At the end of the year, the President of Russia traditionally holds a multi-hour communication session with journalists. All the most interesting things about the press conference - in our online broadcast

On December 18, Vladimir Putin sums up the results of the year for the tenth time in the format of a large press conference for Russian and foreign journalists. 1,259 media personnel were accredited for the event. The president's press conference will be held at the World Trade Center in Moscow.

In 2013, Putin answered 52 questions in 4 hours and 5 minutes. However, the biggest news came not at the press conference, but immediately after it: the president announced a pardon for Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky. This time, another famous businessman, owner of AFK Sistema Vladimir Yevtushenkov , was released from house arrest on the eve of Putin’s meeting with journalists.

The 2008 press conference set a record time. Then, in 4 hours and 40 minutes, Putin answered 106 questions.

All the main news from the 2014 press conference is in our online broadcast.

18.12.2014

Before the start of the press conference, several important statements in an interview with the TASS Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov made agency. According to him, no regulations have been established for the event - the president will answer questions as long as necessary. Peskov emphasized that the Kremlin did not make any restrictions on accreditation for journalists, so even Ukrainian journalists will be able to ask Putin a question if they wish. But “a lot of time, one way or another, will be devoted to the economy,” he noted.

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Putin's press conference will be broadcast live by TV channels Rossiya-1, Rossiya 24 and Channel One. You can listen to the president on the radio stations Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Russia.

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A Forbes correspondent reports from the World Trade Center that for such an important occasion, a “smoking room” is operating in the building, contrary to the anti-tobacco law. There is a ton of lighting equipment in the WTC lobby; already an hour before the start of the press conference, more than 30 cameras are working.

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Journalist Maria Panyushina from Chelyabinsk Channel 31 came to the press conference wearing a tank helmet. He wants to ask Putin what measures will be taken to support Russian industry in the face of competition with the Chinese.

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Journalists stand in a crowd at the entrances to the hall where the press conference will take place. They are not allowed inside yet. All with smartphones and tablets. Ahead of the “strike force” are portable cameras. Through the doors you can see that the cameras are already working in the hall, which were let in early.

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Journalists at the entrance:

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Representatives of Channel 5 are working.

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Denis Iovlev, a journalist for Channel 12 from Omsk, brought a dozen questions at once. The most important thing is what to do with the influx of cheap dollars from Kazakhstan into the city? “They buy everything - from real estate to bread.”

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Dmitry Peskov on Rossiya-24 talks about the intrigues of the West, stability and Ukraine: “Russia is consistently doing everything to promote peace.”

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Journalists are allowed into the hall in small groups. The magnetic badge displays your photo, name and publication. At the entrance to the hall they again ask you to open your bags. In previous years, such strict security measures were not in place.

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Some journalists are not allowed into the hall with a poster. And many came with signs on which, for example, the name of the region or publication. There are no more seats in the hall. The first two rows are half empty, but no one is allowed there.

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On the street next to the WTC building, several dozen activists tried to hold a protest; they were quickly detained by police officers.

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The Forbes correspondent fought to take a place in the hall: the girl organizer, after much bickering (“How old are you? Do you have children? You take care of the children, but you didn’t take care of a place for yourself!”) took down one “Reserve” sign and gave a place in sixth row, exactly opposite the president.

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According to Russia-24, among other comments from journalists, the floor was given to Ksenia Sobchak, who is today accredited from the Dozhd TV channel.

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Panorama of the big press conference.

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At the entrance to the hall, even water bottles are taken away from journalists, as in airports and stadiums.

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Ukrainian journalists in a talking “uniform”.

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The President is traditionally late. Just for a few minutes for now.

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At the ends of each row sit strong guys with headphones from the FSO.

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That's where the president will sit.

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Dmitry Peskov comes to the podium.

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Putin's press secretary apologizes for the delay. He says that everyone is happy to see, explains the regulations, asks to turn off their mobile phones: “Thank you, we are waiting!”

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Putin came out and began, according to tradition, with statistics. GDP growth amounted to 0.7-0.8% over 10 months, the trade balance increased, industrial production accelerated slightly, etc., etc.

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Putin speaks rather slowly. In the social sphere, the main result is “positive demographic dynamics.”

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The conversation “by the numbers” is over. Let's move on to the current situation.

