The tradition of holding Q&A sessions, which began in 2001, has become a less formal kind of state-of-the-nation report that addresses people living in Russia directly. Putin has made his 14th live TV appearance on Thursday.
20 December 2018
The Q&A session is over. It lasted about 3 hours 40 minutes.
A journalist asks for assistance for her channel, which is dedicated to relations between ethnic groups. Putin says it can be done. He then says it’s time to bow out and wishes a happy New Year to the audience.
Putin says there is a special program to help ‘ISIS wives’ and their children get back to Russia, which involves Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
A question about ‘endangered Russians’, according to a placard held by a Chechen journalist. When given a mic, he asked about the situation with Russian women and their children, who got stranded in Syria and Iraq after travelling there with husbands who joined terrorist ranks. Also a question about Chechnya development and an invitation to visit the region soon.
A question about water piping and regulations for wastewater treatment. Putin says there is a government effort to improve the situation with wastewater in Russia.
A journalist suggests that patriotism should be enshrined in the Russian constitution. Putin says it is subject to debate.
Euronews asks about UN GA resolution about Crimea and the Kerch Strait incident. Why does Russia develop troops in Crimea? Will it lay claim on the entire Azov Sea?
Putin explains the Crimea is part of Russia since 2014 and that Russia will pursue the military policy there as it sees fit, just as in other parts of the country.
Russia announced its plans to build a bridge across the strait right from the start and did so. It is developing civilian infrastructure in Crimea. The strait is narrow and shallow and requires piloting service to pass through. This was the case long before the bridge was created.
The Ukrainian Navy troops had no trouble passing through the strait into the Azov Sea, when they followed the regulations. The incident happened because it was a deliberate provocation by the Ukrainian side.
The Azov Sea is regulated by a special agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and its rules differ from those for regular international waters. Ukraine, by the way, captured Russian civilian ships in the Azov Sea, and outlets like Euronews don’t pay much attention to this.
As for military ships, the Ukrainians simply need to follow the rules, and everything will be fine.
What will be done for Russia’s Far East? Will Sakhalin and Primorsky Krai become one region? If your people want that, it can be done through a referendum, Putin says. But it’s between the two regions.
Putin then outlines development plans for the Far East, its shipbuilding industry, space-related production, fisheries, etc.
What’s the biggest event in 2018 for you, Mr. Putin? The Russian presidential election and the World Cup in Russia.
A journalist says there is mistrust among Russian people towards the country’s government and the president and blames low-level officials for misrepresenting government policies. Then asks about making smaller the gap between the incomes of Russia’s wealthiest and poorest people.
Putin rejects the idea of pitting high-level and low-level officials against each other, saying a failure of the government on any level is a collective failure of the government. As for officials, who say and do stupid things, people have faults and some simply are not doing the job where they can thrive, Putin believes. The situation will improve in time.
Wealth inequality does exist in Russia as in other nations. Trump’s victory is to some degree attributed to his addressing this problem during the campaign.
A question about Russian drug industry and whether Russian-produced drugs are good enough. Putin says Russia does produce quality drugs. There are some perception problems about them, and doctors need encouragement to offer patients domestic products, which are competitive with imported ones.
Russia produces some 80 percent of crucially important drugs needed by the country, both precursors and final products. Work on improving the drug industry will continue.
Three more questions, announces Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman.
A sports journalist asks about doping and accusations against Russia. Can Russia say it dealt with its doping problem? Putin says there were problems with doping in Russia, but denies a state-sponsored doping program ever existed in the country. But the government failed to properly tackle doping cases and honest athletes suffered because of it.
Russia did a lot to improve its anti-doping infrastructure since the scandals started. A WADA delegation is currently working to check it.
As for the political aspect of doping allegations, Putin hopes it can be eradicated one day.
A young journalist asks if Putin needs any assistance and suggests an idea – to create a Ministry of Ideas. Putin says Russia has a ministry responsible for economic development that is supposed to generate ideas, but he would be willing to consider the proposal, if he is given details. As for his well-being, the Russian president said he is fine.
