Navalny, Western countries, coronavirus: what Putin spoke about at the annual press conference

Russian President Vladimir Putin held an annual press conference. It lasted over four hours. Russian service Bi-bi-si chose the answers to the most important questions.

Photo: kremlin.ru

Due to the pandemic, the format of the annual presidential press conference had to be changed this year. Putin answered questions from his residence in Novo-Ogarevo, and journalists communicated with him via video link - representatives of the federal and foreign press gathered at the World Trade Center on Krasnaya Presnya, and regional journalists at separate venues in different federal districts.

At the same time, literally an hour before the start of the press conference, it turned out that some journalists were still allowed into Putin’s residence - they observed a two-week quarantine before the meeting with the president.

In addition, this year’s press conference was partially combined with Direct Line - Putin answered questions not only from journalists, but also from ordinary Russians, reading them out himself.

Navalny and other investigations

For the first time, Putin commented on the journalistic investigations that were released recently about businessman Kirill Shamalov and the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The publication “Important Stories” previously published material from which it followed that Shamalov’s fortune began to grow rapidly after he married Katerina Tikhonova, whom the media called the youngest daughter of the Russian president.

A joint investigation by Bellingcat, The Insider, Der Spiegel and CNN said that Navalny could have been poisoned by FSB officers.

Putin called the investigation into Shamalov “a compilation that is impossible to read.” He noticed that in the investigation he is called “the president’s son-in-law,” but “at the end they still write that he is a former son-in-law.”

According to Putin, there is nothing strange in the fact that Shamalov could receive a stake in SIBUR for $100, as Important Stories wrote.

“Who and how received some shares in this company... It turns out that the company published its data on this matter, its attitude towards this matter... That is, there were incentive programs for top management, and Mr. Shamalov, just like other top management, received [shares] according to uniform rules. There are other programs for a different level of management - they received [shares] according to different rules. There is nothing so strange here,” Putin explained.

The customers of the investigation, according to the president, were the US State Department and their intelligence services, and the purpose of the publication was revenge and an attempt to influence Russian domestic political life.

Putin called the investigation that Navalny could have been poisoned by FSB officers “the legalization of materials from American intelligence services.” At the same time, he actually admitted that Navalny could be monitored by Russian intelligence services.

“I know that Peskov told me yesterday about the latest fabrications regarding the data of our special services and so on. Listen: we understand perfectly well that this is not an investigation, but the legalization of materials from American intelligence services. This means that the patient of the Berlin clinic has the support of US intelligence services. And if this is correct, then it is interesting. Then the [Russian] intelligence services, of course, should keep an eye on him,” Putin said.

However, according to Putin, “this does not mean at all that he needs to be poisoned.”

“Who needs it? If we had wanted to, we probably would have completed what we started. And so [Navalny’s] wife turned to me, I immediately gave the command to release him for treatment in Germany, at that very second,” the president said.

According to Putin, Navalny, whom he called “a patient of the Berlin clinic” and “our well-known blogger” during a press conference, attacks top officials in order to “pull himself up to a certain level and say: “Pay attention. My partner is this one. And I am the same caliber of person. Treat me like a national figure."

Putin said nothing about another high-profile investigation - about the shareholder of the St. Petersburg Rossiya Bank Svetlana Krivonogikh and their alleged connection.

On the subject: 'I know everyone who tried to kill me': the names of those involved in the poisoning of Navalny are named

"We are white and fluffy"

BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg asked Putin whether he felt “at least a little” responsible for the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West. The journalist gave the example of Russia’s actions in recent years - “from the annexation of Crimea to the use of chemical weapons on British territory, in the city of Salisbury.”

“I feel responsible for what is happening to Russia and its people, and I will do everything in the interests of the state,” Putin replied.

He also said that in comparison with Western countries, the Russian authorities are “white and fluffy” (this wording was originally given by the BBC correspondent in his question).

“Compared to you - yes! We are white and fluffy. Because we went to the extent of liberating from a certain Soviet dictatorship those countries and peoples who wanted to develop independently. We heard your assurances that NATO will not develop eastward, but you did not fulfill your promises,” Putin said.

He recalled that the United States withdrew from the ABM Treaty, the INF Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty.

“You [Great Britain], as a NATO country, will fly and transfer everything to our American partners... You are smart people, why do you think that we are idiots?” - Putin was indignant.

He also added that Russia ranks sixth in the world in terms of military spending, which means that it cannot be called an aggressive country.