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Putin pointedly put the papers aside and talks about the economy, the national currency, etc. He jokes: “After this, the press conference can end.”

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The crisis in the economy was provoked, first of all, by external factors, although the authorities within the country have not implemented all the measures planned to diversify the economy.

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The government and the Central Bank, according to Putin, are taking “adequate measures in the right direction.” The President hopes that maintaining the trend towards strengthening the national currency is possible. But a further decline in oil prices is also possible. Therefore, the authorities need to be ready to act according to the situation, as they did during the 2008 crisis.

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“If the situation is unfavorable, we will have to make some adjustments to our actions, reduce something, but a rebound from the current situation and a positive outcome is inevitable. And our economy will be positive. In the worst case scenario, in two years.”

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State reserves have even grown over the past two years, Putin recalls. Their total volume is 8.4 trillion rubles. Based on them, we will engage in social obligations and economic diversification.

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Peskov gives the first question to the Kremlin pool, or rather to its “doyen” Vyacheslav Terekhov.

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Question about the crisis. “Do you agree with the criticism of the government?”

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Putin once again calls the actions of the government and the Central Bank “adequate.” He explains: the high key rate, according to his optimistic forecast, will not last long, as the economy will learn to adapt to the current level of energy prices (allows a decrease to $40 per barrel).

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The Central Bank still needs to give access to foreign exchange liquidity, not to burn gold and foreign exchange reserves, but to follow the path of providing market participants with credit funds. Perhaps this needs to be done “half a step” faster.

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Putin says he “hears” criticism of Central Bank Chairman Elvira Nabiullina, but calls on the government to act more effectively, in particular, to work more closely with large exporters. Steps are already being taken in this direction - this is due to yesterday’s meeting of Dmitry Medvedev with the heads of exporting companies.

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A girl in a tank helmet from Chelyabinsk was seated in the second row, which was fenced off by a velvet canal. Otherwise they will give their word.

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The question is asked by another old-timer of the Kremlin pool - Alexander Gamov from Komsomolskaya Pravda. Thanks Putin for his optimism. The question is also about the economy. Gamow speaks about the “damned oil needle”: “Will we be able to use the crisis for good purposes, get out of the game, rebuild the economy?”

The second question about the message: “Is there confidence that your postulates about de-bureaucratization for business will be implemented?”

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The problem of business is not bureaucracy, Putin believes. “If the situation develops differently, life itself pushes us to invest in other sectors.” We need to create conditions for diversification. The crisis can help with this - hence the optimism, the president concludes.

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The question is asked by one of the most famous “Pulovites” - Kommersant special correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov. Reminds Putin of his quotation from Gorchakov that “Russia is concentrating.” “Is it time to relax?”

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Putin once again answers in the spirit that we need to develop the economy, help business, and stop “chasing out those we don’t like.” “Are we doing this? Yes, we do. We need to continue to focus and back it up with concrete work.”

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The parade of pool old-timers continues: Vladimir Kondratyev, an NTV journalist, asks where the new “cold war” might lead Russia with the West and what opportunities remain for restoring dialogue?

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Putin speaks on his favorite topic: he criticizes the West for the expansion of NATO to the East, violation of guarantees, etc.

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A UNIAN agency correspondent in a “Ukrop” sweatshirt formulates harshly: how many Russian military personnel are involved in the punitive operation in eastern Ukraine, what does Putin say to the relatives of the Russian soldiers killed there, and under what conditions will he release Ukrainian prisoners of war?

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First, about the pilot Savchenko. Putin recalls that she is accused of involvement in the murder of journalists. “If it turns out that she has nothing to do with it, she will be released immediately. If it turns out that she is involved, the Russian court will make an appropriate decision. No one can accuse a person of being guilty in advance. We have a presumption of innocence. We do not consider other Ukrainian military personnel as prisoners of war; their involvement in terrorist activities is being verified.”

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Now about “who is responsible for what.” The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is responsible for the fate of military personnel. All people who fulfill their duty “at the call of their hearts,” including participating in events in Ukraine, are not mercenaries. The punitive operation, according to Putin, is being carried out not by the Russian army, but by the Kyiv authorities. Part of the population simply did not recognize the coup, but instead of political dialogue they received a military operation and an economic blockade. Russia is ready to assist.