The question comes about the Big Game – Russia’s historic confrontation with the British Empire in Central Asia – and whether the rules of the game have changed since. Putin again mentions Russia’s cooperation with the US over Syria as an example of how Moscow and its Western opponents may find common ground despite all differences.
Trump’s ‘make America great again’ goal would benefit from more trade with Russia, Putin noted. But it’s doubtful that with the current domestic situation in the US he would be allowed to take a radically new approach towards Russia.
There are problems in the West now, as indicated by both the targeting of Trump by people, who disagree with his election and the situation with Brexit, which some people say should be canceled despite the results of the popular vote for it, Putin added.
With the Q&A session passing three hours, some journalists seem quite agitated and shout their questions. “Let’s not turn it into an unsanctioned rally,” Putin says.
A journalist complains about fraud in housing development in St Petersburg and asks for protection, saying she is being threatened and harassed for reporting about the problem. She believes her husband has been killed because of her job.
Putin says he will look into the crime and offers some remarks about the state of housing development in Russia. He says there are endemic problems with the way developers get funds for their projects today and agrees that the problem is being hushed up to some degree.
The Wall Street Journal says people in the West see a threat in Russia, asks whether Putin wants to rule the world.
Putin says the people who wish to rule the world are based in Washington, not in Moscow. The notion that Moscow wants world domination is a trope used to foster unity in the West.
Russia’s foreign policy is aimed at defending the interests of the Russian people, ensuring development of the country and securing an equal place among nations in the international community.
A question about Russia’s effort to reduce the role of the dollar in its economy and the global economy. Putin says the US currency has a greater role in Russia than globally, because oil and gas is traded in it. Moscow is reducing its dollar-nominated reserves.
The so-called dedollarization in Russia only affects how organizations interact with each other and will not affect the right of the people to own and trade dollars.
Ruble’s role is slowly increasing in Russia’s trade with its neighbors. The desire to turn away from the dollar is partially motivated by US record of imposing financial restrictions on other nations. But the Russian currency will require to be less volatile and needs backing of a stronger financial infrastructure to make a significant gain as an international currency.
A Turkish journalist asks about Putin’s attitude to Kemal Ataturk and Russian-Turkish relations. A great person, who did a lot for the Turkish nation and a good friend of Russia, Putin responds. As for the relations, they are developing well, even if some interests of the two nations don’t coincide. Russia respects Turkish interests in Syria and sees that Ankara is willing to compromise where Russia’s interests are involved. President Erdogan’s personal stance contributes to this situation, so Russia sees his leadership in Turkey favorably, Putin added.
The question is about a high-profile criminal case in southern Russia. Putin says he is not familiar with the case, but will look into it.
Some more chatter and jokes about a Russian flag, which one journalist was asked to move not to be in the way of a camera. “A Russian flag can never be an obstacle,” Putin remarked.
He then goes into details about how disposable income is calculated and how this figure changed in recent years in Russia, and which secondary indicators can be used to estimate the wellbeing of the people.
Putin is asked about the veracity of data used to monitor the economic situation in the country and whether it is manipulated to make things appear better than they actually are. The president says it’s a legitimate concern, because officials often fail to explain where they take their figures from and what they mean. The statistic itself may be faulty too. But explaining how it correlates with personal experiences of individuals is very important.
A news website asks about reports of torture in Russian prisons, which sparked outrage in the country this year, and a high-profile case of a mass murderer, who enjoyed a comfortable life in his jail cell.
Putin says any crime happening in a prison is unacceptable and should be punished. The media have played their role by exposing the cases mentioned by the journalists. Accountability to the public is essential for the penitentiary system, he said.
Going back to pensions, Putin defends the necessity to change how the pension system works in Russia. If it were not done now, Russia will still have to rise the retirement age several years later, because it is dictated by the demographic situation in the country.
