Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Good afternoon.<\/p>\n
We are broadcasting live from Moscow.<\/p>\n
We, Pavel Zarubin\u2026<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: \u2026 and\u00a0Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya\u2026<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: \u2026 welcome all our viewers from
\nGostiny Dvor.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: The\u00a0President will be joining us in\u00a0just a\u00a0few minutes. Of\u00a0course, we are all looking forward to\u00a0this, since we all have
\nso many questions. Yekaterina and\u00a0I\u00a0are well aware of\u00a0the\u00a0fact that we received
\ntens of\u00a0thousands, even millions of\u00a0questions from our television audience. At\u00a0the\u00a0same time, we don\u2019t yet know what questions matter most to\u00a0you, journalists
\nfrom the\u00a0leading media outlets. Right now, you have a\u00a0unique opportunity.<\/p>\n
We can see that you are recording everything,
\nbut may I\u00a0ask you to\u00a0stop just for\u00a0a\u00a0moment, and\u00a0listen to\u00a0us?<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Colleagues, we can see that you
\nhave already taken your seats. Now, it\u2019s time to\u00a0put your phones aside, even if
\nyou are using them to\u00a0record us or\u00a0your colleagues around you or\u00a0scrolling
\nthrough the\u00a0news to\u00a0learn about the\u00a0latest developments, as\u00a0we journalists so
\noften do. The\u00a0main news messages will be coming very soon, just be patient.
\nThey will come from our studio when the\u00a0President joins us. For\u00a0now, we have a\u00a0few minutes to\u00a0talk to\u00a0each other.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0Pavel has said, we are working live, and\u00a0the\u00a0entire country can see and\u00a0hear you.<\/p>\n
Colleagues, do not be shy, since you have a\u00a0unique
\nopportunity to\u00a0ask your question.<\/p>\n
Please, introduce yourself. Which media outlet
\ndo you represent?<\/p>\n
Remark<\/b>: When I\u00a0looked into your big, beautiful eyes,
\nI\u00a0knew that you would turn to\u00a0me. This was inevitable. After all, I\u00a0am from
\nBelarus.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Belarus. What is on\u00a0the\u00a0minds of\u00a0people
\nin\u00a0Belarus? What is your question about?<\/p>\n
Remark<\/b>: First and\u00a0foremost, the\u00a0development of\u00a0our
\nshared home, the\u00a0Union State, is what matters for\u00a0Belarus, along with the\u00a0threats we have had to\u00a0counter together with Russia.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
Indeed, we are about to\u00a0begin the\u00a0media event
\nof\u00a0the\u00a0year. This is reflected in\u00a0every detail. We have representatives of\u00a0regional media outlets, as\u00a0well as\u00a0our foreign colleagues, and\u00a0guests from the\u00a0Union State. There are all kinds of\u00a0people in\u00a0this hall. This will be a\u00a0true question-and-answer
\nmarathon.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: The\u00a0hall is divided into sections, and\u00a0I\u00a0should mention that from here, from the\u00a0central podium, we have a\u00a0perfect view
\nof\u00a0everyone. So when you raise your hand to\u00a0ask a\u00a0question, the\u00a0President will
\nsee you.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll start with this sector, and\u00a0I\u00a0can\u2019t move
\npast the\u00a0front row. We have some very young journalists here. How old are you?<\/p>\n
Remark<\/b>: Hello! I\u2019m 13.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: Where are you from, and\u00a0what media do you
\nrepresent?<\/p>\n
Remark<\/b>: We\u2019re from Moscow, representing a\u00a0youth media,
\nDetskaya Redaktsiya (the\u00a0Children\u2019s Editorial Board).<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: A\u00a0journalist at\u00a013, and\u00a0right in\u00a0the\u00a0front
\nrow. What is your question? If it\u2019s not a\u00a0secret, of\u00a0course.<\/p>\n
Remark<\/b>: We would like to\u00a0know how the\u00a0President receives
\nthe\u00a0valuable information as\u00a0to\u00a0what our people really need.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: Well, over these past few weeks we have all been
\nreceiving a\u00a0great deal of\u00a0valuable information and\u00a0we continue to\u00a0do so today.
\nSo I\u00a0would say this array of\u00a0information is already valuable.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Absolutely. Pavel, you know, my\u00a0main question for\u00a0our colleagues is this: how do you actually capture the\u00a0President\u2019s attention? We know there is going to\u00a0be a\u00a0real battle for\u00a0Vladimir
\nPutin\u2019s focus today. You and\u00a0I\u00a0have seen this before\u00a0\u2013 we know how the\u00a0atmosphere
\nin\u00a0the\u00a0hall is about to\u00a0heat up.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0will now turn to\u00a0a\u00a0young lady wearing a\u00a0kokoshnik. Earlier this year, the\u00a0President noted that the\u00a0kokoshnik is no joke\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s more than just a\u00a0symbol of\u00a0our traditional costume. What would you like
\nto\u00a0ask? Where are you from? Please, introduce yourself.<\/p>\n
Yulia Korotkova<\/b>: Good afternoon. My\u00a0name is Yulia Korotkova. I\u00a0am a\u00a0presenter with the\u00a0Volga and\u00a0Volga-24 NNTV channels from the\u00a0Nizhny
\nNovgorod Region. And\u00a0this outfit isn\u2019t just about beauty\u00a0\u2013 it represents our
\nregion. The\u00a0red colour, the\u00a0kudrina pattern, the\u00a0Khokhloma style.<\/p>\n
My\u00a0question touches on\u00a0more than just our artistic
\ncraft; it is also about the\u00a0ban on\u00a0vaping. It is a\u00a0very serious issue.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: It is a\u00a0highly relevant topic,
\ntoo. These questions have been coming up, and\u00a0I\u2019m sure they will be addressed here
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
Pavel, let\u2019s continue meeting our colleagues.<\/p>\n
What does your sign say here?<\/p>\n
Remark:<\/b> This word, \u201cychchuu,\u201d is from the\u00a0Yakut language, meaning \u201ccold.\u201d It
\nsignals our question to\u00a0the\u00a0President about energy prices\u00a0\u2013 a\u00a0critical issue
\nfor\u00a0us. This is especially important considering that in\u00a0the\u00a0Arctic and\u00a0the\u00a0North, the\u00a0so called Far Eastern allowance (a\u00a0bonus to\u00a0the\u00a0salary) is being
\napplied, but its application is somewhat limited. We absolutely want to\u00a0raise
\nthis issue.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0should note that everyone now has small
\nplacards. The\u00a0situation is quite different from several years ago.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: That\u2019s right. In\u00a0previous years, people
\ndidn\u2019t just come with placards\u00a0\u2013 you could say they arrived with full-scale
\nbanners. They practically staged demonstrations. These banners were so large that
\nthey blocked the\u00a0cameras, interfered with the\u00a0broadcast image, and\u00a0even obstructed
\nthe\u00a0journalists themselves. After that, there were understandable requests for\u00a0more restraint and\u00a0for\u00a0placards to\u00a0be limited to\u00a0A4 size. Still, as\u00a0we know, our
\npeople are endlessly inventive.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Pavel, look, here it\u2019s not even a\u00a0placard, yet the\u00a0subject of\u00a0the\u00a0question is clear. But still\u2026<\/p>\n
Remark<\/b>: The\u00a0word \u201cAstrakhan\u201d is written on\u00a0a\u00a0figurine
\nof\u00a0a\u00a0Caspian roach. Our question concerns the\u00a0development of\u00a0the\u00a0North\u2013South international
\ntransport corridor and\u00a0the\u00a0problem of\u00a0the\u00a0shallowing of\u00a0the\u00a0Volga, which
\nimpacts not only the\u00a0population but also the\u00a0natural environment, in\u00a0particular
\naquatic biological resources.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Colleagues, I\u00a0would like to\u00a0draw
\nyour attention to\u00a0how many regional journalists are present here today. In\u00a0a\u00a0sense, each of\u00a0you serves as\u00a0a\u00a0conduit to\u00a0your region. You are not simply members
\nof\u00a0the\u00a0press\u00a0\u2013 you will genuinely guide us and\u00a0voice the\u00a0specific concerns of\u00a0the\u00a0people in\u00a0each of\u00a0your regions.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: We really shouldn\u2019t have moved on\u00a0from this
\narea. I\u00a0see a\u00a0young lady here with Labubu dolls. Is that right? I\u00a0have to\u00a0admit,
\nI\u2019m not entirely familiar. Who is depicted here and\u00a0why?<\/p>\n
Regina Orekhova<\/b>: Even I\u2019m not sure of\u00a0the\u00a0correct term. We
\nbrought them with us. Regina Orekhova, Channel 360. These Labubus became a\u00a0real
\nsensation\u00a0\u2013 in\u00a0a\u00a0good way\u00a0\u2013 at\u00a0the\u00a0St Petersburg International Economic Forum,
\nalmost attaining symbolic status. We came up with a\u00a0trend for\u00a0early 2025: pairing
\nthem with the\u00a0faces of\u00a0our politicians.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: And\u00a0who do you have there?<\/p>\n
Regina Orekhova<\/b>: Elvira Nabiullina, Sergei Lavrov\u00a0\u2013 do you
\nrecognise them? Mikhail Mishustin. And\u00a0an\u00a0exclusive item: Donald Trump. As\u00a0you
\nmight guess, my\u00a0question will be about international politics. I\u00a0hope to\u00a0catch the\u00a0attention of\u00a0the\u00a0President or\u00a0Dmitry Peskov. By\u00a0the\u00a0way, there\u2019s also a\u00a0figurine with Mr Peskov\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: So, it could just as\u00a0well have been a\u00a0question about import substitution.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s give the\u00a0floor to\u00a0the\u00a0Amur Region. What question are you going to\u00a0ask President Putin?<\/p>\n
Irina Batina:<\/b> Good afternoon. My\u00a0name is Irina Batina. I\u00a0represent the\u00a0Amur Region Television, Blagoveshchensk.<\/p>\n
We have come here to\u00a0invite the\u00a0President to\u00a0a\u00a0unique international
\nevent, held on\u00a0the\u00a0ice of\u00a0the\u00a0Amur River. Blagoveshchensk is the\u00a0only regional
\ncapital located directly on\u00a0the\u00a0state border.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> That sounds more like an\u00a0invitation
\nthan a\u00a0question.<\/p>\n
Irina Batina:<\/b> Yes, it\u2019s an\u00a0invitation. We\u2019ve handed over our
\nsymbols\u00a0\u2013 a\u00a0panda and\u00a0a\u00a0brown bear. We hope they will reach our President.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0for\u00a0our question, we would like to\u00a0ask if visa-free travel for\u00a0Russians
\nto\u00a0China and\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0citizens of\u00a0China to\u00a0visit us in\u00a0Blagoveshchensk, will be
\npromoted. It\u2019s an\u00a0incredible feeling when you have one foot in\u00a0Russia and\u00a0the\u00a0other in\u00a0China. We invite our President to\u00a0experience it for\u00a0himself.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
Pavel, what\u2019s happening in\u00a0your sector?<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin:<\/b> I\u00a0simply can\u2019t walk past the\u00a0only journalist here
\nwho is a\u00a0Hero of\u00a0Russia\u00a0\u2013 Yevgeny Poddubny.<\/p>\n
Good afternoon, Yevgeny. This applause is for\u00a0you. I\u00a0know you always
\nhave many questions. What do you want to\u00a0ask today?<\/p>\n
Yevgeny Poddubny:<\/b> Of\u00a0course, I\u00a0have a\u00a0question, but I\u00a0don\u2019t want
\nto\u00a0give it all away. I\u2019ll just say that it concerns hundreds of\u00a0thousands of\u00a0people across the\u00a0country, including those in\u00a0frontline regions where fighting
\nis underway. That\u2019s why it\u2019s especially important for\u00a0me to\u00a0ask it.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin:<\/b> Do your best, keep raising your hand.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> Colleagues, we\u2019ve just taken our
\nviewers on\u00a0a\u00a0virtual tour of\u00a0the\u00a0hall, introducing our regional journalists and\u00a0luminaries. I\u2019d like to\u00a0give the\u00a0floor to\u00a0Anton Vernitsky.<\/p>\n
Anton, what are you doing?<\/p>\n
Anton Vernitsky:<\/b> You won\u2019t believe it, but I\u2019m streaming for\u00a0our channel.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> Just like that?<\/p>\n
Anton Vernitsky:<\/b> Yes, I\u2019m doing two jobs at\u00a0once, running two live
\nbroadcasts simultaneously.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> That\u2019s impressive. How many major
\nevents like the\u00a0annual news conference have you attended? What was it like in\u00a0the\u00a0past, and\u00a0what is it like now, this Results of\u00a0the\u00a0Year with Vladimir Putin
\nevent?<\/p>\n
Anton Vernitsky:<\/b> Yes, I\u00a0was just thinking about that. The\u00a0first
\nlarge news conference for\u00a0regional and\u00a0foreign journalists was held in\u00a02001. It
\nwas really something new. The\u00a0first time it was held was in\u00a02001. As\u00a0for\u00a0how
\nmany I\u00a0have attended, the\u00a0answer is 22. That\u2019s a\u00a0lot\u00a0\u2013I\u00a0might even be a\u00a0record
\nholder. Somebody asked me today: \u201cCan we talk or\u00a0take a\u00a0photo with you? You
\nwere one of\u00a0the\u00a0first to\u00a0attend this event.\u201d<\/p>\n
Actually, there are many such people, like Alexander Gamov from
\nKomsomolskaya Pravda. I\u00a0know that he\u2019s in\u00a0the\u00a0hall today; we were just talking
\nabout it.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: <\/b>There he is\u00a0\u2013 Alexander is waving to\u00a0you, over there, closer to\u00a0Pavel.<\/p>\n
Anton Vernitsky: <\/b>You know, we look forward to\u00a0this news
\nconference every year because we always hear something new. This time, I\u2019ve
\ntaken a\u00a0strategic position\u00a0\u2013 right in\u00a0the\u00a0centre.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: <\/b>Absolutely.<\/p>\n
Anton Vernitsky: <\/b>I\u00a0really hope I\u00a0will get a\u00a0chance to\u00a0ask my\u00a0question.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: <\/b>It really is a\u00a0long-anticipated
\nevent, and\u00a0our programme, Results of\u00a0the\u00a0Year with Vladimir Putin, will begin in\u00a0just a\u00a0few minutes.<\/p>\n
Colleagues, I\u00a0would like to\u00a0emphasise that we
\nare already live on\u00a0air, and\u00a0that the\u00a0entire country can see and\u00a0hear you. We
\nalways have a\u00a0huge audience since viewers take a\u00a0lot of\u00a0interest in\u00a0events of\u00a0this kind. There are likely tens of\u00a0millions of\u00a0people watching this broadcast.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: Of\u00a0course, we received many serious
\nquestions. It goes without saying that you contributed the\u00a0bulk of\u00a0the\u00a0serious
\nquestions. That said, there were all kinds of\u00a0questions. Here is what I\u00a0noted.