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Is the crisis a retribution for Crimea? - Anton Vernitsky briefly asks from Channel One.

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After Putin's speech about Ukraine, single applause sounded in the hall. Although the president did not answer all questions.

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Putin does not agree that the crisis is the result of the annexation of Crimea. “The point is not about Crimea, the point is that we are defending our right to exist, to sovereignty.”

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Question about the fate of the Novorossiya project. Will Russia help Donbass and will the Minsk agreements work?

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Putin says he hopes for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, but warns that Russia will continue to help eastern Ukraine (“the tenth humanitarian convoy has already left there”). The desire to restore dialogue must come from both sides, the president notes. According to him, Ukraine has “cut off” economic ties with the east of the country, which is why large industrial enterprises are idle.

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The market doesn't like the president's rhetoric yet. The dollar and euro soared by 5 rubles after the start of the press conference, the ruble began to rapidly weaken on the Moscow Exchange: from 12.00 to 12:48, the dollar exchange rate rose by 4.6 rubles from 59 to 63.6 rubles, the euro exchange rate jumped during the same period by 5 rubles 70 kopecks and reached 78.65 rubles.

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Putin talks about the difficulties in implementing the Minsk agreements. He believes that the exchange of prisoners of war should be carried out on the principle of “all for all”: “It is necessary that people end up in families before the New Year.”

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Dmitry Peskov nodded in response to the raised hand of the Forbes correspondent. Maybe it will allow me to ask a question.

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In the collection of the president's sayings.

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TASS agency asks its question. We are talking about a turn to the East. Have the risks of pipeline construction projects to China and Turkey been calculated?

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Putin says that the “turn to the East” is not a domestic, but a global trend. Large projects were conceived even before the current crisis began. It is not true that the Power of Siberia project is unprofitable; it is simply “preferential” on both sides, but profitable.

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The situation is similar with Turkey: all calculations have been made, we will not engage in ineffective projects. If Europe wants to get a hub in Turkey “without transit risks” - “please, we are ready to work, if they don’t want it, we won’t.”

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A RIA Novosti correspondent asks whether it is possible to denominate the ruble and force exporters to sell foreign currency earnings.

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Putin refutes the rumors: the government and the Central Bank will not restrict exporters, although they will continue to work through their representatives on the boards of directors. But there will be no directives. Speculators are not a concept from the criminal field; they can be both foreign funds and Russian companies, the president admits. They appear whenever there is money to be made.

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The UNIAN correspondent was definitely not satisfied with the answer.

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Putin even talked to one of the leaders of the state-owned company on the phone and asked him to enter the foreign exchange market. It turned out that the company quickly found $3 billion in its stash.

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Alexey Kudrin is also watching the press conference. It seems he won’t hear news about resignations and appointments today.

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The President answers a question from a Moskovsky Komsomolets correspondent about health care reform. The Moscow authorities are unexpectedly supportive: they are conducting a dialogue with the medical community, paying high benefits, and preparing a retraining program.

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Natalya Galimova from Gazeta.Ru asks about the “fifth column” and “national traitors.” Who did Putin mean? Where does the opposition end and the “fifth column” begin?

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Putin does not feel responsible for returning the term “fifth column” to the lexicon. He promises to be more careful in his statements, although he cannot give an exact definition, because you cannot gloss over everything. A quote from Lermontov follows: “Farewell, unwashed Russia, country of slaves, country of masters, and you, blue uniforms, and you, people devoted to them.” Was he an oppositionist? Yes, I was. But he was also a patriot, Putin believes.

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Putin immediately turns to Nikita Mikhalkov’s latest film: officers who were too liberal ended up dying at the hands of revolutionaries.

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The current authorities, according to Putin’s logic, should learn lessons from this.

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A representative of the Gifted Children portal asks a question and invites Putin to take part in the project. Putin says that this is “correct and important,” wishes success, and promises support.

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Yes, the final formulation of the “fifth column” is people who carry out the will of another state and are used.

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A LifeNews correspondent, like last year, asks about Khodorkovsky. How does Putin feel about MBKh getting involved in politics?

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Putin says that he made the decision to pardon solely for humanitarian reasons - he wanted to give MBKh the opportunity to say goodbye to his mother. And “let him do politics.”

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Mysterious "Cats" poster in the hall.