“Well, if not white and fluffy, then very handsome,” Putin summed up.

“The greatest sin is betrayal”

Kommersant correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov asked a question about the publication’s former journalist Ivan Safronov, who was arrested on charges of treason.

Putin said that the investigation should sort out the Safronov case, but stressed that he was not being tried for his journalistic activities.

“He’s not some dissident journalist who is fighting the authorities, but he’s being sent to prison,” Putin argued.

According to him, Safronov’s case is connected “with a long period of his work both as an assistant or adviser to [Roscosmos head Dmitry] Rogozin, when he worked in the government, and at Roscosmos.”

At the same time, Safronov worked at Roscosmos for only two months, and during Rogozin’s service in the government he was a journalist.

Roscosmos previously said that Safronov’s case was not related to his work in a state corporation, where he did not have access to state secrets. Safronov's lawyer Ivan Pavlov reported that, according to the case materials, Safronov is accused of transmitting information to a foreign intelligence service in 2017, when he was a journalist.

“The biggest sin is betrayal. Providing classified information to foreign intelligence services is a betrayal. I understand that perhaps this does not sound very good to those who trusted and trust him, who treat him well. I sympathize with you, just as I can sympathize with him if he really stumbled. But if for a long time he collected information for foreign services for the purpose of reward, this speaks about his content,” Putin said.

Whether it is possible to forgive and pardon Safronov is a question at the next stage, which will arise after the court’s decision, the Russian President added.

After the press conference, Putin was again asked why he claims that Safronov’s charge of treason is connected with the period of his work at Roscosmos, where he only managed to serve as an adviser to the general director for two months.

The head of the Russian Federation continued to insist that the persecution of Safronov is not connected with journalism.

“The episodes of his activities, which the investigation considers illegal, are associated with a long period of his life,” Putin clarified. But he claims to not know the details of the case.

On the subject: 'Nightmare side effects': a volunteer on the Russian vaccine against COVID-19

“Vaccines have not yet reached people like me”

Many questions, especially at the beginning of the press conference, were expectedly devoted to the situation with the coronavirus. Putin said that no country in the world was ready for such a pandemic, but Russia, in his opinion, was better than many.

“We gained time to begin operational preparations, began to quickly deploy the healthcare system and everything related to the fight against the pandemic,” he said.

Putin also mentioned that Russia was the first country in the world to register a vaccine against coronavirus.

“Good vaccine. Both safe and fast,” Putin praised her, and then emphasized that he was confident in the need for universal vaccination to defeat the pandemic.

When asked whether he himself had been vaccinated, Putin replied that he could not yet because of his age (he turned 68 in October).

“Experts tell us that those vaccines that go into civilian circulation are intended for citizens in a certain age zone. And the vaccines have not yet reached people like me. I will repeat once again: I am a fairly law-abiding person in this sense, I listen to the recommendations of our specialists, and therefore I have not yet received this vaccine. But I will definitely do this as soon as it becomes possible,” Putin assured.

In the scientific community - both in the West and in Russia - the attitude towards the Russian vaccine is ambiguous.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

"It was worse"

Another topic that has been discussed in recent weeks is the increase in food prices. In November, Rosstat reported that sugar prices had risen by 65%, sunflower oil by 24%, and cereals by almost 21% in annual terms.

The president admitted that “the situation is difficult,” but did not agree with the journalist, who said that “it has never been so difficult.” It was worse 20 years ago, Putin recalled: in 2000, 29% of the country’s population lived below the poverty line. In 2017, the president argued, this figure dropped to 12,3%, and by 2030 the authorities plan to reach 6,5%.

Putin assured that the problem with the increase in food prices has hurt him, especially given the largest grain harvest in the past six years.

“Somewhere prices are rising objectively - this is due, for example, to an increase in the cost of components due to exchange rate differences. We buy them for more rubles, because the ruble has dipped a little. But where this is not related to objective circumstances, it cannot but cause a sharp reaction,” he said.

“We have a record grain harvest, and bread is rising in price, pasta is rising. Why on earth? - Putin was indignant. - Why is this happening? Because prices on world markets have risen and domestic prices have begun to move towards global prices, which is completely unacceptable.”

According to Putin, the government has already reacted to the situation, and in the near future, agreements should be signed with producers and chains to contain prices.

Economists criticize artificial price containment measures and warn that they are likely to work in the short term, but may lead to problems in the long term.

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