\nFor\u00a0example, there was a\u00a0question on\u00a0when we will have a\u00a0banknote with an\u00a0image
\nof\u00a0the\u00a0Oreshnik missile? This is what our viewers want to\u00a0know. \u201cWho does the\u00a0President find harder to\u00a0communicate with when making important decisions: his
\nopponents, allies or\u00a0himself?\u201d There was also a\u00a0question on\u00a0who is better,
\nMessi or\u00a0Ronaldo\u00a0\u2013 it also came from a\u00a0children\u2019s editorial board, it seems.
\nHere is another question for\u00a0Vladimir Putin: Would you like your knowledge to\u00a0be digitised and\u00a0used by\u00a0artificial intelligence in\u00a0the\u00a0future?<\/p>\n
Still, we have no doubt that today you will be
\nasking the\u00a0very best questions.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: I\u00a0am sure that these will be the\u00a0best questions. I\u00a0would like to\u00a0draw the\u00a0attention of\u00a0our colleagues to\u00a0this
\nyoung man with a\u00a0placard that reads, \u201cI\u00a0want to\u00a0get married.\u201d And\u00a0over there is
\na\u00a0young lady, as\u00a0my\u00a0colleagues tell me, with poster saying, \u201cI\u00a0want a\u00a0husband.\u201d
\nWhy are you sitting so far apart from each other? Where is the\u00a0young lady who
\nwants to\u00a0get married? Here she is.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: They should be sitting together, it seems.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: May I\u00a0ask you to\u00a0introduce
\nyourself. Demographics is, of\u00a0course, a\u00a0very important topic. I\u00a0assume that is
\nwhat your question is about.<\/p>\n
Remark<\/b>: Yes, I\u00a0want to\u00a0ask a\u00a0question about
\ndemographics, especially since I\u00a0know whom I\u00a0want to\u00a0marry. We\u2019ve been together
\nfor\u00a0eight years now. We met in\u00a0school. I\u2019m from Yekaterinburg\u00a0\u2013 in\u00a0fact, from
\nPavel\u2019s home region. I\u00a0work at\u00a0the\u00a0same TV channel, Channel 4. Overall, I\u00a0very
\nmuch hope that this wonderful placard will help me attract the\u00a0President\u2019s
\nattention.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: I\u00a0didn\u2019t put off my\u00a0marriage for\u00a0such a\u00a0long
\ntime.<\/p>\n
Deputy Chief of\u00a0Staff of\u00a0the\u00a0Presidential
\nExecutive Office\u00a0\u2013 Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Friends,<\/p>\n
We are delighted to\u00a0see all of\u00a0you here. In\u00a0just a\u00a0few minutes the\u00a0President will be joining us, and\u00a0we will start the\u00a0Results of\u00a0the\u00a0Year with Vladimir Putin programme.<\/p>\n
Let me remind you that this is a\u00a0hybrid format,
\ncombining the\u00a0annual news conference with the\u00a0Direct Line with the\u00a0head of\u00a0state. Having this direct engagement is something unique for\u00a0the\u00a0entire world.
\nOver the\u00a0past two weeks, we have received almost three million messages from
\nthe\u00a0people. This is why we will be switching back and\u00a0forth between questions
\nfrom the\u00a0people\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0ones we received and\u00a0which were selected by\u00a0the\u00a0moderators and\u00a0the\u00a0President himself, and\u00a0the\u00a0questions from journalists. As\u00a0usual, I\u00a0will ask you to\u00a0raise your hand. Please, try to\u00a0be as\u00a0brief as\u00a0possible when asking your questions. The\u00a0briefer you make your question, the\u00a0more of\u00a0your colleagues will be able to\u00a0ask their question as\u00a0well.<\/p>\n
Let me remind you that everything said during
\nthe\u00a0Direct Line and\u00a0the\u00a0news conference undergoes extensive scrutiny and\u00a0serves
\nas\u00a0a\u00a0basis for\u00a0drafting a\u00a0list of\u00a0presidential instructions. This will be the\u00a0case this time too. And\u00a0the\u00a0Russian Popular Front will work throughout the\u00a0year
\nto\u00a0make sure that no request we receive from the\u00a0people is left unanswered, to\u00a0review all of\u00a0them and\u00a0offer the\u00a0needed assistance. Municipal, regional and\u00a0federal government agencies contribute to\u00a0these efforts.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0would like to\u00a0ask you to\u00a0mute your phones so
\nthat they do not distract us. The\u00a0President will be joining us very shortly. Let
\nus stay focused. We will be starting soon.<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: Yes,
\nthank you, Mr Peskov.<\/p>\n
But I\u00a0would
\nlike to\u00a0quote the\u00a0President, who once said that \u201cevery rule and\u00a0every law
\nbecome outdated already in\u00a0the\u00a0course of\u00a0its development
\nand\u00a0adoption. Only direct communication with people helps
\nthe\u00a0state steer its policy in\u00a0the\u00a0right direction.\u201d
\nPerhaps this is the\u00a0primary purpose of\u00a0this programme: direct communication and\u00a0the\u00a0opportunity to\u00a0keep one\u2019s finger on\u00a0the\u00a0pulse of\u00a0current events. <\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: Yekaterina,
\nit has happened in\u00a0the\u00a0past that new laws were adopted or\u00a0amendments were made
\nto\u00a0existing laws following direct lines. It\u2019s very likely that we will see the\u00a0same happen today. <\/p>\n
The\u00a0Popular
\nFront has once again offered enormous support with processing questions. Both
\nvolunteers and\u00a0veterans of\u00a0the\u00a0special military operation have been taking
\ncalls. By\u00a0the\u00a0way, when the\u00a0questions first started coming in, I\u00a0asked the\u00a0Director of\u00a0the\u00a0Popular Front: \u201cYou have received an\u00a0immense number of\u00a0questions. What are you going to\u00a0do with them? Will you forward them to\u00a0the\u00a0same institutions that gave people the\u00a0runaround before?\u201d \u201cNo,\u201d he answered,
\n\u201cWe will take charge of\u00a0following through on\u00a0the\u00a0most urgent matters.\u201d And\u00a0this
\nis exactly what happened\u00a0\u2013 right up until we went on\u00a0air. <\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: That\u2019s
\nright. As\u00a0a\u00a0matter of\u00a0fact, we also have a\u00a0virtual assistant called GigaChat. But
\nI\u2019ve been told we are ready to\u00a0start. Here we go.<\/p>\n
President
\nof\u00a0the\u00a0Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n
We will be accepting
\nquestions and\u00a0inquiries until the\u00a0end of\u00a0this live programme. As\u00a0always, there
\nare several options: you can call 8 (800) 200 4040, send an\u00a0SMS or\u00a0MMS message to\u00a00
\n4040, or\u00a0submit your
\nquestion via VK, Odnoklassniki, moskva-putinu.ru, or\u00a0the\u00a0MAX chat bot. By\u00a0the\u00a0way, we are using MAX for\u00a0the\u00a0first time this year and\u00a0it\u2019s been incredibly
\npopular. As\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0number of\u00a0questions, by\u00a0this very moment we have received
\nover 2.5 million. <\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: We are
\nabout to\u00a0start asking the\u00a0President questions. Just a\u00a0few more things. <\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nand\u00a0I\u00a0have reviewed tens of\u00a0thousands of\u00a0your questions. They have come from across
\nRussia and\u00a0beyond. Of\u00a0course, these two million questions come from different
\npeople, although they often concern similar issues. We have grouped them into
\ntopics that are truly relevant to\u00a0millions of\u00a0people. And\u00a0we all know which
\ntopic concerns the\u00a0public most of\u00a0all. <\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Mr President, numerous
\nquestions are coming in\u00a0regarding social policy, yet the\u00a0main inquiries concern
\nwar and\u00a0peace.<\/p>\n
You have made it clear on\u00a0several
\noccasions that we are ready for\u00a0peace negotiations; however, at\u00a0the\u00a0same time,
\nwe are satisfied with the\u00a0dynamics on\u00a0the\u00a0frontlines. So, what is it to\u00a0be\u00a0\u2013
\nwar or\u00a0peace? What path guarantees the\u00a0attainment of\u00a0the\u00a0goals of\u00a0the\u00a0special
\nmilitary operation? What is the\u00a0situation on\u00a0the\u00a0negotiation track, given Vladimir
\nZelensky\u2019s statement in\u00a0Berlin that Ukraine is not ready to\u00a0discuss the\u00a0territorial issue?<\/p>\n
President of\u00a0Russia Vladimir Putin<\/b>: So far we really do
\nnot see such readiness.<\/p>\n
Let me remind you how it all began.
\nIt began with the\u00a02014 coup d\u2019\u00e9tat in\u00a0Ukraine and\u00a0the\u00a0deception over the\u00a0potential resolution of\u00a0all issues through the\u00a0Minsk agreements. In\u00a02022, when
\neverything had already reached a\u00a0breaking point, when the\u00a0Kiev regime unleashed
\nwar in\u00a0southeastern Ukraine, we made it clear to\u00a0them: listen, we will have no
\nchoice but to\u00a0recognise those unrecognised republics. It would be preferable if
\nyou simply let the\u00a0people live peacefully as\u00a0they wish, without your coups,
\nwithout Russophobia and\u00a0so on\u00a0\u2013 just withdraw your troops from those territories,
\nand\u00a0that is all.<\/p>\n
They did not accept that, even
\nthen. Following the\u00a0negotiations in\u00a0Istanbul, they first agreed, virtually
\ninitialled [the\u00a0agreements], and\u00a0then reneged, discarding all these
\narrangements. Today, they are essentially refusing to\u00a0end this conflict by\u00a0peaceful means. Nevertheless, we perceive and\u00a0are aware of\u00a0certain signals,
\nincluding from the\u00a0Kiev regime, indicating that they are prepared to\u00a0engage in\u00a0some form of\u00a0dialogue.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0only point I\u00a0wish to\u00a0convey,
\nand\u00a0we have always stated this, is that we are ready and\u00a0willing to\u00a0conclude
\nthis conflict by\u00a0peaceful means, based on\u00a0the\u00a0principles I\u00a0outlined in\u00a0June of\u00a0last year at\u00a0the\u00a0Russian Foreign Ministry, provided that the\u00a0root causes that
\nled to\u00a0this crisis are eliminated.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Mr President, the\u00a0situation on\u00a0the\u00a0frontlines changes daily; we have seen, time and\u00a0again, and\u00a0know, that you always keep your finger on\u00a0the\u00a0pulse, personally engaging with
\ncommanders and\u00a0our fighters. Yet, I\u00a0repeat, the\u00a0situation changes every day,
\nand\u00a0our forces are advancing confidently and\u00a0daringly.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0Supreme Commander-in-Chief, how
\ndo you assess the\u00a0situation at\u00a0the\u00a0moment?<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: I\u00a0have just received
\nanother report from the\u00a0Chief of\u00a0the\u00a0General Staff.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0general, here\u2019s what I\u00a0would like
\nto\u00a0say. Basically, ever since our forces drove the\u00a0enemy from the\u00a0Kursk Region,
\nthe\u00a0strategic initiative has been firmly in\u00a0the\u00a0hands of\u00a0the\u00a0Russian Armed
\nForces. What does this mean? It means that our forces are advancing along the\u00a0entire line of\u00a0contact, faster in\u00a0some areas, a\u00a0little slower in\u00a0others, but in\u00a0all directions. The\u00a0adversary is being pushed back.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0key thing, and\u00a0we started
\nwith that when we said that we had offered the\u00a0Kiev regime to\u00a0withdraw their
\ntroops from the\u00a0territory of\u00a0the\u00a0then-unrecognised republics that did not want
\nto\u00a0live under the\u00a0pressure of\u00a0nationalists: the\u00a0Kiev regime had already
\nconstructed, over the\u00a0course of\u00a0a\u00a0decade, a\u00a0fortified area in\u00a0the\u00a0Slavyansk\u2013Kramatorsk\u2013Konstantinovka
\nagglomeration\u00a0\u2013 this is their principal fortified area.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s begin there. What\u2019s the\u00a0situation? Just recently, the\u00a0Chief of\u00a0the\u00a0General Staff, the\u00a0group commander,
\nand\u00a0local commanders, including the\u00a0brigade commander who was in\u00a0my\u00a0office,
\nreported the\u00a0capture of\u00a0Seversk. This is a\u00a0key town that provides a\u00a0staging
\npoint for\u00a0an\u00a0advance towards one of\u00a0the\u00a0main fortified areas in\u00a0this urban area\u00a0\u2013 Slavyansk.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a\u00a0little further south,
\nour units are also conducting active and\u00a0successful operations in\u00a0the\u00a0southern
\nLiman sector. Our troops are already inside the\u00a0city of\u00a0Krasny Liman, engaged
\nin\u00a0street fighting. I\u00a0expect it to\u00a0fall very shortly. We currently control
\nroughly half the\u00a0city, and\u00a0the\u00a0advance will press southward, towards Slavyansk.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0I\u00a0mentioned, this urban area also
\nincludes Konstantinovka. Fighting is ongoing there as\u00a0well, and\u00a0we hold over 50
\npercent of\u00a0the\u00a0city. I\u00a0have no doubt our forces will secure that area too.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0capture of\u00a0Krasnoarmeysk was a\u00a0particularly significant development. It opens up several opportunities\u2026 The\u00a0high command has yet to\u00a0finalise the\u00a0exact axis of\u00a0advance, but it provides an\u00a0excellent springboard for\u00a0future offensive operations.<\/p>\n
Just to\u00a0the\u00a0north-northeast, the\u00a0city of\u00a0Dimitrov\u00a0\u2013 another critical locality and\u00a0strategic foothold\u00a0\u2013 is now
\ncompletely encircled. I\u00a0believe our troops already control about half of\u00a0it.
