready to cooperate with Kiev authorities on gas transit if Ukraine is capable of acting as Russia's European partners in the Nord Stream project.
Realization of the Turkish Stream project depends on the European Commission giving written guarantees, not Russia.
Moscow is still shocked at Bulgaria’s rejection of the South Stream gas pipeline project.
Putin denied allegations that Russia has already invested $3.5 billion into construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey.
"So far we haven't even obtained the construction permit," Putin said, stressing that the issue is subject of negotiations on a business level.
Exploration of new oil fields in Russia never stopped since the Soviet times because "nobody wants to kill the goose that lays the golden egg." The Russian government stimulates exploration by both state-owned and private companies, Putin said.
The president promised to clear up the situation with RBC journalist Sokolov, who was arrested for alleged publications on corruption at the Vostochny construction site.
I hope the Vostochny Cosmodrome will be completed in time, with the first launch planned for the first quarter of 2016, Putin said.
My daughters have never been "star children" in the spotlight. They are neither in business nor politics.
Putin said both of his daughters got their education in Russia, live in the country and have never lived abroad.
"I'm proud of them," he stressed.
The president stressed that he’s been opposing the raising of the retirement age in Russia, but that it has to be done one day. We don’t know when yet.
Russia is against any kind of doping in sports, because it undermines health, so if a sportsman is caught using performance-enhancing drugs, he must be punished.
We're 100 percent sure we won the right to host World Cup 2018 in fair, competitive struggle.
The FIFA scandal bears traces of underhand plotting by the West, since no country has the right to extend its jurisdiction to international organizations.
Putin on meeting with Kerry: The US ready to move towards cooperation in resolving international issues.
Russia is ready to develop relations with the US whoever wins American presidential election in 2016.
The Russian government is going to continue work on the privatization of large state-owned companies, including Rosneft and Aeroflot, but the controlling stakes will remain with the government, the president said.
Putin acknowledged that the new “Platon” system for tariffs on trucks is imperfect. He said it was put in place to make the fares go directly to the national fund for fixing roads. The contracts with private companies running the Platon system are now being monitored by the government, he said.
Moscow is ready to repair relations with Tbilisi, and arrange visa-free travel with Georgia, the president said.
The appointment of former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili as governor of the Ukrainian region of Odessa is "spitting in the face of the Ukrainian people," Putin said.
Russian authorities are "obliged" to react to allegations in the media regarding corruption on the part of high-profile Russian officials, Putin said, answering a question about recent coverage in the media about Prosecutor General Yury Chaika and the business of his children.
"What we need to understand is whether his children violated the law and if there is a conflict of interest," the president said.
“The Presidential Control Directorate is verifying the information about the Prosecutor General published in the media."
The operation of the Russian Air Force in Syria does not burden the budget. Some of the funds allocated for training are redirected to finance the task force in Syria.
"This is the best training," Putin noted, adding that in this manner the air group in Syria could "train for quite some time."
Russia is not planning to introduce any kind of sanctions against Ukraine. Moscow is interested in the conflict in Ukraine being solved as soon as possible.
The leaders of the EU asked us not to strip Ukraine of its preferential economic treatment and let it remain a member of the CIS. But it doesn’t work that way.
The leaders of the EU asked us not to strip Ukraine of economic preferences and let it remain a member of the CIS. But it does not work that way.
We forecast deterioration of economic relations with Ukraine starting January 1, 2016.
Any exchange of captive Russian and Ukrainian citizens in Donbass must be carried out on equal terms.
We never said we don't have people in Ukraine solving military issues there. But that doesn’t mean we have deployed regular troops there.
"I don't know if we need a [permanent] military base in Syria," Putin said. "If we need to get someone - we'll get them anyway."
Russia's plan for resolution of the Syrian crisis coincides in certain key points with that of the US, Putin confirmed.
Compromise to solve the Syrian crisis is possible, yet concessions should be made by both sides, Putin said. Assad’s future is in the hands of the Syrian people.
It’s almost impossible to negotiate with Turkey. Ankara is not making attempts to improve relations.
Islamist militants from Russia’s North Caucasus are undergoing medical treatment in Turkey, then re-entering Russia using Turkish passports.
Illegal trafficking of oil in the Middle East has reached truly industrial scale, Russian president noted.
Deployment of Russian S-400 air defense complexes to the Khmeimim air base in Syria brought violations of Syrian airspace by Turkish Air Force to a halt. “Just see them try to fly [there] now,” Putin said.
By downing the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 bomber, Turkey committed an act of hostility, then sheltered itself behind the NATO alliance.
Even with the best will in the world, the Central Bank’s key interest rate cannot be marked down by administrative measures, because economic realities must be taken into consideration.
The president expressed support for the policies of the Russian Central Bank and the government in maintaining microeconomic stability.
The ongoing import phase-out program is not a panacea for all economic problems, yet it boosts labor productivity.
The Russian government is fulfilling social obligation, including indexation of pensions, to the fullest extent.
Putin confirmed the budget deficit has come in at 2.8-2.9 percent, which is less than expected 3.0 percent.
Unemployment rates remain stable at 5.6 percent, which is the result of successful efforts by the government.
The more than twofold fall in the oil price has led to a 3.7 percent loss in Russian GDP and the growth of inflation to 12.3 percent over the past year. An oil price of $50 might be considered excessively optimistic and the 2016 budget could be revised, The Russian president said. Yet the worst of the economic crisis in Russia has passed and the national economy is showing signs of improvement and growth.