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Putin, meanwhile, answers a question about the Olympics. He is pleased with how the Olympics went and what happens after the Games. There is a loading of objects - both Formula 1 and the World Chess Championship - everything is “booked” until the end of February. “We have a new year-round recreation center.”

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And here is MBKh’s reaction to Putin’s statement.

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Putin talks about promoting a healthy lifestyle and developing a sports infrastructure - this, as he aptly puts it, is the best alternative to “vodyara”.

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The question is asked by Ksenia Sobchak. About Ramzan Kadyrov's intentions to deal with the families of militants. “Will you protect citizens who are subjected to extrajudicial killings?”

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Putin asks Peskov: “Why did you give her your word?” “Guilty,” he jokes.

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Sobchak’s second question is again about the “fifth column”. Reminds Putin of how he helped her father when persecution was launched against Anatoly Sobchak. How does Putin feel about the same propaganda persecution on federal TV? Is he afraid of such a high degree of hatred in society?

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“Banderlogs, of course, exist, Kipling said it, not me,” Putin begins.

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Putin agrees that no one can be found guilty before a court decision. This is about the words of Kadyrov. But not everything is so simple: relatives of militants often know about terrorist attacks. “But this does not give anyone, including the head of Chechnya, the right to extrajudicial executions. The authorities are looking into who burned the houses and so on. Kadyrov's statement was emotional, someone could have taken advantage of it.

But even earlier, bandits shot traffic police officers, which outraged thousands of people. All facts will be verified. The organs will react. In Israel, such methods are used against terrorists. And in the United States, after September 11, torture was completely legalized. How can this be explained? Life is complex and varied, although we must adhere to the law.”

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Now the answer to the question about “bullying”. “When I arrived in Moscow, I found direct evidence that persecution had been launched against Anatoly Sobchak. But there is no organization of persecution of people who do not agree with our actions in Ukraine or Crimea. If there is a public reaction, then people must understand that they cannot monopolize the right to criticism, but must also respond in the public sphere. Unlike us, European partners act differently: Gazmanov, Valeria and Kobzov were prohibited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia from entering the country.”

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A Reuters correspondent says there is already dissatisfaction with Putin among the elites. How confident is Putin in his entourage and is he afraid of a palace coup?

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Putin: “We don’t have palaces, so there can’t be palace coups. Stability is based on the support of the Russian people."

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And once again about Ukraine: he reminds that he regards what happened as a coup d’etat. He talks about discussions with the leadership of other countries, recalling that they considered Yanukovych a legitimate president and convinced him not to use force against the radicals, and then they themselves violated agreements with the elected president. If Brussels had demanded compliance with the agreements, the situation would not have gotten out of control. In addition, promises of financial support for Kyiv have been broken: “Nobody pays a damn thing.”

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The Russian elite, it turns out, is not Putin’s entourage, but “a simple hard worker, a peasant on whom the country rests.” Although there are patriots among rich citizens.

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A Business FM correspondent asks a question about the capital amnesty. What are its details, mechanism, what kind of capital will be returned? Will business trust government guarantees?

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Putin says that the question is not about the amount returned, but about legalization. He promises to personally monitor compliance with guarantees and threatens security forces with the harshest measures for violating the rights of entrepreneurs. Everything that is not declared illegal by a court decision is legal. “You need to declare everything once, what belongs to whom, turn the page and move on.”

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Evstolia Taranda from the Yamal-Region TV channel wishes Putin to stay “on the outer contour.” He asks about the consolidation of regions, which is not supported in Yamal.

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Putin says that the consolidation of territories is possible only based on the results of referendums or decisions of the parliaments of the constituent entities of the Federation. At the same time, there is a strong social differentiation among the regions, and the imbalances need to be corrected.

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Putin sets up simultaneous translation before a question from the BBC's John Simpson.

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Question about the activation of the Russian Armed Forces on the borders with Western countries. Doesn't this provoke an escalation of tension?

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Putin says Russia is only reacting to the actions of the West. “Did you know that in the early 90s Russia completely stopped our aviation flights in long-range patrol areas, while American planes continued to fly. And so we resumed these flights a couple of years ago. So who is provoking? We have two bases abroad: in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. American bases are all over the globe. And you want to say that we are behaving aggressively?