\nThe\u00a0enemy has not been given orders to\u00a0surrender and\u00a0is attempting to\u00a0break out
\nin\u00a0small groups.<\/p>\n
They have made attempts to\u00a0retake at\u00a0least a\u00a0portion of\u00a0Krasnoarmeysk, but without success. They are sustaining
\nheavy losses there and\u00a0have made no headway.<\/p>\n
Separately, our Vostok Group of\u00a0Forces
\nis advancing rapidly through the\u00a0Zaporozhye Region, liberating one community
\nafter another. As\u00a0you know, combat is currently taking place in\u00a0Gulyaipole. The\u00a0city is divided by\u00a0the\u00a0river, with the\u00a0main part on\u00a0the\u00a0right bank. Our troops
\nhave crossed that water obstacle, entered the\u00a0city, and\u00a0now control
\napproximately 50 percent of\u00a0it. However, not all of\u00a0our forces are committed to\u00a0this urban fight; a\u00a0significant portion continues to\u00a0advance from east to\u00a0west,
\nsystematically clearing settlements across the\u00a0region.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0addition, we are establishing
\nsecurity zones. On\u00a0the\u00a0Sumy axis, the\u00a0city of\u00a0Volchansk has been taken. And\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Kharkov Region, as\u00a0is widely known, the\u00a0city of\u00a0Kupyansk came under our
\ncontrol several weeks ago. Our forces are consolidating their hold there. They
\nare not yet pushing west because they have a\u00a0critical prior task: eliminating
\nthe\u00a0enemy grouping on\u00a0the\u00a0left bank of\u00a0the\u00a0Oskol River and\u00a0securing the\u00a0key
\nrail junction of\u00a0Kupyansk-Uzlovoy. The\u00a0encircled force in\u00a0that pocket is
\nsubstantial\u00a0\u2013 about 15 battalions, as\u00a0I\u2019ve said, roughly 3,500 personnel. They,
\ntoo, have not received orders to\u00a0lay down their arms. Their position is
\npractically hopeless, as\u00a0they are tightly surrounded by\u00a0our Armed Forces.<\/p>\n
Once that operation is concluded\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0it will be\u00a0\u2013 our units will then redirect westward. I\u00a0am confident, absolutely
\nconfident, that before the\u00a0year\u2019s end, we will see further significant successes
\nby\u00a0our Armed Forces all along the\u00a0line of\u00a0contact.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin:<\/b> What is the\u00a0situation in\u00a0Seversk? Why was it so
\ndifficult to\u00a0seize that city?<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin:<\/b> You probably saw and\u00a0heard the\u00a0reports from the\u00a0Chief of\u00a0the\u00a0General Staff, the\u00a0commanders of\u00a0the\u00a0group of\u00a0forces and\u00a0the\u00a0army,
\nas\u00a0well as\u00a0the\u00a0commander of\u00a0the\u00a0brigade that was fighting there. I\u00a0asked him:
\n\u201cHow do you assess the\u00a0situation in\u00a0Seversk? Are you safely controlling the\u00a0city?\u201d He replied: \u201cMr President, we are already moving west. My\u00a0brigade has
\nadvanced about 1.5 to\u00a02 kilometres in\u00a0the\u00a0western direction, and\u00a0we keep
\nmoving.\u201d<\/p>\n
You also probably remember that part of\u00a0our
\nmeeting when an\u00a0assault group reported live about capturing Seversk right from
\nthe\u00a0city. You may recall that at\u00a0the\u00a0end of\u00a0that report, I\u00a0asked them to\u00a0quickly change their position. Yesterday\u00a0\u2013 I\u00a0think it was yesterday\u00a0\u2013 at\u00a0the\u00a0Defence Ministry [Board] meeting, after the\u00a0meeting, the\u00a0Defence Ministry Board
\nmeeting, I\u00a0presented decorations\u00a0\u2013 yes, I\u00a0think it was yesterday or\u00a0the\u00a0day
\nbefore\u00a0\u2013 to\u00a0our men who liberated Seversk.<\/p>\n
After that, I\u00a0returned to\u00a0the\u00a0Kremlin and\u00a0asked
\nthe\u00a0commander of\u00a0that assault group to\u00a0come to\u00a0the\u00a0Kremlin too. I\u00a0wanted to\u00a0talk with him about current matters. I\u00a0sometimes do that when there is such a\u00a0possibility. He arrived while I\u00a0was discussing preparations for\u00a0today\u2019s event
\nwith my\u00a0colleagues. He entered the\u00a0Security Council room where we were meeting.
\nI\u00a0asked him: \u201cPlease, say a\u00a0few words so that my\u00a0colleagues know what the\u00a0situation in\u00a0Seversk is now, and\u00a0what it was like.\u201d And\u00a0he started talking
\nright there and\u00a0then, reporting briefly.<\/p>\n
When he left the\u00a0room, my\u00a0colleagues asked:
\n\u201cCan we invite him to\u00a0the\u00a0Direct Line?\u201d I\u00a0replied: \u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t know, you\u2019ll have
\nto\u00a0ask him if he has time for\u00a0that. His leave is very short.\u201d They called him,
\nand\u00a0he agreed to\u00a0come.<\/p>\n
Here he is, Naran Ochir-Goryayev. (Applause.)<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov:<\/b> Give him the\u00a0microphone, please.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin:<\/b> Naran, please sit down. Have I\u00a0told everything
\ncorrectly?<\/p>\n
Naran Ochir-Goryayev:<\/b> Yes, sir.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin:<\/b> If anyone has any questions about the\u00a0current
\nsituation in\u00a0Seversk and\u00a0what the\u00a0fighting there was like, you can ask them
\nnow. That will be the\u00a0best way.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> Colleagues, let\u2019s welcome our Hero
\nof\u00a0Russia, who is with us today. (Applause.)<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin:<\/b> Naran, we saw you during that videoconference\u00a0\u2013 you were the\u00a0one in\u00a0the\u00a0helmet\u00a0\u2013 but we don\u2019t know you. Can you tell us about
\nyourself? Where are you from? How long have you been participating in\u00a0the\u00a0special military operation? Where did you start?<\/p>\n
Naran Ochir-Goryayev:<\/b> I\u2019m from Kalmykia. I\u00a0joined the\u00a0fighting at\u00a0Soledar, starting as\u00a0a\u00a0rank-and-file assault soldier and\u00a0rising to\u00a0assault company commander.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin:<\/b> Naran is too modest. He started as\u00a0a\u00a0driver,
\nand\u00a0now he is an\u00a0assault company commander with over 80 subordinates. He has
\nbeen awarded the\u00a0title of\u00a0Hero of\u00a0Russia for\u00a0his service. (Applause.)<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> Naran, we, and\u00a0I\u00a0think the\u00a0journalists here all
\nsaw your video conference with Mr President. When you spoke, the\u00a0connection was
\nunstable, which is understandable given the\u00a0conditions [on\u00a0the\u00a0front line]. But
\nnow that we have an\u00a0opportunity to\u00a0talk to\u00a0you directly, could you please share
\nthe\u00a0details of\u00a0that brilliant operation to\u00a0liberate Seversk, or\u00a0at\u00a0least as\u00a0many as\u00a0possible. How did you liberate the\u00a0city? What was it like? And\u00a0how did
\nyour men, your subordinates act in\u00a0that situation? <\/p>\n
Vladimir
\nPutin<\/b>: Let me ask
\nthe\u00a0questions I\u00a0posed to\u00a0Naran when he entered the\u00a0Security Council hall. I\u00a0asked, \u201cMr Ochir-Goryayev, what was the\u00a0most challenging aspect of\u00a0capturing
\nSeversk?\u201d<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: The\u00a0most difficult part was reaching Seversk undetected, as\u00a0the\u00a0terrain was open
\nwith minimal natural cover. Therefore, we decided to\u00a0advance in\u00a0small, covert
\ngroups. This task was accomplished. We gathered under the\u00a0enemy\u2019s nose and,
\nonce assembled, we waited for\u00a0the\u00a0order to\u00a0begin the\u00a0assault.<\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: There were
\nalso many civilians remaining in\u00a0the\u00a0city. How did the\u00a0Armed Forces of\u00a0Ukraine
\ntreat these people?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: The\u00a0civilians were under constant\u2026<\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: In\u00a0fear, of\u00a0course, under the\u00a0direst conditions.<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: They were constantly under enemy pressure. Once
\nwe liberated our designated zone in\u00a0Seversk, we began engaging with the\u00a0civilians. As\u00a0they retreated, the\u00a0Armed Forces of\u00a0Ukraine, much like the\u00a0Nazis,
\nshot civilians who refused to\u00a0leave with them.<\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: So, these were unarmed civilians, and\u00a0they were
\nshot simply for\u00a0staying behind?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: Yes, precisely because they stayed.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: When our troops arrived, when you entered, how
\ndid the\u00a0people react? What did they say?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: When
\nwe arrived, the\u00a0people were in\u00a0a\u00a0dire state\u00a0\u2013 physically and\u00a0morally broken. When
\nthey first saw us, they were overjoyed, truly overjoyed. They had even been
\nsecretly listening to\u00a0Russian radio, awaiting our arrival. They were immensely
\nrelieved.<\/p>\n
Vladimir
\nPutin<\/b>: Mr Ochir-Goryayev,
\nyou mentioned that the\u00a0AFU executed civilians as\u00a0they retreated. But you also
\nexplicitly stated that primarily young people were targeted, correct?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: Yes, young people. Particularly those aged 30
\nto\u00a040 were taken out and\u00a0executed without trial or\u00a0investigation.<\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: Everyone
\nindiscriminately?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: Yes, everyone.<\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: How do you assess the\u00a0current situation on\u00a0this
\nsector of\u00a0the\u00a0front?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: The\u00a0situation is stable. As\u00a0the\u00a0President
\nnoted, we have advanced beyond Seversk.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: Mr Ochir-Goryayev, looking at\u00a0you and\u00a0listening
\nto\u00a0you, I\u00a0must say again that our fighters are true heroes, real men. Thank you
\nfor\u00a0your service. I\u2019d like to\u00a0ask, what is the\u00a0morale of\u00a0your troops?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: Our lads are determined. We are acting
\nmethodically and\u00a0consciously, upholding the\u00a0course set by\u00a0the\u00a0Supreme
\nCommander-in-Chief. The\u00a0objectives of\u00a0the\u00a0special military operation will be
\nachieved.<\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: Mr Ochir-Goryayev, how many personnel are under
\nyour command? And, if possible, what losses have you sustained?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: My\u00a0assault group consists of\u00a0157 people. For\u00a0the\u00a0capture of\u00a0the\u00a0community, as\u00a0I\u00a0mentioned earlier, 24 teams totalling 84
\npersonnel were deployed. Losses were minimal due to\u00a0our small-group tactics.
\nDuring the\u00a0capture, four personnel were lost.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: Out of\u00a0157?<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: Out
\nof\u00a084.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: Out of\u00a084.<\/p>\n
Naran
\nOchir-Goryayev<\/b>: Those directly involved in\u00a0the\u00a0assault
\noperations.<\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: Let us once again welcome and\u00a0thank the\u00a0Hero of\u00a0Russia.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: Given all this, I\u00a0have to\u00a0ask: a\u00a0week ago, [Vladimir]
\nZelensky supposedly filmed a\u00a0video in\u00a0front of\u00a0the\u00a0Kupyansk stele. But many
\npeople quickly called it a\u00a0fake, pointing to\u00a0various inconsistencies as\u00a0proof.
\nIf it really is staged, why would he resort to\u00a0a\u00a0forgery of\u00a0this scale at\u00a0such
\na\u00a0critical time?<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: I\u00a0don\u2019t know; I\u00a0don\u2019t follow that. He\u2019s an\u00a0actor\u00a0\u2013 a\u00a0talented one, I\u2019ll say that without irony. We remember him from his
\nold films. So, it\u2019s not exactly out of\u00a0character. They say the\u00a0actual stele
\nlooks completely different now.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not even the\u00a0main point. That stele
\nis about a\u00a0kilometre from the\u00a0city proper. If Kupyansk is really under their
\ncontrol, why linger on\u00a0the\u00a0doorstep? Why not simply enter?<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, some female bloggers actually
\nmanaged to\u00a0slip in\u00a0there. Thankfully, they came out unharmed. <\/p>\n
Let me tell you, the\u00a0skies there are simply
\nswarming with drones, like flies, from both sides. You can\u2019t just take a\u00a0stroll
\ninto Kupyansk.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0time will come when our forces will complete
\ntheir mission to\u00a0eliminate the\u00a0encircled group on\u00a0the\u00a0river\u2019s east bank, they
\nwill turn west, and\u00a0it will happen pretty soon. They will take it all back.
\nIt\u2019s just a\u00a0matter of\u00a0time. There are no problems here.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0for\u00a0these staged stunts, or\u00a0their desperate
\nattempts to\u00a0regain lost ground, like what they\u2019re trying now near Krasnoarmeysk,
\nthey\u2019re failing there, too. Their bigger problem is this: due to\u00a0the\u00a0active and\u00a0effective operations of\u00a0our troops, it seems the\u00a0enemy has exhausted its
\nstrategic reserves. They\u2019ve suffered very serious losses; there are practically
\nnone left. This, I\u00a0hope, is a\u00a0significant factor that should encourage the\u00a0Ukrainian regime in\u00a0Kiev to\u00a0resolve all disputes and\u00a0end this conflict by\u00a0peaceful
\nmeans. Their reserves are practically gone.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: I\u00a0think everyone watching, and\u00a0everyone here,
\nunderstands that war places a\u00a0heavy burden on\u00a0any economy. Yet, European \u201cswine
\nunderlings,\u201d as\u00a0you recently called them, continue doing everything in\u00a0their
\npower to, as\u00a0they say, ruin the\u00a0Russian economy.<\/p>\n
Under such difficult conditions, can we even speak
\nof\u00a0further economic growth? Are we seeing growth in\u00a0some sectors but not
\nothers? And\u00a0if so, which ones?<\/p>\n
Vladimir
\nPutin<\/b>: You know, I\u00a0usually bring a\u00a0spreadsheet to\u00a0every Direct Line. This is nothing confidential\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s open data on\u00a0the\u00a0performance of\u00a0the\u00a0Russian economy over the\u00a0past year.
\nOur GDP growth is 1 percent; however, if we take the\u00a0previous three years\u00a0\u2013 this
\nsort of\u00a0review is also meaningful\u00a0\u2013, the\u00a0overall growth has been 9.7 percent. Meanwhile,
\nthe\u00a0Eurozone has shown 3.1 percent. <\/p>\n
As\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a01
\npercent growth this year and\u00a0the\u00a0economic growth rate in\u00a0general, they are the\u00a0result of\u00a0deliberate actions by\u00a0the\u00a0Government, the\u00a0Central Bank and\u00a0the\u00a0country\u2019s leadership to\u00a0target inflation. I\u00a0should note that overall, we have
\nbeen able to\u00a0handle this task because the\u00a0goal was set to\u00a0lower the\u00a0inflation
\nrate to\u00a0at\u00a0least 6 percent. We can see now that by\u00a0the\u00a0end of\u00a0the\u00a0year, the\u00a0inflation rate will fall even further, to\u00a0around 5.7\u20135.8 percent. Slowing economic
\ngrowth was a\u00a0deliberate step to\u00a0maintain the\u00a0quality of\u00a0the\u00a0economy and\u00a0the\u00a0macroeconomic indicators. <\/p>\n
What else
\nis happening? Industrial production has grown by\u00a01 percent while the\u00a0processing
\nindustry is up 3.1 percent. Agricultural production has increased by\u00a03.3
\npercent. <\/p>\n
Housing
\nconstruction is an\u00a0important area. Millions of\u00a0square metres have been built.