Putin responds to criticism from the Communist party, which wanted to preserve the retirement age, saying their populist experiments resulted in the collapse of the Soviet Union and that if they were given a free hand, Russia would be much smaller today.
Putin goes back to Novaya Gazeta’s question about Lev Ponomarev’s detention. He says he would not want to question a decision taken by a court, an independent part of the Russian government.
A long barrage of remarks comes about local problems related to environment, forestry rights, water supply and other local issues. The question finally is about the Russian pension system and its much-debated reform. “And a Happy New year to you,” the journalist goes on as fellow reporters become increasingly agitated. And goes on with yet another issue. Spectacular resolve!
Novaya Gazeta – a major opposition newspaper – will ask some tricky question now, Putin says. The question is about the death of journalists in Africa and Evgeny Prigozhin, the alleged mastermind of a mercenary group. Another one is about the detention of a prominent rights defender, who was arrested.
Putin says all his cooks are military men serving in the FSO, the Russian guard service, Prigozhin’s nickname “Putin’s cook” notwithstanding.
As for the alleged mercenary band, it’s up to the General Prosecutor’s office to monitor them for possible violations at home and in other nations.
As for the tragic death of Russian journalists, Putin says as far as he knows they came to the Central African Republic with no backing from the local government and were killed by some bandits. An investigation into the deaths is underway and new details may yet emerge. Regardless, Putin offered condolences to Novaya Gazeta over the loss of their colleagues.
An eye-catching slogan “Gazprom ran out of gas” – which was target of a joke from Putin earlier during the Q&A session – prompts some questions about a stalled local project on supplying gas in Leningrad region. There is also a follow-up question about alleged nepotism in Gazprom.
Putin says Gazprom should be held accountable for its spending. As for the local pipeline network, it involves not only the gas giant, but also local companies, which may spark problems. He added he will get involved with the one mentioned by the journalist and find out what happened there.
A journalist from an Armenian newspaper asks about bilateral relations after the country’s resent election. Putin says Russia and Armenia have a strong relationship that was not hurt by Armenia’s recent political crisis.
Putin gets an invitation to visit Karachay-Cherkessia and test its new skiing resorts. The president says he’ll try.
A question about Putin’s contacts with British PM Theresa May and the effect that Brexit may have on Russia. Putin said he and May said a few words during the G20 summit in Argentina. Brexit will have little direct impact on Russia, but its effect on Europe will have an effect on Russia.
The relations between Moscow and London are at a dead end. But British companies do and want to do business in Russia. And there is huge potential for investment and trade.
Putin offered his sympathy to May and her Brexit debacle. “There was a referendum, what she can do but implement the decision taken?” He added he should not talk about it not to be accused of interfering in Britain’s domestic affairs.
A question from Ryazan, where a switch to digital-only TV broadcasting will be introduced soon. Won’t it hurt the people in rural areas, who cannot afford buying a new set? Putin says the government is walking baby steps with the transition, and the pilot project in Tver indicates that it would go smooth.
A question about France’s fuel tax protests and the situation with fuel prices in Russia.
People have the right to protest, but it should stay within the law, says Putin. The French events may have a connection with fuel prices, but those were only a trigger for an outpour of long-accumulated public anger. Taking a stance on the French response would not be correct.
The comparison of fuel price situation between France and Russia shows they are different. The French government took a decision to increase fuel taxes to fund a switch to renewable energy. Russia’s growth of fuel price was natural, and the Russian government acted to counter this process to a certain degree. And it’s only temporary – in March the deal between the government and oil firms expires, so the future will depend on the market situation.
A question about Russia’s legislation on foreign agents and Maria Butina. Should Russia take from the US in treating individuals working for foreign governments? And another one about religious turmoil in Ukraine and its political aspects.
Putin says Russia’s laws were based in part on similar laws in other nations, including the American laws. Russia’s variant is less restrictive than the American one, Putin said. Some changes may need to be taken, for example, for charities getting money from foreign actors.