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And again criticism of Washington. "Missile defense system. Who unilaterally withdrew from the treaty, which was the cornerstone of international security? States! They are deploying missile defense elements right next to us. We want our interests to be respected both in the security and economic spheres.”

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Putin’s formulation about the elite seems to amuse the Internet the most so far.

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Putin answers a question from a Mir correspondent about the Customs Union. Notes positive dynamics, without much enthusiasm.

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Before a question from a correspondent of the newspaper “Peasant Life,” Putin congratulates the peasants on their rich harvest. The very question about the shortage of personnel in rural areas, does the outflow of people threaten food security?

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Putin says that the shortage of personnel must be satisfied; we have educational institutions that train specialists to work in agriculture: “We must attract them on time.” He reminds us that a decision on retaliatory sanctions and a ban on the import of Western products gives domestic producers a chance.

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A journalist from Voronezh asked about the prospects for mortgage lending and about the personal life of Putin, “the most eligible bachelor.” Putin starts with mortgages. He says that there is dynamics of development, but the Central Bank, in the context of raising rates, needs to think about subsidizing instruments.

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About personal life without details: “Everything is fine, don’t worry.” He says that he “doesn’t go wild” without love. He regularly sees and communicates with his ex-wife.

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A correspondent from a Vyatka newspaper, who was holding a “Turkey” poster, asks a question about the prospects for Vyatka kvass in the windows of large retail chains. Putin notices that the journalist seems to be drunk. He answers in the spirit that Coca-Cola is a harmful drink, but the authorities will not clear store shelves for its Russian competitors.

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Now the answer to the question of a real Turkish journalist. “Turkey and I have a lot of overlapping regional interests; without Turkey, these issues cannot be resolved.” He calls Erdogan a “strong man” and says that they agreed in a behind-the-scenes conversation “not to tease the geese,” referring to the Crimean and Cyprus territorial crises.

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The neighbor to the left of the Forbes correspondent wore a national cap with a tassel and shape, like an academic cap. He reaches out to no avail.

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Putin answers a question from Xinhua. All mutual agreements between Moscow and Beijing are being observed. He speaks about the positive dynamics in the development of relations within the SCO.

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The main character of the press conference #rightnow

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Courtney Weaver from the Financial Times asks a question about Vladimir Yevtushenkov . Are the rules of the game changing in Russia due to the reprivatization of Bashneft?

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Putin says that the rules remain the same, and the Bashneft case is a question of the theft of an asset from the state, which Yevtushenkov, by buying the company for $2 billion, not $5 billion, unwittingly helped to legalize stolen goods. The President hopes that Sistema will restore its position on the stock exchange, and Yevtushenkov will take part in the meeting of the head of state with large businessmen at the end of the year.

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Well, read our investigation on the topic “Dangerous Liaisons: Who Helped Vladimir Yevtushenkov in the Oil Business”

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Putin talks about the prospects for Russian-Georgian relations. Compares the 2008 war with the current fighting in Eastern Ukraine. Moscow still has few contacts with Tbilisi. But he doesn’t rule out a meeting.

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At 14.31 Moscow time, the dollar exchange rate for settlements tomorrow increases by 50 kopecks compared to the closing level of trading on Wednesday - to 60.71 rubles. The euro exchange rate decreases by 15 kopecks to 74.95 rubles.

During the second hour of Vladimir Putin's press conference, the dollar and euro lost almost all of the growth shown at the beginning of the Russian president's speech.

Against the backdrop of Putin’s statements about Russian nuclear weapons and comparing Russia to “a bear on a chain,” the dollar soared to 63 rubles, the euro cost more than 78 rubles.

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Now the question is asked by Ramzan Kadyrov's press secretary Alvi Karimov. He scolds Ksenia Sobchak, who “brazenly, shamelessly” lied in her question about the violation of the Constitution by the head of Chechnya. Sobchak tries to object, but Dmitry Peskov asks her to remain silent. He asks Putin whether it is necessary to use the entire arsenal of available means against terrorists.

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Putin begins with words of praise for Kadyrov, but limits himself to promising to draw conclusions based on the results of the investigation.