\nLast year, the\u00a0total was 107.8 million square metres. This year, output is
\nslightly lower although still considerable, around 103\u02d7105 million. <\/p>\n
We have managed
\nto\u00a0maintain good real wage growth. The\u00a0rates are not as\u00a0high as\u00a0last year, but
\nin\u00a0my\u00a0opinion, they provide a\u00a0solid real wage. Adjusted for\u00a0inflation, real wages
\nhave increased by\u00a04.5 percent. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately,
\nit must be admitted frankly that, over the\u00a0same period, labour productivity
\ngrowth has been rather modest, only 1.1 percent. Of\u00a0course, we should make
\neffort to\u00a0improve this ratio in\u00a0favour of\u00a0higher labour productivity. <\/p>\n
Last year,
\nthe\u00a0unemployment rate was at\u00a0a\u00a0historic low of\u00a02.5 percent. This year, it has fallen
\nfurther to\u00a02.2 percent. Overall, these are excellent indicators.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Central
\nBank\u2019s international reserves are also growing. I\u00a0spoke with Ms Nabiullina
\nyesterday: as\u00a0of\u00a0a\u00a0few days ago, the\u00a0reserves amounted to\u00a0$741.5 billion if we
\nuse the\u00a0US dollar equivalent. <\/p>\n
The\u00a0federal
\nbudget deficit stands at\u00a02.6 percent. We expect it to\u00a0fall to\u00a01.6 percent next
\nyear and\u00a01.5 percent within the\u00a0next three years. This is a\u00a0good indicator,
\nconsidering that the\u00a0national debt remains very low, one of\u00a0the\u00a0lowest among developed
\neconomies. We estimated yesterday that the\u00a0national debt currently stands at\u00a017.7 percent and\u00a0is not expected to\u00a0rise above 20 percent in\u00a0the\u00a0next three
\nyears. <\/p>\n
So, these
\nare the\u00a0indicators. The\u00a0principal thing is that\u2026 What is the\u00a0principal thing?
\nMost importantly, we have managed to\u00a0balance the\u00a0budget\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0credit is due to\u00a0the\u00a0Government for\u00a0performing significant work. The\u00a0quality of\u00a0this balancing
\nis at\u00a0the\u00a0level of\u00a02021. This is a\u00a0very important indicator of\u00a0stability of\u00a0the\u00a0economy and\u00a0the\u00a0financial system of\u00a0our country. <\/p>\n
It means
\nthat we will be able to\u00a0fully solve the\u00a0issues regarding the\u00a0social obligations
\ntowards the\u00a0population, handle the\u00a0development issues under our national
\nprojects, achieve technological development goals and, certainly, meet the\u00a0needs of\u00a0the\u00a0Armed Forces. All this put together indicates that the\u00a0economy and\u00a0the\u00a0financial system are stable and\u00a0fully under the\u00a0control of\u00a0the\u00a0Government
\nand\u00a0the\u00a0Central Bank.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: People in\u00a0the\u00a0audience are eager to\u00a0ask their
\nquestions.<\/p>\n
Mr Peskov, over to\u00a0you.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Let me remind you that we are working in\u00a0a\u00a0hybrid format, since this is both a\u00a0Direct Line and\u00a0the\u00a0annual news conference.
\nI\u00a0suggest we now turn to\u00a0journalists so that they can ask their questions.<\/p>\n
We can start from the\u00a0central section, perhaps.
\nI\u00a0can see someone with a\u00a0\u2018Siberia\u2019 placard. Why not start with Siberia then? Go
\nahead, please.<\/p>\n
Ivan Dvoynichnikov<\/b>: Good afternoon, Mr President.<\/p>\n
Ivan Dvoynichnikov, Gorodskaya Volna [City Wave]
\nradio station, Novosibirsk.<\/p>\n
Everyone knows Novosibirsk for\u00a0its Academic
\nTown. In\u00a0recent years, and\u00a0with your support, by\u00a0the\u00a0way, we have been building
\nthe\u00a0Siberian Circular Photon Source, or\u00a0SKIF. What makes this device even more
\nunique is that it will open new research horizons not only for\u00a0our country, but
\nfor\u00a0the\u00a0entire world too.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0researchers managed to\u00a0build it without
\nusing any foreign parts or\u00a0materials, all while facing sanctions and\u00a0having to\u00a0navigate a\u00a0very complex economic environment. This unit is expected to\u00a0be
\nlaunched next year.<\/p>\n
What is my\u00a0question? My\u00a0question is whether it
\nis possible and\u00a0what can be done to\u00a0retain young researchers?<\/p>\n
We will be launching the\u00a0SKIF next year and\u00a0are
\nlooking forward to\u00a0seeing you at\u00a0its opening ceremony.<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Thank you for\u00a0raising this topic. This is excellent
\nnews and\u00a0very welcome for\u00a0everyone involved in\u00a0this process.<\/p>\n
What do I\u00a0mean? This topic came up during a\u00a0meeting
\nof\u00a0the\u00a0Presidential Council for\u00a0Science, which took place in\u00a02018, I\u00a0think, and\u00a0Novosibirsk served as\u00a0its venue. It was then that our colleagues from the\u00a0Siberian
\nBranch of\u00a0the\u00a0Academy of\u00a0Sciences\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0Institute of\u00a0Nuclear Physics\u00a0\u2013 raised
\nthis issue and\u00a0talked about the\u00a0need to\u00a0create the\u00a0SKIF, this system, an\u00a0accelerator.<\/p>\n
It is true that sanctions-related issues caused
\nsome delays, but we managed to\u00a0complete the\u00a0project and\u00a0finish the\u00a0job. This is
\na\u00a0great achievement. I\u00a0would like to\u00a0congratulate everyone who was involved in\u00a0this process and\u00a0who will be operating and\u00a0using this unit in\u00a0the\u00a0future. It is
\nan\u00a0unquestionable success.<\/p>\n
We already had a\u00a0similar unit here in\u00a0Moscow, at\u00a0the\u00a0Kurchatov Institute. It is an\u00a0older generation
\nunit that requires quite a\u00a0few upgrades, and\u00a0there are plans to\u00a0make these
\nimprovements. At\u00a0the\u00a0same time, similar systems with the\u00a0same equipment will be
\ninstalled in\u00a0Vladivostok and\u00a0other cities. We have them in\u00a0Gatchina and\u00a0other
\nlocations as\u00a0well. We will work to\u00a0make this happen.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0SKIF, this is a\u00a0great success story,
\nindeed. Why? Because it makes it possible to\u00a0conduct not only basic but also
\napplied research. This is instrumental since it offers an\u00a0opportunity to\u00a0work
\non\u00a0pharmaceuticals, new materials, etc.<\/p>\n
How do we keep young specialists in\u00a0the\u00a0country? We\u2019ve built a\u00a0comprehensive system, and\u00a0overall, it\u2019s working. But
\nwhat\u2019s the\u00a0key? We have to\u00a0develop the\u00a0laboratory infrastructure. True
\nscientists are driven by\u00a0their work; for\u00a0them, that passion can be the\u00a0most
\nimportant thing. But other factors matter, too: salary, housing and\u00a0quality of\u00a0life. We\u2019re implementing all of\u00a0this step by\u00a0step. That\u2019s the\u00a0purpose of\u00a0our
\nentire grant system, including the\u00a0\u201cmegagrants.\u201d<\/p>\n
In\u00a0fact, the\u00a0recipients of\u00a0those
\nmegagrants\u00a0\u2013 top-tier scientists, both Russian and\u00a0international, who have
\nworked under these programmes\u00a0\u2013 raised this very point with us at\u00a0a\u00a0meeting.
\nThey said it plainly: you must create the\u00a0conditions for\u00a0young specialists to\u00a0stay. You have to\u00a0offer them a\u00a0clear horizon, so they can see the\u00a0scope of\u00a0their research, ensuring that funding isn\u2019t just for\u00a0six months or\u00a0a\u00a0couple of\u00a0years, but for\u00a0a\u00a0longer cycle\u00a0\u2013 five years and\u00a0beyond. We\u2019ve done that as\u00a0well,
\nand\u00a0it helps retain talent. It does.<\/p>\n
Moreover, many are coming back. I\u2019ve
\nspoken with such specialists myself. Young people who used to\u00a0work abroad are
\nnow returning to\u00a0Russia. Ironically, our so-called Western colleagues are
\nactively helping us with this. When asked why they returned, they say, first,
\nbecause research facilities and\u00a0opportunities are being created here. But one
\nof\u00a0the\u00a0main reasons is: \u201cWe\u2019re concerned for\u00a0our children. The\u00a0idea of\u00a0sending
\nthem to\u00a0the\u00a0local schools there is out of\u00a0the\u00a0question.\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, thank God, the\u00a0protection of\u00a0traditional values is part of\u00a0our agenda. People appreciate that, and\u00a0together
\nwith other aspects, it leads them to\u00a0come home. There are many such people, and\u00a0their number is growing.<\/p>\n
We will, of\u00a0course, continue working
\nin\u00a0all these areas.<\/p>\n
Ivan Dvoynichnikov:<\/b> Will you come visit?<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: I\u00a0will certainly try, thank you very
\nmuch.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Let\u2019s take a\u00a0couple more questions from the\u00a0audience.\n<\/p>\n
I\u00a0see one of\u00a0the\u00a0long-standing
\nmembers of\u00a0the\u00a0Kremlin press pool. Please give Alexander Gamov the\u00a0microphone.
\nAlexander, if you have a\u00a0question\u00a0\u2013 you raised your hand very timidly.<\/p>\n
Alexander Gamov<\/b>: Of\u00a0course I\u00a0do. Thank you very
\nmuch.<\/p>\n
Alexander Gamov, Komsomolskaya Pravda radio,
\nnews website, and\u00a0newspaper.<\/p>\n
Mr President, this year, Komsomolskaya
\nPravda is celebrating the\u00a0100th anniversary of\u00a0its first issue. You awarded us
\nthe\u00a0Order of\u00a0Honour. Thank you very much for\u00a0this high recognition. I\u00a0simply
\nhaven\u2019t had an\u00a0opportunity to\u00a0thank you yet. <\/p>\n
I\u00a0wanted to\u00a0remind you that you held your very
\nfirst Direct Line conference at\u00a0our offices, on\u00a0February\u00a09, 2000, if you
\nrecall.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0would like to\u00a0frame my\u00a0question in\u00a0Komsomolskaya Pravda\u2019s frontline-reporting style. I\u00a0wanted to\u00a0ask you about the\u00a0Time of\u00a0the\u00a0Heroes programme, its development and\u00a0progress. You initiated it.
\nHave you been following the\u00a0way people who benefited from this programme have
\nbeen doing their job, those you have assigned to\u00a0high government posts? To\u00a0what
\nextent has this system proven its worth in\u00a0general? How long will this
\nprogramme last? What new appointments can we expect?<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: First, I\u00a0suggest that we remember those who
\ntook part in\u00a0the\u00a0Great Patriotic War. The\u00a0people who fought on\u00a0the\u00a0frontlines
\nof\u00a0the\u00a0Great Patriotic War came back and\u00a0achieved outstanding results in\u00a0research, art and\u00a0education.<\/p>\n
You know, when I\u00a0was a\u00a0university student,
\nthere were Great Patriotic War veterans among the\u00a0faculty members who taught
\nme. We treated them with great respect. Some of\u00a0them had suffered very serious
\nwounds. There was one professor who lost his leg and\u00a0had to\u00a0use a\u00a0prosthetic, but
\nhe was absolutely brilliant in\u00a0his subject. We all remember him with a\u00a0sense of\u00a0deep gratitude for\u00a0the\u00a0knowledge he shared with us.<\/p>\n
There was also Nikulin, and\u00a0so many other
\npeople of\u00a0science who reached a\u00a0very high level of\u00a0excellence and\u00a0contributed
\nto\u00a0the\u00a0development of\u00a0our Motherland.<\/p>\n
Why can\u2019t our fighters, participants in\u00a0the\u00a0special military operation, do the\u00a0same? We have Naran Ochir-Goryayev sitting
\nhere. You know, I\u00a0did not recognise him at\u00a0first since we are in\u00a0a\u00a0big room.
\nThere is a\u00a0microphone, and\u00a0the\u00a0cameras are rolling. But these people have a\u00a0lot
\nbehind their belts. When he walked into the\u00a0Security Council hall in\u00a0the\u00a0Kremlin, I\u00a0told him: \u201cNaran, tell us what is going on\u00a0there, please.\u201d And\u00a0everyone
\ncould not believe what they heard during his report. Here, he keeps a\u00a0low
\nprofile, but why am I\u00a0saying this? These people have a\u00a0lot of\u00a0positive
\npotential.<\/p>\n
Of\u00a0course, there were doubts at\u00a0the\u00a0outset.
\nFighting is one thing, while heading a\u00a0team or\u00a0an\u00a0entire sector, standing at\u00a0the\u00a0helm of\u00a0a\u00a0major corporation or\u00a0even regions, or\u00a0ministries, is another. It
\ngoes without saying that this requires skill and\u00a0talent.<\/p>\n
Look, we have hundreds of\u00a0thousands of\u00a0men fighting
\nover there, and\u00a0not all of\u00a0them aspire to\u00a0pursue a\u00a0civilian career. In\u00a0fact,
\nthis is not what many of\u00a0them are after. However, for\u00a0those who do want to\u00a0move
\nin\u00a0this direction and\u00a0have the\u00a0potential, the\u00a0necessary level of\u00a0education and\u00a0experience, or\u00a0are ready to\u00a0get
\nthe\u00a0necessary credentials, the\u00a0state must do everything to\u00a0offer opportunities
\nto\u00a0people who have proven they are ready to\u00a0assert the\u00a0interests of\u00a0their
\nMotherland without sparing themselves.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0think I\u00a0have already mentioned how this whole
\nidea occurred to\u00a0me. There was a\u00a0meeting with young people, including students.
\nI\u00a0was listening to\u00a0them as\u00a0they elaborated on\u00a0their thoughts and\u00a0proposals, the\u00a0goals they set for\u00a0themselves, and\u00a0what they thought were important national
\ngoals in\u00a0general\u00a0\u2013 it was during this conversation that it occurred to\u00a0me that
\nwe had to\u00a0bring together these people and\u00a0help them achieve more and\u00a0move
\nforward. With them, the\u00a0destiny of\u00a0our country is in\u00a0safe hands.<\/p>\n
Of\u00a0course, they need training. This much is
\nobvious. Hence the\u00a0programme. I\u00a0would like to\u00a0thank the\u00a0heads of\u00a0the\u00a0regions
\nfor\u00a0scaling and\u00a0spreading this programme at\u00a0the\u00a0regional level. It does work,
\nyou know. I\u00a0am very glad for\u00a0the\u00a0graduates of\u00a0the\u00a0first enrolment campaign. The\u00a0second enrolment wave has been completed, and\u00a0training is underway. Many
\ngraduates have already become governors, deputy ministers, or\u00a0work for\u00a0our
\ncompanies. Several people work for\u00a0the\u00a0Presidential Executive Office. They are doing great.<\/p>\n
It is clear that there can be some challenges here
\nand\u00a0there. It may well be that some of\u00a0them decide to\u00a0choose a\u00a0different area.
\nHowever, the\u00a0programme has been effective and\u00a0is delivering tangible results.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> Mr Putin, colleagues, if I\u00a0may, I\u00a0have news that is important for\u00a0our country, breaking news. It has been
\nreported that Brussels\u2019 attempts to\u00a0seize our asset have failed.<\/p>\n
How can you comment on\u00a0that?<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin:<\/b> They have not stolen them yet, but they keep
\ntrying.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:<\/b> But they have not succeeded so far.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin:<\/b> Pavel, stealing is not the\u00a0right word.