As for the situation with Orthodoxy in Ukraine – Kiev’s actions are unlike anything seen from Soviet times. Kiev didn’t want a church of the Moscow Patriarchate – now it will have a church of Constantinople Patriarchate.
The Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church was independent in every aspect but symbolic ones. Constantinople’s motives may be financial in nature. US involvement in the schism is very disturbing.
The worst fear is that this will lead to violent redistribution of church property in Ukraine, Putin said.
An Afghan journalist asks about a UN GA resolution on Afghanistan, which Russia would not support and negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban. Putin says he may not comment on why exactly Russia objected to the resolution. As for the talks with the Taliban, they may be inevitable. Any force controlling much of a nation’s territory deserves being respected. But such talks should be held openly, Putin believes. “We hope all forces and ethnicities in Afghanistan will be able to resolve their differences,” Putin said.
A question about media and Russia’s soft power. Putin says Russia’s power is based on it being truthful. The media can only win trust by telling the truth.
“When will you marry and to whom?” Those are two different questions, Putin jokes.
Also on rt.com Is it official? Putin says he plans to get married ‘someday’A question about Crimea and sanctions hurting its residents. Putin stresses that the sanctions imposed against the residents of the peninsula are punishing them for voting for rejoining Russia. Which ironically proves that Russia did not annex Crimea through military force.
A question about agriculture and the slowdown in its growth. Putin acknowledges there is a slowdown, but it’s not a reason for concern at the moment. He disagrees that Russian farmers are too shielded from competition, saying the ban on food imports was imposed only on the nations, which put sanctions against Russia. Goes into details about agricultural production and records set in some areas.
Trump is right that ISIS suffered a major setback, but there is still danger that the surviving fighters would manage to travel elsewhere. As for the withdrawal – the US has been ‘withdrawing troops’ from Afghanistan many times, and they are still there. Russia has not noticed any practical steps for withdrawal.
The Syrian conflict is moving towards a political resolution and Russia is doing everything it can to hasten the process, using its influence on Damascus. But the UN is now suddenly stalling the work on writing a new Syrian constitution.
American troops should not be in Syria and have been there illegally. If the decision to withdraw them was taken, that’s the right decision.
Russian and American military specialists have managed to overcome the differences between the two countries and work together on anti-terrorism efforts. That’s a success, Putin said.
Chicago Tribune asks about Trump’s announcement of withdrawal of troops from Syria and his claim about defeating ISIS. “Are you concerned the troops will stay in some form, probably as contractors?”
Also on rt.com Putin: ‘US right to leave Syria, but no signs of pullout – remember Afghanistan’Russia’s national idea, Putin believes, is genuine patriotism. A national discussion about it may be worthy.
Questions from an environmental newspaper from St. Petersburg. The editor asks about a hydropower dam project, which he believes to be a threat to environment and the national idea for Russia – which he suggest as “Nature, motherland, people”.
Will there be a bridge across the Lena River in Yakutia? Putin says it depends on how much it would cost and whether the investment is justified by the economic benefits it would bring to the region. The assessment of options is underway.
A question from China’s Xinhua news agency. How Putin assesses the changes in China in the past few years and the development for Russian-Chinese trade? Putin says the trade will reach $100 billion this year, which is a benchmark, but the improvement reflects the success of the two governments in resolving issues between the two.
The close correlation between the positions of Russia in China in international affair is a boon to the global stability. As for China’s domestic changes, Putin believes them to be spectacular and approves Beijing’s effort to ensure stable economic development of the country.
A question about waste disposal – an issue that caused mass protests in Russia recently. Putin acknowledged the government too long ignored the problem of landfills, so when the problem became acute, it was blindsided. Solving the many issues with waste disposal will take a lot of investment and time as well as changes in people’s attitudes to recycling.
A journalist attracted Putin’s attention with a placard saying “KGB and children”. The question is about social justice and nostalgia about USSR. “Can socialism be restored in Russia?” Putin doesn’t believe so. The Russian society has changed too much to turn back into what it was during Soviet Union.