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Therapeutic effect: the price of oil on world exchanges is rising for the second day in a row. At 14.10 Moscow time, futures for the North Sea Brent mixture on the ICE exchange in London rise in price by 3.25% - to $63.16 per barrel. Contracts for the American grade WTI on the Nymex exchange are concluded at $58.51 per barrel (an increase of 3.03%).

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An Avtoradio correspondent with a Gena crocodile doll in his hands asks about imported cars and draconian tightening of traffic rules, in particular fines for illegal parking.

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Ksenia Sobchak can only formulate objections on Twitter.

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Putin says fines should not be prohibitive, but defends pedestrians.

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There is no point in banning the import of cars at the current exchange rate of the national currency, the president says.

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A question from the Kaliningrad region about the prospects for the region in view of the deterioration of relations with the West. Putin says “phobias must be abandoned and cooperation must be developed,” given the unique geography of the Russian enclave.

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Question about veterans. Putin promises support to everyone. “I say this very carefully, because before you say anything publicly, you need to calculate everything.”

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Liana Nalbandyan from Sobesednik asks whether Putin is embarrassed by unconditional primacy on the political front?

“These are not frozen things, we need to take them seriously. Get things done, get the job done,” the president replies. In general, it doesn't bother me.

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Ekaterina Vinokurova from Znak.com asks about hypocritical heads of state-owned companies, corrupt people from Putin’s entourage and propagandists who provoke discord. At the end - about Sechin’s salary!

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Igor Ivanovich’s salary will remain a secret; the president doesn’t know either. Recognizes that the level of payment is very high. Sechin is not going to be fired; he turned out to be an effective manager. At the same time, he does not rule out inviting foreign managers to state-owned companies. “Populism is inappropriate, but elements of social justice must be respected.”

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Putin says that in his inner circle “there are no officials, there are colleagues.” According to him, he stays a little aloof, not getting close to anyone. Acknowledges that some people go too far.

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State secret of the Russian Federation. Read more here .

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The Iranian journalist unexpectedly asks not a complimentary question, but criticizes Putin for not keeping promises to improve relations with Tehran and weak support for the Iranian authorities at the global level. He proposes to change the ambassador, reminds that Putin did not visit Tehran and did not sign new agreements. Has the strategy changed or is the team not following through?

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Putin responds conciliatoryly. He says that he is discussing with his Iranian colleague the prospects for improving relations.

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The governor of Vyatka may be pleased.

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The answer to the Iranian journalist's question is very lengthy. “We will work,” Putin sums up.

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An important addition about Vyatka kvass. Journalist Vladimir Mamatov from Kirov was not drunk: his speech was sluggish because he had suffered a stroke, told the Russian News Service Irina Alexandrova, director of the regional information and analytical newspaper Reporter, . “If he asked this question, then it was agreed with the editors. He's not really drunk, he's survived two strokes and one traumatic brain injury. His speech is a little slow,” explained the editorial representative.

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Putin noted that the press conference was already in its fourth hour and had noticeably sped up. Answered questions about supporting large families and banning advertising on cable channels. In the second case, according to him, the authorities do not hide the redistribution of dwindling advertising cash flows in favor of federal TV.

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Putin answered a question from the Crimean Tatar TV channel. He did not agree that the Russian authorities are not fighting for the rights of the Crimean Tatars, and promised to support them.

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Alexander Kolyandr, correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, asks about Putin’s plans to participate in the 2018 presidential elections and the president’s personal responsibility for the economic crisis.

Putin says that he will decide on a fourth presidential term based on the mood of the people. Disagrees with the fact that he is shirking personal responsibility. Once again he supports the actions of the Central Bank and the government in the fight against the crisis, and says that the authorities are capable of both coping with the crisis and complying with social obligations. The economy will diversify, he promises, even if energy prices remain low in the near term.

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This is the last question, according to Putin. Looks like it won't even make it to 4 o'clock today.

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Everything is forgiven and leaves.

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Will there be loud statements today after the press conference, like last year’s announcement of MBH’s pardon?

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The whole thing lasted 3 hours 20 minutes. Even a little less, considering that Putin was a little late.

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Maria "Masha" Solovyenko of the Vladivostok newspaper Narodnoe Veche, which did not get its message across to the president this time, says she wanted to propose the creation of a children's sports ministry. But Dmitry Peskov was afraid to give her the floor, the journalist is sure.

Vladimir Putin's big press conference: Forbes online broadcast