\nStealing is a\u00a0covert theft of\u00a0property. But they are doing this openly.
\nTherefore, it is robbery.<\/p>\n
Why aren\u2019t they succeeding? Because the\u00a0consequences will be grave for\u00a0the\u00a0robbers. What does this mean? First, it is difficult to\u00a0accomplish. They
\nhave not said that they will rob and\u00a0seize. One of\u00a0their ideas is to\u00a0issue a\u00a0reparation loan secured by\u00a0our assets. <\/p>\n
What does issuing a\u00a0loan mean? It means consequences for\u00a0the\u00a0budgets of\u00a0every country involved; this will increase the\u00a0budgetary debt of\u00a0each country.
\nIf a\u00a0country issues a\u00a0loan secured by\u00a0our gold and\u00a0currency assets, this must
\nbe reflected in\u00a0its budget. Take France, whose state debt has reached 120
\npercent [of\u00a0GDP]. Our state debt is 17.7 percent, and\u00a0theirs is 120 percent. It
\nis true that our budget deficit is 2.6 percent, but it will go down to\u00a01.6
\npercent next year, while France\u2019s budget deficit is 6 percent. The\u00a0new obligations will have to\u00a0be added to\u00a0the\u00a0budget. I\u00a0believe they are having
\nbig problems with next year\u2019s budget. All this is the\u00a0reason why it is
\ndifficult to\u00a0take decisions related to\u00a0the\u00a0robbery of\u00a0someone else’s assets. <\/p>\n
But there will be graver consequences for\u00a0those who might endeavour
\nthat. This will not just be a\u00a0blow to\u00a0their image, but this will subvert all
\nthe\u00a0confidence in\u00a0the\u00a0euro area, since many countries store their foreign
\nreserves in\u00a0the\u00a0eurozone. Not only Russia does that, but also those who have
\nfree reserves, primarily oil-producing countries. They will look at\u00a0what is
\nhappening\u00a0\u2013 they are already doing so, and\u00a0they will have suspicions, doubts
\nand\u00a0fears. What if the\u00a0same happens to\u00a0them?<\/p>\n
It is only difficult the\u00a0first time, and\u00a0then you can do the\u00a0same under
\ndifferent pretexts. Today, they don\u2019t like our special military operation and\u00a0the\u00a0fight against neo-Nazism in\u00a0Ukraine. Later, they could be displeased with
\nsome country\u2019s policy towards the\u00a0LGBTQ community. There are very many strict
\nlaws in\u00a0Muslim countries that protect our common traditional values. We don\u2019t
\nhave such laws, but they do. This could be used as\u00a0a\u00a0pretext for\u00a0seizing
\nsovereign assets, sovereign resources and\u00a0money. And\u00a0why not? Or\u00a0they can find
\nsome other pretext.<\/p>\n
Apart from image-related losses, there will be direct financial losses
\nrelated to\u00a0the\u00a0contemporary financial architecture. That is why it is so
\ndifficult to\u00a0accomplish. And\u00a0the\u00a0main thing is no matter what they steal,
\nsooner or\u00a0later they will have to\u00a0give it back.<\/p>\n
Besides, we will protect our interests. How? Most importantly, we will
\ngo to\u00a0courts to\u00a0protect our interests. We will do our utmost to\u00a0find a\u00a0jurisdiction that will be independent from the\u00a0political context.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Let\u2019s give the\u00a0floor to\u00a0the\u00a0audience.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Yes. Road of\u00a0Life\u00a0\u2013 please go ahead.<\/p>\n
Darya Shuchalina: <\/b>Good afternoon, Mr President.<\/p>\n
Darya Shuchalina, Komi Republic. I\u00a0represent
\nthe\u00a0Komiinform news agency and\u00a0I\u2019m a\u00a0member of\u00a0the\u00a0Civic Chamber of\u00a0our region.<\/p>\n
You are aware that a\u00a0significant part of\u00a0the\u00a0Komi Republic and\u00a0the\u00a0neighbouring Nenets Autonomous Area are cut off from the\u00a0mainland, as\u00a0they lack year-round road connections to\u00a0central Russia. The\u00a0road
\nfrom Moscow ends within our republic, and\u00a0beyond that, there is no route further
\nnorth.<\/p>\n
At\u00a0the\u00a0same time, there is a\u00a0popular motorway:
\nSyktyvkar\u00a0\u2013 Ukhta\u00a0\u2013 Usinsk\u00a0\u2013 Pechora\u00a0\u2013 Naryan-Mar. This spans over a\u00a0thousand
\nkilometres, 869 of\u00a0which lie within our republic. The\u00a0route ensures year-round
\nnorthern deliveries, connects residential communities and, most importantly,
\nguarantees safe travel for\u00a0northern residents.<\/p>\n
However, Mr President, to\u00a0be perfectly honest,
\nmuch of\u00a0the\u00a0road is in\u00a0a\u00a0deplorable state. It is clear that the\u00a0Komi Republic alone
\ncannot possibly maintain and\u00a0repair a\u00a0road of\u00a0federal significance. Moreover,
\nKomi has virtually no federal motorways, unlike other regions in\u00a0the\u00a0European
\npart of\u00a0Russia.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0this regard, Mr President, I\u00a0have a\u00a0proposal
\nfor\u00a0you. Is it possible to\u00a0transfer our Road of\u00a0Life\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0only route serving
\nthe\u00a0North\u00a0\u2013 to\u00a0federal ownership? This would stabilise northern deliveries for\u00a0a\u00a0vast population, ensure connectivity with central Russia, and\u00a0provide a\u00a0new
\nimpetus for\u00a0the\u00a0northern regions.<\/p>\n
Also, while I\u00a0have the\u00a0opportunity, I\u00a0would
\nlike to\u00a0invite you to\u00a0visit the\u00a0Komi Republic. We have two significant
\nanniversaries approaching: in\u00a02029, the\u00a0city of\u00a0Ukhta, the\u00a0birthplace of\u00a0Russia\u2019s first oil, will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Today, it
\nis the\u00a0largest centre of\u00a0the\u00a0oil and\u00a0gas industry in\u00a0the\u00a0northwest. And\u00a0in\u00a02030, thanks to\u00a0the\u00a0executive order you signed, our capital, Syktyvkar, will
\nmark its 250th anniversary. Your visit would be a\u00a0historic event for\u00a0our republic.<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Thank you very much for\u00a0the\u00a0invitation.<\/p>\n
Regarding the\u00a0road, this is a\u00a0known issue, and\u00a0we
\nare aware of\u00a0this problem.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the\u00a0solution lies in\u00a0transferring all
\nsections of\u00a0this route to\u00a0the\u00a0federal level, as\u00a0the\u00a0federation faces the\u00a0task
\nof\u00a0bringing our federal motorways up to\u00a0the\u00a0established standards. This task
\nhas been largely accomplished for\u00a0federal motorways. The\u00a0focus now is on\u00a0developing and\u00a0bringing regional roads up to\u00a0standard.<\/p>\n
Several key issues are at\u00a0play here\u00a0\u2013 northern
\ndeliveries and\u00a0road safety, I\u00a0agree. But I\u00a0can\u2019t promise that construction will
\nbegin tomorrow. You understand, we must calculate everything, review the\u00a0plans
\nfor\u00a0developing the\u00a0country\u2019s backbone road network\u00a0\u2013 we have such a\u00a0concept. I\u00a0will definitely discuss this with the\u00a0Government, and\u00a0we will respond\u00a0\u2013 we will
\ncertainly respond.<\/p>\n
Thank you for\u00a0the\u00a0invitation.<\/p>\n
Dmitry
\nPeskov<\/b>: Let\u2019s
\ncontinue and\u00a0take a\u00a0question from the\u00a0audience. <\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: The\u00a0direct line is a\u00a0combined format. We\u2019ll have to\u00a0share the\u00a0territory. <\/p>\n
Dmitry
\nPeskov<\/b>: That\u2019s
\nright. Journalists are also very enthusiastic. <\/p>\n
Let\u2019s
\ncontinue. Channel One, third row. Our military correspondents. <\/p>\n
Amir
\nYusupov<\/b>: Good
\nafternoon, Mr President. My\u00a0name is Amir Yusupov. I\u2019m a\u00a0military correspondent
\nfrom Channel One. I\u00a0have three questions but I\u2019ll try to\u00a0be brief. <\/p>\n
My\u00a0first
\nquestion is from our drone operators at\u00a0the\u00a0front. Of\u00a0course, they expressed
\ntheir gratitude for\u00a0the\u00a0current attack drone supplies, especially the\u00a0fibre-optic UAVs that can stop entire columns. Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky is
\nreally something. <\/p>\n
However, we
\nhave very few large hexacopters like Baba-Yaga\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0types that are extensively
\nused by\u00a0the\u00a0Ukrainian army. We need them to\u00a0deliver food supplies and\u00a0munitions
\nto\u00a0battlefield positions. You yourself said today that the\u00a0whole sky is filled
\nwith drones, and\u00a0even carrying a\u00a0bottle of\u00a0water to\u00a0the\u00a0first line is almost an\u00a0impossible task. The\u00a0guys really need these drones. <\/p>\n
My\u00a0second
\nquestion is also from the\u00a0operators. Once I\u00a0was sitting in\u00a0the\u00a0trenches with a\u00a0guy, and\u00a0he said: \u201cI\u2019m going to\u00a0be a\u00a0father. I\u2019ll go home then.\u201d I\u00a0asked him:
\n\u201cWill you miss the\u00a0front?\u201d He said: \u201cOf\u00a0course.\u201d I\u00a0was surprised when he said he
\nwould miss operating drones. We have a\u00a0great number of\u00a0drone operators that is
\ngrowing all the\u00a0time, and\u00a0they want to\u00a0do it as\u00a0a\u00a0civilian job. Are there any
\nprospects for\u00a0unmanned civil aviation? Will this experience be useful in\u00a0peacetime?<\/p>\n
And\u00a0the\u00a0last question is from me personally. Since the\u00a0first days of\u00a0the\u00a0special
\nmilitary operation, we have worked with the\u00a0famous Veterans Brigade. They are
\nfamous for\u00a0their underground operations in\u00a0Avdeyevka, Dzerzhinsk and\u00a0Sudzha.
\nTheir most recent operation received worldwide coverage. But despite their achievements
\nand\u00a0daily hard work on\u00a0the\u00a0ground, this brigade is simply called a\u00a0voluntary
\nunit in\u00a0many Defence Ministry reports. I\u00a0would like to\u00a0ask you to\u00a0confer the\u00a0honorary title of\u00a0a\u00a0guards brigade on\u00a0the\u00a0Veterans Brigade. <\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n
Vladimir
\nPutin<\/b>: I\u00a0will start
\nwith your last question. Of\u00a0course, the\u00a0Veterans Brigade deserves the\u00a0highest
\npraise. They are truly heroic individuals, and\u00a0it goes beyond that. You know,
\nit is not easy to\u00a0risk your life and\u00a0climb into a\u00a0pipeline. They prepared every
\noperation competently, meticulously and\u00a0thoroughly. They conducted serious
\ngroundwork to\u00a0figure out approaches, entrances, exits and\u00a0supply routes. This
\nis extremely hard professional work. They are heroic troopers, and\u00a0that is a\u00a0fact. There is no doubt that this brigade deserves the\u00a0highest praise and\u00a0the\u00a0guards title. I\u00a0agree with you. This is the\u00a0first point. <\/p>\n
Now, regarding
\nyour first question on\u00a0UAVs. It is true that there is a\u00a0shortage of\u00a0heavy
\ndrones. The\u00a0Defence Ministry and\u00a0the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Industry are working on\u00a0improvements. This task will be solved. <\/p>\n
I\u00a0want to\u00a0acknowledge the\u00a0Minister of\u00a0Defence, who is personally in\u00a0charge of\u00a0UAV
\nsupplies and\u00a0has done a\u00a0great deal. It is thanks to\u00a0his efforts, among other
\nthings, that the\u00a0availability of\u00a0UAVs has changed drastically. The\u00a0troops at\u00a0the\u00a0contact line have noted this. I\u00a0think you are well aware of\u00a0this. We will
\ncontinue to\u00a0support our modern-day Kulibins. There is an\u00a0entire system of\u00a0grants and\u00a0other support in\u00a0place. We will keep going.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0would like to\u00a0express my\u00a0gratitude to\u00a0our citizens and\u00a0our entrepreneurs. In\u00a0addition to\u00a0everything else they are doing, our people have raised 83 billion rubles, which
\nhave been used for\u00a0a\u00a0number of\u00a0purposes but mostly for\u00a0drones.<\/p>\n
It should be
\nsaid\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0I\u00a0think there is nothing to\u00a0be shy of\u00a0here\u00a0\u2013 that we are the\u00a0indisputable leader in\u00a0terms of\u00a0the\u00a0number of\u00a0drones. We are still short of\u00a0heavy drones like the\u00a0adversary\u2019s Baba-Yaga, but with respect to\u00a0the\u00a0number of\u00a0drones, we are ahead of\u00a0our adversary in\u00a0almost all the\u00a0segments of\u00a0the\u00a0frontline. It is a\u00a0fact, although we may be short of\u00a0some specific types in\u00a0some segments.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0for\u00a0civilian goods and\u00a0proof of\u00a0our leadership, it can only be proved if the\u00a0goods
\nwe have started producing because we need them for\u00a0our combat operations are
\nalso applied and\u00a0improved in\u00a0the\u00a0civilian sphere, following which they are used
\nto\u00a0build up and\u00a0strengthen national defences. We will certainly do this. We
\nhave started doing this, and\u00a0we will continue to\u00a0do this.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0am talking
\nabout everything you are well aware of, such as\u00a0the\u00a0use of\u00a0drones to\u00a0deliver
\nall kinds of\u00a0stuff, including mail, food, and\u00a0medicines. This is not only true for\u00a0fixed-wing drones or\u00a0small air-based copters. The\u00a0matter concerns all types of\u00a0drones,
\nincluding unmanned ground vehicles and\u00a0crewless boats. This field is developing
\nat\u00a0a\u00a0good pace, and\u00a0we will continue to\u00a0do this in\u00a0the\u00a0future as\u00a0well.<\/p>\n
Speaking about
\nthose who fought and\u00a0want to\u00a0continue fighting, I\u00a0would like to\u00a0share some
\ninformation with you. The\u00a0situation is somewhat specific. What does this mean?