But the goal of making wealth distribution more just, supporting people struggling with poverty, providing national healthcare and education – those elements of socialism are part of Russia’s policies.
The Russian economy has adapted to sanctions. As for their effect, even Russia’s opponents like the US Treasury says sanctions contributed to one third of a drop in economic growth Russia experienced recently, while two thirds came from a decrease of oil prices. Sanctions hurt those who impose them too, Putin stressed. Russia partially benefited from sanctions, he added, since they forced the country to develop domestic production in some industries like agriculture.
A question about anti-Russian sanctions. Is Russia prepared for more sanctions and how did those already in place affect the country? Putin says Russia has been living under some sort of foreign sanctions all its history. Sanctions are part of international competition. When Russia becomes stronger, it faces more sanctions.
A question about regional elections in Russia, some of which were marred by scandals. How the Kremlin will work with the regions headed by candidates from opposition parties? Putin assures he will be meeting freshly elected governors, including those from the opposition and that there is no problem with having an opposition figure heading a region, as long as his or her work benefits the people living there. “I will support any elected governor,” he said.
The citizenship issue. Russia does not want to play into the hands of people, who want to split the peoples of Russia and Ukraine – a goal that the current government in Kiev made its policy. He adds this policy contributed to creating the poor economic situation that Ukraine suffers from today.
The president comments on the difference between the case of Jamal Khashoggi and Sergei Skripal – it’s obvious. The poisoning of Skripal is just a pretext for attacking Russia as part of international competition, he said.
Putin refrains from commenting on the US-Chinese relations and assures Russia will be sticking to the rule of law when dealing with foreign nationals.
A question from RT, which has been campaigning for years for making the process of providing Russian citizenship to refugees from Ukraine simpler. And another one about whether Russia would detain foreign citizens over apparent political motives, as was with the Chinese executive in Canada.
Putin says Russia wonders how much sovereignty Japan has in taking decisions on hosting American military infrastructure. People in Okinawa protest about hosting the American troops, but the bases are still there. Russia cannot take any definitive decision on the Kurill Islands without a certainty about this issue.
Japan is also hosting elements of the American ABM infrastructure, which Russia considers a threat to its national security. This has to be considered too.
But both Tokyo and Moscow agree that not being formally at peace is unnatural. There is progress in bilateral ties between the two countries. But there are problems too.
A Japanese journalist asks about the potential for Russia and Japan to sign a peace treaty and the issue of the Kurill Islands, which has been a problem since the end of World War II. How the governments can sell a peace treaty to the more nationalistic-minded members of their public? Should the US play a part in the talks, considering Japan’s reliance on the US for national security?
Putin assures he has a lot of respect for young people. There were war heroes as young as 19. There are young volunteers, scientists. So why would anyone not respect a young hip-hop performer just for being young?
He reiterated that banning parts of culture was stupid, but added he personally believed art was supposed to give people an incentive to become better. He opposes things like advocating drug abuse or using profanities, which some performers do, but says offering a better alternative is the way to do it.
A question about hip-hop in Russia, which is currently a domestic political issue after several concerts were banned by local authorities. Putin earlier spoke against such actions, saying they make no practical sense and only make things worse.
Putin jokes that intelligence officers and journalists have much in common. They both work with information.
Any negotiation about exchanging the sailors can start only after their prosecution in Russia is resolved, Putin says.
Russia wants Ukraine, one of Russia’s largest trade partners despite all hostilities, to be a peaceful nation in all its parts. But as long as there are Russia-haters that don’t take the interests of their people into account, there won’t be progress regardless of who the president of Russia is.
Putin responds. Russia did not impose an economic blockade of Donbass, Kiev did. Ukrainian soldiers are shooting at people in Donbass, not Russian. Russia does provide aid to Donbass, but it’s a question of their survival.
A barrage of questions from a Ukrainian journalist. “How much money Russia wastes on occupied Donbass? What will be the terms for prisoner exchange? Why are you interfering with elections in Ukraine?”