\nWe continue to\u00a0recruit personnel for\u00a0our Armed Forces, and\u00a0this process is progressing
\nat\u00a0a\u00a0good pace and\u00a0in\u00a0accordance with plans. Many of\u00a0our men, real men,
\nvoluntarily enlist in\u00a0the\u00a0Armed Forces and\u00a0voluntarily protect the\u00a0interests of\u00a0the\u00a0Motherland and\u00a0our people.<\/p>\n
Naran has told
\nus about how the\u00a0Ukrainian military maltreat civilians. He did not say this
\nnow, but he mentioned it when we talked in\u00a0the\u00a0Kremlin: \u201cWhen we saw what they
\ndid to\u00a0civilians, we couldn\u2019t wait to\u00a0get our hands on\u00a0them.\u201d Did you say this,
\nNaran? \u201cWe are ready to\u00a0keep fighting to\u00a0finish off that viper.\u201d Do you
\nunderstand? When they saw what was done to\u00a0people, to\u00a0civilians\u2026 Grannies were
\nshot and\u00a0killed by\u00a0drones\u2026 He is a\u00a0modest man, and\u00a0it is probably the\u00a0first
\ntime he is in\u00a0the\u00a0same room with so many people, but he said this to\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
So, over
\n400,000 people signed up in\u00a0the\u00a0outgoing year, 406,000 or\u00a0410,000, but the\u00a0number of\u00a0those who want to\u00a0serve in\u00a0the\u00a0new branch we have recently created,
\nthe\u00a0Unmanned Systems Troops, is so large that the\u00a0Defence Ministry had to\u00a0announce
\na\u00a0competition. It is remarkable that some very young people, students at\u00a0various universities, are taking an\u00a0academic leave to\u00a0sign up for\u00a0service on\u00a0the\u00a0frontline. Above all, they want to\u00a0take part in\u00a0combat activity as\u00a0drone
\noperators. <\/p>\n
I\u00a0can
\nunderstand the\u00a0man you have talked with. Here is what I\u00a0will tell you. Even
\nthose who come home on\u00a0leave sometimes continue to\u00a0take part in\u00a0combat
\noperations. Modern technologies have made this possible. <\/p>\n
Yekaterina
\nBerezovskaya<\/b>: This
\nis very important\u00a0\u2013 continuing the\u00a0subject we have just touched upon, regarding
\nour fighters\u2026 You yourself, Mr President, have said that supporting our soldiers
\nis not a\u00a0trend but the\u00a0state\u2019s tribute to\u00a0its defenders. And\u00a0that is indeed the\u00a0case.<\/p>\n
Here is a\u00a0very important observation related to\u00a0preparations for\u00a0today\u2019s programme. Pavel
\nand\u00a0I\u00a0have reviewed an\u00a0enormous number of\u00a0appeals. As\u00a0confirmed by\u00a0GigaChat,
\nthis year the\u00a0number of\u00a0appeals from servicemen, their family members, and\u00a0the\u00a0fighters themselves is lower than last year or, say, the\u00a0year before. Work is
\nunderway, and\u00a0a\u00a0great deal is being done\u00a0\u2013 this work is being carried out by\u00a0the\u00a0Popular Front, the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Defence, and\u00a0the\u00a0Defenders of\u00a0the\u00a0Fatherland
\nFoundation. Problems remain, related to\u00a0delays, payment issues, and\u00a0searching
\nfor\u00a0those missing in\u00a0action. But again, I\u2019d like to\u00a0reiterate: much is being
\ndone, and\u00a0it is being done literally within days.<\/p>\n
Let me give
\na\u00a0few examples. Alexei Gushchin from the\u00a0Oryol Region wrote to\u00a0our programme.
\nTwo years ago, he was seriously wounded and\u00a0could not receive the\u00a0payment of\u00a03
\nmillion rubles he was entitled to. As\u00a0it turned out, not all the\u00a0documents had
\narrived from his military unit. The\u00a0Popular Front got involved in\u00a0resolving the\u00a0issue, the\u00a0payment was processed, and\u00a0the\u00a0money should reach him any day now.<\/p>\n
There was
\nan\u00a0appeal from Lyudmila Orlova from Beloretsk, the\u00a0mother of\u00a0a\u00a0fallen hero. Her
\nson died last year and\u00a0was posthumously awarded the\u00a0Medal For\u00a0Courage, but the\u00a0medal itself could not be handed over to\u00a0her. Volunteers looked into the\u00a0matter. The\u00a0award was found and\u00a0has now been presented to\u00a0the\u00a0hero\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n
What do
\nthese stories have in\u00a0common? They remained unresolved for\u00a0a\u00a0year or\u00a0longer,
\nand\u00a0people did not receive what they were due. The\u00a0professionals stepped in\u00a0and, most importantly, deeply caring individuals who genuinely engaged with the\u00a0problem and\u00a0resolved it literally within days.<\/p>\n
Pavel
\nZarubin<\/b>: Just two
\ndays ago, at\u00a0the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Defence Board meeting, you said that there is
\nstill work to\u00a0be done in\u00a0this respect. Naturally, while preparing for\u00a0today\u2019s programme,
\nwe repeatedly saw evidence of\u00a0this.<\/p>\n
Now, let\u2019s
\nwatch a\u00a0video message from Kristina Grebe from Novosibirsk. We know her
\nsituation is also under control, but we also know that there are many such
\nstories.<\/p>\n
Kristina
\nGrebe<\/b>: Good
\nafternoon.<\/p>\n
My\u00a0name is
\nKristina Grebe. I\u00a0am the\u00a0widow of\u00a0a\u00a0serviceman who was killed in\u00a0the\u00a0special military operation zone. We live in\u00a0the\u00a0city of\u00a0Novosibirsk. We
\nhave two children, six and\u00a0four years old. Here is my\u00a0question. To\u00a0this day, we
\nhave not received the\u00a0survivor\u2019s pension, nor do we have the\u00a0certificates confirming
\nthe\u00a0status of\u00a0family members of\u00a0the\u00a0deceased, which grant entitlement to\u00a0certain benefits.<\/p>\n
My\u00a0husband died in\u00a0January 2024. On\u00a0December\u00a010,
\n2024, I\u00a0received the\u00a0death certificate based on\u00a0[Government Resolution] PP-1421.
\nWe are now approaching the\u00a0end of\u00a02025, and\u00a0there is still no pension. My\u00a0question is this: can the\u00a0processing time for\u00a0such applications\u00a0\u2013 for\u00a0the\u00a0survivor pension and\u00a0the\u00a0issuance of\u00a0certificates for\u00a0family members of\u00a0the\u00a0deceased\u00a0\u2013 be shortened? <\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>:
\nFirst of\u00a0all, Miss Grebe, I\u00a0want to\u00a0apologise to\u00a0you for\u00a0the\u00a0sluggishness on\u00a0the\u00a0part of\u00a0the\u00a0services in\u00a0charge of\u00a0these matters. I\u00a0apologise. <\/p>\n
Rest assured,
\nyour case is going to\u00a0be resolved quickly. But the\u00a0problem is there. I\u00a0recently
\nmet with Anna Tsivileva, who currently also serves as\u00a0Deputy Minister of\u00a0Defence, and\u00a0she briefed me on\u00a0the\u00a0work of\u00a0the\u00a0Defenders of\u00a0the\u00a0Fatherland
\nFoundation. She told me that, unfortunately, normal cooperation still hasn\u2019t
\nbeen established between the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Defence and\u00a0the\u00a0Government\u2019s social
\naffairs bloc.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0issues are
\nlargely bureaucratic: documents get lost, passed down from one department to\u00a0another, decisions are delayed, and\u00a0so on. We will work on\u00a0that to\u00a0expedite
\neverything. I\u00a0will definitely keep track of\u00a0all that personally.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0way forward
\nis clear. We simply need to\u00a0act faster and\u00a0more efficiently, so that people,
\nespecially those in\u00a0situations like yours, with two children, don\u2019t face
\nunnecessary hardship.<\/p>\n
However,
\nthere\u2019s another, widely discussed problem that\u2019s also evident from the\u00a0questions
\ncoming in\u00a0through various channels. Mr Peskov handed me a\u00a0large folder of\u00a0such
\nquestions and\u00a0requests, which I\u00a0reviewed. It concerns the\u00a0search for\u00a0missing
\npersons. This is an\u00a0extremely urgent matter.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0Kristina
\nGrebe\u2019s specific case, I\u00a0hope the\u00a0problems she is facing will now be resolved
\nquickly and\u00a0without delay. But the\u00a0issue of\u00a0missing persons is particularly acute.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0should note
\nthat the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Defence has taken specific steps in\u00a0this area that are yielding
\nresults. First, a\u00a0coordination centre, a\u00a0central coordinating body, for\u00a0the\u00a0search
\nfor\u00a0missing servicemen has been created.<\/p>\n
Second,
\ndedicated departments have been set up within the\u00a0groups of\u00a0forces and\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0local level, and\u00a0a\u00a0separate registry has been created. If we compare the\u00a0situation
\nat\u00a0the\u00a0start of\u00a0the\u00a0year and\u00a0at\u00a0this time, the\u00a0number of\u00a0missing servicemen has
\nbeen reduced by\u00a050 percent; compared to\u00a0the\u00a0beginning of\u00a0the\u00a0year, it\u2019s a\u00a03-fold change. That is a\u00a0significant improvement. This work must and\u00a0will continue
\nand\u00a0improve. Our objective is to\u00a0minimise such cases, ultimately bringing them
\ndown to\u00a0zero.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>:
\nThe\u00a0issue of\u00a0missing persons is really important indeed. I\u00a0know that many
\njournalists, including some of\u00a0our colleagues here, have relatives who
\nparticipated in\u00a0the\u00a0special military operation and\u00a0are missing. This problem is
\nvery real. I\u00a0think everyone present would support a\u00a0request for\u00a0you to\u00a0issue an\u00a0instruction ensuring that all such inquiries from soldiers\u2019 families receive
\nspecial attention and\u00a0are never disregarded. And, as\u00a0we have said, it\u2019s crucial
\nto\u00a0remember both the\u00a0missing and\u00a0those who have been taken prisoners.<\/p>\n
Vladimir
\nPutin<\/b>: Such
\ninstructions have already been issued. In\u00a0fact, I\u00a0have just outlined the\u00a0steps the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Defence is taking in\u00a0this regard.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: I\u00a0suggest that we turn to\u00a0the\u00a0people in\u00a0this
\nroom and\u00a0invite them to\u00a0ask a\u00a0few questions. I\u00a0can see Mir television company.
\nCan you hand over the\u00a0microphone to\u00a0the\u00a0lady in\u00a0red?<\/p>\n
Elina Dashkuyeva<\/b>: Thank you.<\/p>\n
Mr Putin, good afternoon. Hello to\u00a0my\u00a0colleagues too.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0am Elina Dashkuyeva, Mir International Television Company.<\/p>\n
Phone scams remain an\u00a0issue these days. Have
\nthe\u00a0measures adopted by\u00a0the\u00a0state been effective? Do you have any information
\non\u00a0whether the\u00a0number of\u00a0people suffering from this kind of\u00a0fraud has declined?<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Yes, I\u00a0do have this information. The\u00a0measures
\nhave proved to\u00a0be effective. Much will have to\u00a0be done, of\u00a0course, in\u00a0this
\nregard. There was a\u00a0seven-percent decline in\u00a0the\u00a0number of\u00a0crimes of\u00a0this kind,
\naccording to\u00a0the\u00a0Interior Ministry, while the\u00a0damage decreased by\u00a033 percent.
\nOverall, this was quite a\u00a0positive result.<\/p>\n
There is, however, one thing I\u00a0wanted to\u00a0point
\nout. I\u00a0would like to\u00a0address the\u00a0citizens of\u00a0the\u00a0country. Fraud is still very
\nmuch an\u00a0issue. And\u00a0the\u00a0more sophisticated our devices are getting, the\u00a0more
\nsophisticated our life is becoming, the\u00a0more sophisticated tools scammers use
\nin\u00a0turn to\u00a0defraud the\u00a0citizens. This is why, regardless of\u00a0the\u00a0voice you hear,
\nwhich is especially dangerous considering what artificial intelligence can do,
\nif someone starts talking to\u00a0you about money, about property, just put down the\u00a0phone, put down the\u00a0phone right away! You should not say anything.<\/p>\n
If this is about banks and\u00a0the\u00a0like, there are
\npeople to\u00a0talk to, people you know. You can get things done by\u00a0visiting the\u00a0bank in\u00a0person. This is the\u00a0best way.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0advise you against discussing any matters
\ndealing with money or\u00a0property with anyone.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Thank you. <\/p>\n
Staying in\u00a0this room, I\u00a0would like to\u00a0once
\nagain ask journalists to\u00a0be as\u00a0concise as\u00a0possible.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: I\u00a0see a\u00a0young man holding the\u00a0Children\u2019s
\nNewsdesk poster. How can we fail to\u00a0recognise him? Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n
Maxim Zakharov<\/b>: Good afternoon, Mr Putin.<\/p>\n
My\u00a0name is Maxim Zakharov, I\u00a0am 13 years old,
\nand\u00a0I\u00a0am a\u00a0correspondent with the\u00a0Children\u2019s Newsdesk.<\/p>\n
Here is my\u00a0question. You have said recently
\nthat you sometimes drive around Moscow incognito. In\u00a0addition, when we hear you
\nat\u00a0various meetings or\u00a0even now, you are very well informed. Here is my\u00a0question: How do you get to\u00a0know the\u00a0most important things, what people really
\nneed?<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: I\u00a0did not exactly say that I\u00a0drive around
\nMoscow incognito\u00a0\u2013 that does happen, but very rarely. What I\u00a0meant is that
\nsometimes I\u00a0drive without a\u00a0traffic police escort. Most of\u00a0the\u00a0time, that is
\nhow it is.<\/p>\n
These trips aren\u2019t meaningless; even from the\u00a0car window, it is interesting to\u00a0see more than just the\u00a0road I\u00a0take between the\u00a0official residence and\u00a0Moscow. And\u00a0when I\u00a0drive through different parts of\u00a0the\u00a0city, it is also quite interesting to\u00a0observe what is happening around.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0for\u00a0obtaining reliable information on\u00a0current events, meetings like this probably provide the\u00a0best sociological
\nsnapshot. How many people are we talking about\u00a0\u2013 two million?<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Two and\u00a0a\u00a0half.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: 2.5 million.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: 2.7 million.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Can you imagine, Maxim? Two and\u00a0a\u00a0half million
\npeople reached out through the\u00a0Direct Line.<\/p>\n
Of\u00a0course, it is impossible to\u00a0process and\u00a0respond to\u00a0all of\u00a0this during our current session. But since these 2.5 million
\ninquiries reflect people\u2019s most pressing concerns, they will be addressed, in\u00a0part, with the\u00a0help of\u00a0artificial intelligence. My, shall we say, loyal
\ncolleagues from the\u00a0Popular Front will be working on\u00a0this throughout the\u00a0year.
\nThis provides the\u00a0most powerful sociological snapshot of\u00a0both the\u00a0state of\u00a0society and\u00a0the\u00a0issues that matter most to\u00a0people. That\u2019s the\u00a0first point.<\/p>\n
Second, of\u00a0course, intelligence and\u00a0law enforcement
\nagencies provide various types of\u00a0information. I\u00a0try to\u00a0use it not in\u00a0a\u00a0generalised form, but in\u00a0its original context, so to\u00a0speak. Meeting with people
\ndirectly\u00a0\u2013 whether with servicemen from the\u00a0front, workers, or\u00a0during trips
\nacross the\u00a0country\u00a0\u2013 is extremely important. Direct communication sparks a\u00a0certain energy; you immediately begin to\u00a0sense people\u2019s mood, their needs, and\u00a0their aspirations.<\/p>\n
And, of\u00a0course, we cannot overlook sociological
\nsurveys. I\u00a0understand that people have different views of\u00a0them, but it is
\nimportant to\u00a0remember that these are primarily professional tools. Average
\nfigures can sometimes irritate people because they do not always reflect
\npersonal experience. Nevertheless, they are valuable and\u00a0essential for\u00a0understanding broader trends and\u00a0dynamics in\u00a0the\u00a0country.<\/p>\n
Taken together, these various sources provide a\u00a0fairly objective picture of\u00a0what is happening.<\/p>\n
Dmitry
\nPeskov<\/b>: Let\u2019s take
\na\u00a0few more questions from the\u00a0audience.<\/p>\n
Yakutia,
\nplease.<\/p>\n
Oleg
\nKolesov<\/b>: Good
\nafternoon, Mr President. Oleg Kolesov, Sakha National Broadcasting Company. We
\nrepresent the\u00a0coldest part of\u00a0the\u00a0world, Yakutia. Right now, the\u00a0temperature is
\n\u221250 degrees. As\u00a0you know, in\u00a0a\u00a0harsh climate, people especially value warmth
\nand\u00a0unity. <\/p>\n
You have declared
\n2026 the\u00a0Year of\u00a0Russian Peoples\u2019 Unity. We all know that the\u00a0special military
\noperation is where this unity is manifested most clearly. As\u00a0a\u00a0military
\ncorrespondent, I\u00a0know first-hand that our troops are fighting for\u00a0the\u00a0Motherland shoulder to\u00a0shoulder, regardless of\u00a0their ethnicity or\u00a0faith. They wear
\nchevrons that say \u201cI\u00a0am Russian. God is with us,\u201d regardless of\u00a0their ethnic background.<\/p>\n
What
\nchevron would you wear in\u00a0the\u00a0Year of\u00a0Peoples\u2019 Unity? <\/p>\n
Continuing on\u00a0the\u00a0theme of\u00a0unity in\u00a0culture, a\u00a0unique Arctic Centre of\u00a0Epic Literature and\u00a0Arts
\nwill open in\u00a0Yakutia next year, along with a\u00a0new building for\u00a0the\u00a0Higher School
\nof\u00a0Music. Both are being built at\u00a0your instruction. We would like to\u00a0invite you
\nto\u00a0attend their opening ceremonies. <\/p>\n
Yakutia is
\nalso known for\u00a0its film industry. We are working on\u00a0a\u00a0film about Hero of\u00a0Russia
\nAndrei Grigoryev, callsign Tuta. We hope you will support the\u00a0production and\u00a0distribution of\u00a0this film. <\/p>\n
What
\nmeasures will be taken to\u00a0support Russia\u2019s ethnic groups in\u00a0the\u00a0Year of\u00a0Peoples\u2019 Unity? Thank you. <\/p>\n
Vladimir
\nPutin<\/b>: With regard
\nto\u00a0supporting ethnic groups, we have a\u00a0targeted policy of\u00a0supporting the\u00a0cultures
\nand\u00a0languages of\u00a0Russia\u2019s peoples\u00a0\u2013 in\u00a0schools, in\u00a0the\u00a0media, and\u00a0in\u00a0literature.<\/p>\n
You have
\njust mentioned various initiatives in\u00a0Yakutia. The\u00a0people of\u00a0Yakutia are very
\ntalented. It is no coincidence that this music school is opening there. I\u00a0often
\nrecall my\u00a0first trip, when I\u00a0visited a\u00a0similar music school, which has since
\nexpanded, where children from towns and\u00a0villages, no matter how small, across
\nthe\u00a0republic could enjoy creative activities. The\u00a0film industry in\u00a0Yakutia is
\nalso thriving. In\u00a0fact, Yakutia itself is on\u00a0the\u00a0rise and\u00a0growing rapidly. The\u00a0republic is also sending military personnel to\u00a0the\u00a0line of\u00a0contact who possess
\nexceptional capabilities\u00a0\u2013 perhaps unmatched anywhere in\u00a0the\u00a0world. <\/p>\n
The\u00a0film
\nyou mentioned will certainly receive support with distribution and\u00a0so on. <\/p>\n
As\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0Year of\u00a0Russian Peoples\u2019 Unity in\u00a0general, I\u00a0think we are doing the\u00a0right
\nthing, especially now during the\u00a0special military operation, because when a\u00a0country faces challenges, it closes ranks.<\/p>\n
You put it perfectly, and\u00a0it\u2019s true. What
\ndifference does it make to\u00a0people under fire what faith they belong to? Naran
\nunderstands this very well, doesn\u2019t he? What does it matter? There\u2019s a\u00a0joke for\u00a0such situations: if God exists\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0I\u00a0have no doubt that He does\u00a0\u2013 then He
\nsurely doesn\u2019t know that people on\u00a0earth have divided themselves into different
\nchurches. What unites us are our shared values. Those are what matter most\u00a0\u2013 values
\nthat are traditional for\u00a0all the\u00a0peoples of\u00a0the\u00a0Russian Federation. And\u00a0now,
\nduring the\u00a0special military operation, this is becoming especially evident,
\nprominent, and\u00a0clear. We see it plainly.<\/p>\n
This just reminded me of\u00a0something. We were
\ndiscussing the\u00a0reports on\u00a0the\u00a0capture of\u00a0Seversk. You may recall that the\u00a0commander of\u00a0one of\u00a0the\u00a0brigades was in\u00a0my\u00a0office. After the\u00a0briefing, the\u00a0videoconference ended, and\u00a0I\u00a0began talking with him about the\u00a0situation in\u00a0his sector
\nof\u00a0the\u00a0front, and\u00a0about certain welfare issues affecting the\u00a0soldiers. Suddenly
\nhe said to\u00a0me, \u201cYou know, I\u00a0feel guilty.\u201d I\u00a0asked, \u201cWhy?\u201d He said, \u201cI\u2019m here,
\nwhile my\u00a0comrade, the\u00a0commander of\u00a0a\u00a0neighbouring brigade fighting alongside
\nme, is there. We\u2019re discussing basic supplies and\u00a0state decorations, but
\nbelieve me, he is just as\u00a0good and\u00a0worthy as\u00a0I\u00a0am.\u201d I\u00a0asked, \u201cWho is he?\u201d \u201cHe\u2019s
\nfrom Daghestan,\u201d he said, \u201ca\u00a0representative of\u00a0a\u00a0small ethnic group there. But
\nhe is a\u00a0true warrior, a\u00a0Russian patriot, and\u00a0an\u00a0excellent commander.\u201d I\u00a0said, \u201cI\u00a0know. But you can\u2019t all leave the\u00a0front. You are here now because the\u00a0group
\ncommander decided so; he sent you. Someone has to\u00a0hold the\u00a0front. Tell you what\u00a0\u2013 let\u2019s try calling him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u00a0went to\u00a0the\u00a0phone and, through military channels,
\nlocated this second brigade commander right at\u00a0his forward command post. I\u00a0spoke with him briefly, then handed the\u00a0phone to\u00a0the\u00a0brigade commander who was in\u00a0my\u00a0office. And\u00a0here is what was so remarkable. It\u2019s a\u00a0common way for\u00a0men to\u00a0address
\neach other, but when it comes from real officers, frontline fighters, it
\ncarries a\u00a0special weight. He took the\u00a0phone and\u00a0said, \u201cHello, brother!\u201d In\u00a0that
\nmoment, it was incredibly powerful. This is where the\u00a0unity of\u00a0the\u00a0peoples of\u00a0the\u00a0Russian Federation truly manifests itself. And\u00a0we will strengthen this
\nunity further. We will do everything to\u00a0foster and\u00a0cement it.<\/p>\n
Thank you for\u00a0your question.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov:<\/b> Let\u2019s have one more question from the\u00a0audience
\nbefore we return to\u00a0our moderators. I\u00a0see a\u00a0sector that has been idling\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0man in\u00a0a\u00a0blue jacket in\u00a0the\u00a0first row. Please introduce yourself.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Seroukhov:<\/b> Good afternoon. My\u00a0name is Vladimir Seroukhov,
\nthe\u00a0RBC radio and\u00a0television channel. There will be many changes in\u00a0the\u00a0tax
\nsphere next year. It is clear that their goal is to\u00a0generate additional revenue
\nfor\u00a0the\u00a0budget. What financial effect do you expect to\u00a0see? And\u00a0will there be
\nany relaxations once this goal is achieved? Thank you. <\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin:<\/b> Yes, this is a\u00a0difficult issue. It was
\ndiscussed for\u00a0a\u00a0long time within the\u00a0Government and\u00a0the\u00a0Presidential Executive
\nOffice. Ultimately, as\u00a0I\u00a0have pointed out, it was decided that the\u00a0best and\u00a0most honest and\u00a0transparent way to\u00a0address our problems, including in\u00a0the\u00a0financial sphere, is to\u00a0raise the\u00a0VAT rate. Is this what you were referring to?
\nThe\u00a0goal is simple, as\u00a0I\u00a0said in\u00a0my\u00a0opening remarks: to\u00a0balance the\u00a0budget.
\nOverall, we have achieved this, as\u00a0I\u00a0have said, including thanks to\u00a0that
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
Of\u00a0course, certain issues remain, and\u00a0the\u00a0Government must take them into
\naccount. We have talked about them many times. When the\u00a0tax burden grows, when
\ntaxes are increased, this creates a\u00a0temptation to\u00a0evade taxes. Our task has
\nbeen and\u00a0remains to\u00a0eliminate the\u00a0shadow economy, to\u00a0prevent businesses from
\ngoing into the\u00a0shadows and\u00a0evading taxes. This is a\u00a0challenging task. We must
\ncreate conditions in\u00a0which higher taxes do exist only on\u00a0paper but actually
\ntranslate into budget revenues.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0have taken your hint about this being permanent. No, of\u00a0course it
\nwon\u2019t. Our ultimate goal is to\u00a0reduce the\u00a0tax burden in\u00a0the\u00a0future, and\u00a0the\u00a0Government is acting with this goal in\u00a0mind. I\u00a0pin my\u00a0hopes on\u00a0this as\u00a0well.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin:<\/b> This year we have received an\u00a0exceptionally
\nlarge number of\u00a0questions from self-employed people and\u00a0private entrepreneurs.
\nThere are millions of\u00a0them across the\u00a0country, and\u00a0tax changes are therefore a\u00a0matter of\u00a0concern for\u00a0a\u00a0huge number of\u00a0people. <\/p>\n
We have received a\u00a0MAX message from Denis Maksimov from Lyubertsy. Let\u2019s
\ntry to\u00a0connect with him by\u00a0video, if this is technically possible.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Mr Maksimov, can you hear us? Ask
\nyour question.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin:<\/b> Excuse me for\u00a0a\u00a0moment. (Writes down a\u00a0question from a\u00a0text message.) \u201cWhen will government agencies start
\nregulating fish prices to\u00a0make them affordable for\u00a0the\u00a0people?\u201d<\/p>\n
You know, government regulation of\u00a0prices in\u00a0the\u00a0market is a\u00a0complicated
\nand\u00a0very dangerous matter, because products tend to\u00a0disappear as\u00a0soon as\u00a0we
\nstart regulating prices and\u00a0issuing plans. That is what usually happens in\u00a0a\u00a0market economy.<\/p>\n
On\u00a0the\u00a0other hand, regulation is necessary in\u00a0some spheres, such as\u00a0essential medicines. There is a\u00a0price ceiling beyond which prices must not be
\nraised. But applying such a\u00a0measure to\u00a0ordinary consumer goods is extremely
\ncomplicated.<\/p>\n
That said, there is one thing you are right about: our people don\u2019t eat
\nenough fish. There are established norms for\u00a0fish consumption, and\u00a0we are still
\nbelow them.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0believe we should find a\u00a0different solution. We must improve logistics
\nto\u00a0ensure that fish products from the\u00a0Far East can reach European Russia as\u00a0cheaply as\u00a0possible. We must improve transport links. We should also discuss
\ntaxation in\u00a0this sector. We must create conditions for\u00a0the\u00a0construction of\u00a0fishing vessels, and\u00a0so on. There are many issues that should bring about the\u00a0desired result. <\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: A\u00a0video call, right?<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Yes, please.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: Mr Maksimov, if you
\ncan hear us, please go ahead with your question.<\/p>\n
Denis Maksimov<\/b>: Good afternoon, Mr
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
My\u00a0name is Denis Maksimov, and\u00a0I\u2019m
\nfrom Kraskovo in\u00a0the\u00a0Lyubertsy District. We run a\u00a0small family business, a\u00a0bakery. For\u00a0about eight years, we have been operating under the\u00a0convenient
\npatent tax system. Starting next year, however, we will be required to\u00a0pay
\nincome tax and\u00a0VAT. This means we will need to\u00a0hire a\u00a0professional accountant,
\nwhich will result in\u00a0additional expenses for\u00a0us.<\/p>\n
We fully understand that the\u00a0country is in\u00a0a\u00a0difficult situation at\u00a0the\u00a0moment and\u00a0that raising taxes is
\nnecessary. However, in\u00a0my\u00a0view, it would be far more effective for\u00a0both the\u00a0state and\u00a0individual entrepreneurs if the\u00a0cost of\u00a0patents was simply increased\u00a0\u2013 two, three, four, or\u00a0even five times\u00a0\u2013 depending on\u00a0turnover, for\u00a0example. As\u00a0things stand, the\u00a0situation is tough, and\u00a0honestly, we don\u2019t look to\u00a0the\u00a0future
\nwith much optimism. Many businesses may close or\u00a0move underground.<\/p>\n
Could you please advise us on\u00a0how
\nto\u00a0navigate this situation, given the\u00a0drastic changes to\u00a0tax legislation?<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Mr Maksimov, is that
\nyour bakery in\u00a0the\u00a0background?<\/p>\n
Denis Maksimov<\/b>: Yes.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Mashenka. And\u00a0who is
\nit named after, with such a\u00a0lovely name, Mashenka?<\/p>\n
Denis Maksimov<\/b>: My\u00a0eldest daughter.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: You make delicious
\nbuns? What do you have there?<\/p>\n
Denis Maksimov<\/b>: I\u00a0hope they are
\ndelicious.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Mr Maksimov, regarding
\nyour question, here\u2019s the\u00a0background. Initially, various measures were
\nintroduced to\u00a0support individual entrepreneurs and\u00a0small businesses. More recently,
\nhowever, the\u00a0Government has identified problems, particularly in\u00a0trade, both
\namong individual entrepreneurs and\u00a0small businesses. These measures and\u00a0business formats have sometimes been used for\u00a0the\u00a0uncontrolled import of\u00a0\u201cgrey\u201d
\nand\u00a0\u201cblack\u201d goods. That\u2019s where the\u00a0problem arose. But this does not mean that production
\nbusinesses should face difficulties. I\u00a0will certainly bring this matter to\u00a0the\u00a0attention of\u00a0the\u00a0Government and\u00a0the\u00a0relevant agencies.<\/p>\n
Regarding accounting, I\u00a0would note
\nthat you do not necessarily need to\u00a0incur significant additional expenses to\u00a0set up an\u00a0accounting department. Many major financial institutions now offer a\u00a0range of\u00a0banking and\u00a0accounting services. You could, for\u00a0example, consult Sberbank\u00a0\u2013 they should be able to\u00a0help you organise this work without seriously
\ndisrupting your business or\u00a0creating a\u00a0heavy financial burden.<\/p>\n
But you are absolutely right on\u00a0one
\npoint: production business must not suffer because of\u00a0the\u00a0transition to\u00a0a\u00a0new
\ntax system. I\u00a0assure you that this issue will be brought to\u00a0the\u00a0Government\u2019s
\nattention.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0any case, I\u00a0wish every success to\u00a0you, your [bakery] Mashenka, your daughter, and\u00a0your business with such a\u00a0sweet
\nname. I\u00a0sincerely wish you all the\u00a0best!<\/p>\n
Perhaps you could even send me some
\nof\u00a0your tasty stuff?<\/p>\n
Denis Maksimov<\/b>: With pleasure.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: And\u00a0I, for\u00a0my\u00a0part,
\nwill work with the\u00a0Government to\u00a0support your business and\u00a0others like it.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
Denis Maksimov<\/b>: Thank you.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: Incidentally, there was a\u00a0news alert just now
\nsaying that the\u00a0Central Bank has revised its key interest rate down to\u00a016
\npercent. We are getting there.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: You know, the\u00a0Central Bank, of\u00a0course, is
\nunder constant pressure. The\u00a0high interest rate is a\u00a0very controversial matter.