Putin criticizes Ukraine for staging a provocation in Kerch Strait. Says the success of the provocation is debatable. President Petro Poroshenko’s approval rating has grown a little, but he is still far from taking a lead position in opinion polls.
As for the sailors, Putin says Kiev hoped the Russians would kill some of them. Their fate will be decided by the court.
Also on rt.com Poroshenko sent Ukrainians to die in Kerch Strait in hopes of boosting approval rating – PutinA question about the Kerch Strait incident and what would happen with the Ukrainian sailors, who were detained by Russia. And a second one about Maria Butina, a Russian national tried in the US for being an undeclared agent of the Russian government.
The US forced Russia to develop new nuclear weapon systems by withdrawing from a treaty that banned national anti-ballistic missile technologies. Russia now has advantage, but it was its response to a change in balance.
Now the US is withdrawing from the INF, and Russia will respond. “They should not squeak later,” Putin said. “We know how to ensure our safety.”
But the situation is certainly lamentable because it rises the stake for the entire humanity.
Putin also warned against developing tactical nuclear warheads and conventional long-range ballistic missiles – both are dangerous because they increase the threat of an incidental nuclear war.
A question about nuclear war. Some media are now printing stories about how a nuclear war between Russia and the US may happen. Putin says the threat of nuclear war is indeed seen less serious by people living today than during the Cold War. But it did not become less acute in reality.
Linen and flax industry in Russia comes into the focus. Putin goes into details about changes in manufacturing in various industries in Russia, including textile. Acknowledges some industries need more incentives from the government, including textile, aviation and others.
A question about infrastructure development needed in Novosibirsk, an academic city in Siberia. Putin promises support for the scientists, if they need it.
Question about new taxes imposed on people, who live as providers of individual services like masseurs or nannies. Their income was not taxed previously. Added-value tax was also increased in 2018. Putin says the changes in fiscal policy are aimed at stabilizing budget and making it less dependent on taxing oil and gas industry.
Question from Volgograd about a military school, which was shut down two decades ago in the city. Putin says defense ministry has a program to educate officers, so it’s sensible to ask them if they need a new school in Volgograd.
Putin: Kudrin is a good professional, whose opinion is valuable. But in this case his approach is debatable. Russia had to deal with foreign crises, which needs to be accounted for. Sure, the economy needs to grow faster, and the national projects are meant to create opportunity for it, create a new quality of the economy. But it takes time.
Q. Some experts like Aleksey Kudrin say Russian economy is stagnating. Why does the government expect a breakthrough in the economy? Does Prime Minister Medvedev do a good job at all?
National projects are a vehicle to focus the country’s resources on crucial parts of its life, that need a boost to bring the country on the next technological level, Putin said. They are meant to boost human capital and key areas of economy like robotics or IT.
There are certain issues with how to control the implementation of the projects, known to the Russian public. They partially come from a clash of jurisdiction between the central government, which pays the money, and regional governments, which carry much of the burden of implementing them.
Now the questions begin with one about big national investment projects ordered by the president and whether they are worth the spending.
Amid economic recovery, Russians this year enjoyed a small growth of real income in 2018, Putin said. However inflation would be a little over the target set by the central bank.
The president makes a brief report on the country’s economic performance this year, his usual way to begin the event.
Putin’s big Q&A session starts.
The shortest Q&A held by Putin was the first in 2001, which lasted for just over 90 minutes. The longest session in 2008 took four hours and 40 minutes. The expectation for Tuesday is that the event will continue for at least three hours.
This year’s Q&A will be attended by a record number of accredited journalists, according to the presidential administration. Some 1,702 people signed up, compared to 1,640 last year. Most of them represent local media in Russia’s many regions, but foreign media have also sent several dozen reporters to cover the marathon session.
The range of questions that the president answers usually incorporates the national economy – with individual problems voiced by petitioners serving as case studies – and Russia’s international stance. Domestic issues often dominate the proceedings.