\nThe\u00a0difference between it and\u00a0the\u00a0inflation rate\u2026 By\u00a0the\u00a0end of\u00a0the\u00a0year, as\u00a0I\u00a0have said, inflation will be under six percent at\u00a05.7\u02d75.8 percent, or\u00a0maybe 5.6 percent, while the\u00a0interest rate
\nremains unchanged at\u00a016 percent. Experts expected a\u00a0cut of\u00a0up to\u00a0one percentage
\npoint.<\/p>\n
According to\u00a0the\u00a0law, the\u00a0Bank of\u00a0Russia is an\u00a0independent institution, so I\u00a0try not to\u00a0interfere with its decisions and\u00a0to\u00a0shield it from any outside influence or\u00a0pressure. Overall, the\u00a0Bank of\u00a0Russia
\nhas not only succeeded in\u00a0delivering on\u00a0its mandate, but has been quite
\ndiligent and\u00a0responsible in\u00a0this regard.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0late 2024 and\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0beginning of\u00a0this year,
\nwe had conversations with the\u00a0Central Bank Governor, with senior Government
\nofficials and\u00a0the\u00a0cabinet\u2019s economic block, saying that we had to\u00a0make a\u00a0decision on\u00a0targeting inflation and\u00a0to\u00a0do everything to\u00a0ensure that the\u00a0Russian
\neconomy and\u00a0the\u00a0macroeconomic situation are sustainable and\u00a0robust and\u00a0that the\u00a0national economy remains on\u00a0a\u00a0solid footing. The\u00a0fact that there is this gap
\nbetween the\u00a0inflation rate and\u00a0the\u00a0key interest rate offers the\u00a0Central Bank\u2019s
\ncritics an\u00a0angle of\u00a0attack.<\/p>\n
What is the\u00a0problem here? In\u00a0fact, there are
\nquite a\u00a0few challenges, and\u00a0one of\u00a0them, as\u00a0I\u00a0have already said, or\u00a0as\u00a0I\u00a0will
\nsay, if I\u00a0have not mentioned this until this point, is the\u00a0slowing investment
\nactivity. It decreased by\u00a03.1 percent in\u00a0the\u00a0first three quarters. But what
\nmatters for\u00a0the\u00a0Central Bank is not this substantial decline but the\u00a0fact that
\nlending remains quite high. The\u00a0number of\u00a0issued loans has not been decreasing
\nall that much. It did decline, but only marginally. This compels the\u00a0Bank of\u00a0Russia to\u00a0exercise extreme caution in\u00a0order to\u00a0avert any inflation spikes so
\nthat it does not have to\u00a0make any moves in\u00a0the\u00a0opposite direction. These
\nback-and-forth oscillations are the\u00a0worst thing you can imagine. The\u00a0Bank of\u00a0Russia is seeking to\u00a0ensure stability in\u00a0this regard, which is important, of\u00a0course. We cannot agree more.<\/p>\n
Is a\u00a0cut of\u00a0half a\u00a0percentage point enough? I\u00a0will
\nnot share any assessments at\u00a0this point, leaving it up to\u00a0experts. We have many
\nprominent specialists\u00a0\u2013 let them draw the\u00a0corresponding conclusions. There will
\nalso be a\u00a0response from the\u00a0real economy. I\u00a0can even anticipate how they will
\nrespond. That said, we have yet to\u00a0see what comes of\u00a0it all.<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Mr President, official inflation
\nis one thing, but the\u00a0so-called perceived inflation is somewhat different. We
\nreceive a\u00a0substantial amount of\u00a0correspondence about this. We also do our own
\nshopping and\u00a0see how everything is getting more expensive. What can be said?
\nYou often refer to\u00a0it as\u00a0the\u00a0\u201cballpark figure\u201d\u00a0\u2013 approximately six percent.
\nIndeed, people write complaining that everything is getting more expensive, and\u00a0prices are growing like mad.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: Maxim Volkov from Chapayevsk in\u00a0the\u00a0Samara
\nRegion: \u201cWhy has everything become so expensive? Even the\u00a0price of\u00a0chicken has
\nalmost doubled. I\u00a0am a\u00a0father of\u00a0three. I\u00a0work, making 50,000 rubles, but even so,
\nI\u00a0cannot meet their needs or\u00a0feed them properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yekaterina Berezovskaya<\/b>: Or\u00a0take these various appeals, for\u00a0example. Here is one from the\u00a0Rostov Region\u00a0\u2013 clearly written by\u00a0a\u00a0child, as\u00a0it
\nstates they are under 18: \u201cHello! Why are the\u00a0prices for\u00a0food and\u00a0buns in\u00a0the\u00a0canteen going up, while my\u00a0parents\u2019 salaries aren\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: I\u00a0have already mentioned that when people see
\naverage indicators, these average figures often raise questions, because as\u00a0a\u00a0rule, they do not match what a\u00a0person encounters in\u00a0daily life.<\/p>\n
For\u00a0instance, we say inflation will come down.
\nThat means prices will go down, and\u00a0it will be at\u00a0about 5.7\u20135.8 percent.
\nHowever, food inflation, especially in\u00a0certain categories, may be higher\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0it is higher\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0this depends on\u00a0the\u00a0food basket a\u00a0person uses. If that food
\nbasket consists largely of\u00a0protein products like chicken, then naturally, this
\nimpacts the\u00a0family budget. There is certainly nothing good about that.<\/p>\n
At\u00a0the\u00a0same time, I\u00a0would note that last year,
\nor\u00a0the\u00a0year before, we were critically assessing the\u00a0actions of\u00a0our colleagues
\nin\u00a0the\u00a0Government when the\u00a0price of\u00a0eggs suddenly spiked. Now, prices are not
\njust falling\u00a0\u2013 they have dropped by\u00a0over ten percent, almost 16 percent. These
\nare also important factors. Nevertheless, without any doubt, we must closely
\nmonitor the\u00a0situation in\u00a0every segment and\u00a0across every demographic group.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0for\u00a0families with children: the\u00a0family must be
\nat\u00a0the\u00a0centre of\u00a0everything here, and\u00a0we are striving for\u00a0that. I\u00a0would like to\u00a0emphasise that additional measures to\u00a0support families with children will come
\ninto effect from January\u00a01 next year. For\u00a0example, out of\u00a0the\u00a013 percent
\npersonal income tax paid, in\u00a0families with modest incomes\u00a0\u2013 less than one and\u00a0a\u00a0half times the\u00a0subsistence minimum per person\u00a0\u2013 seven percent, that is, the\u00a0larger
\npart, will be returned to\u00a0the\u00a0family. I\u00a0hope this will be a\u00a0real way to\u00a0support
\nfamilies with children. By\u00a0the\u00a0way, if a\u00a0family\u2019s income, correct me if I\u2019m
\nwrong, is below one and\u00a0a\u00a0half times the\u00a0subsistence minimum, then additional
\nsupport equivalent to\u00a0one subsistence minimum is provided for\u00a0each child.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0am not even mentioning other components of\u00a0support for\u00a0families with children. Naturally, this is not enough. We all
\nrealise, of\u00a0course, that this is not enough. But what is to\u00a0be done? First, we
\nwill continue to\u00a0refine this system of\u00a0family support, because state policy,
\nboth at\u00a0the\u00a0federal and\u00a0regional levels, should revolve around this.<\/p>\n
Second, we will, of\u00a0course, strive to\u00a0increase salary
\nlevels, to\u00a0ensure that incomes, especially for\u00a0families with children, do not
\nfall. When labour incomes rise, the\u00a0state must under no circumstances reduce
\nthese support measures, which, unfortunately, is what happens now. This is a\u00a0well-known problem: a\u00a0family with children receives certain benefits and\u00a0support, then their earnings rise, and\u00a0the\u00a0state cuts back the\u00a0benefits it had
\nbeen providing. Therefore, when earnings rise, the\u00a0family\u2019s total income,
\nincluding benefits, must not decrease.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0return to\u00a0this issue once again and\u00a0ask the\u00a0Government to\u00a0pay the\u00a0closest attention to\u00a0it. It makes no sense to\u00a0do
\notherwise, because the\u00a0budget gains nothing from it\u00a0\u2013 it cannot gain\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0we
\nonly discourage people from working.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Let\u2019s return to\u00a0the\u00a0audience for\u00a0a\u00a0few more questions. We haven\u2019t covered that sector yet. I\u00a0see Tyumen. Tyumen,
\nplease pass the\u00a0microphone.<\/p>\n
Kristina Smirnova<\/b>: Good afternoon, everyone. Kristina
\nSmirnova, Tyumen Time television channel, Tyumen.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0have a\u00a0question about the\u00a0unusual
\nobject, 3I\/ATLAS, that\u2019s currently approaching. According to\u00a0forecasts, later
\ntoday, on\u00a0December\u00a019, this object\u00a0\u2013 which some speculate is a\u00a0spacecraft with
\nan\u00a0engine and\u00a0others say is simply a\u00a0comet\u00a0\u2013 will make its closest approach to\u00a0Earth. My\u00a0question is: what are the\u00a0intelligence services and\u00a0Roscosmos telling
\nyou? Are there any genuine signs of\u00a0the\u00a0object\u2019s artificial origin? As\u00a0far-fetched as\u00a0it may sound, there are a\u00a0lot of\u00a0theories circulating. And\u00a0while
\nwe in\u00a0Tyumen\u00a0\u2013 Russia\u2019s thermal capital\u00a0\u2013 are ready to\u00a0welcome any guests, if
\nthey are guests from space, we\u2019d like to\u00a0be prepared.<\/p>\n
Secondly, is the\u00a0date of\u00a0our news conference
\ntoday connected to\u00a0this forecast? This is the\u00a0first time we\u2019re holding our
\nyear-end review on\u00a0a\u00a0Friday. Thank you.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: Mr Putin, they\u2019re actually asking
\nyou here to\u00a0wink if you know that aliens exist, but it\u2019s classified. That\u2019s
\nwhat it says. Go on, wink if you know.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Kristina, is that your name? I\u2019ll
\ntell you, but this must stay strictly between us. It\u2019s classified information.
\nIt\u2019s our secret weapon, but we will only use it as\u00a0a\u00a0last resort. Because we
\nare, in\u00a0principle, against the\u00a0placement of\u00a0weapons in\u00a0space.<\/p>\n
But in\u00a0all seriousness, it is a\u00a0comet. Our scientists understand what\u2019s happening with it. Moreover, this comet
\nis of\u00a0extragalactic origin, so it behaves differently from comets within our
\nown galaxy. It has a\u00a0different composition, and\u00a0as\u00a0it approaches the\u00a0Sun,
\nslightly different processes occur on\u00a0its surface and\u00a0within its dust tail,
\nwhich makes certain aspects appear unusual. But it\u2019s quite large, somewhere
\nbetween 2 and\u00a06 kilometres, I\u00a0believe. Just consider this: the\u00a0Moon is about
\n400,000 kilometres away. The\u00a0object you\u2019re asking about is hundreds of\u00a0millions
\nof\u00a0kilometres away. I\u00a0don\u2019t believe it poses any threat to\u00a0us. We\u2019ll send it on\u00a0its way to\u00a0Jupiter. Early next year, it will leave the\u00a0Solar System entirely.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Thank you. Let\u2019s continue.<\/p>\n
Pavel Zarubin<\/b>: So, no winking then.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: I\u2019ll wink just for\u00a0you.<\/p>\n
Now, let\u2019s turn to\u00a0Belarus. Please.<\/p>\n
Viktoria Senkevich<\/b>: Thank you very much, Mr President, for\u00a0this
\nopportunity. Viktoria Senkevich, Channel One News, Belteleradiocompany. <\/p>\n
Belarus and\u00a0Russia have synchronised their
\npolicies so well that we are also holding a\u00a0major event these days, the\u00a0All-Belarusian
\nPeople\u2019s Assembly. Our President says: \u201cBelarus and\u00a0Russia must be together.\u201d You
\nmust have heard this. Let\u2019s also build a\u00a0bridge together, Belarus and\u00a0Russia.
\nIt is not the\u00a0first time we have done this. We actually rely on\u00a0Russia\u2019s strength.
\nOreshnik is to\u00a0be put on\u00a0combat alert in\u00a0Belarus these days. Thank you for\u00a0bringing
\ntactical nuclear weapons back to\u00a0us. For\u00a0some reason, not everybody likes our
\nunion. It is odd. One day Lithuania closes its border, another day Poland. One day
\nthey are planning to\u00a0build a\u00a0training ground, another day they are planning to\u00a0steal
\nor, as\u00a0you say, rob us of\u00a0our property. Belarus has been affected by\u00a0this, too.
\nMy\u00a0question is, what do you think about the\u00a0actions of\u00a0these \u201cEuropean swine
\nunderlings\u201d? Thank you for\u00a0the\u00a0new diplomatic term. How will Russia respond to\u00a0threats at\u00a0the\u00a0western borders of\u00a0our shared home, the\u00a0Union State? <\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin:<\/b> As\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0term, I\u00a0blurted it out when I\u00a0was talking
\nto\u00a0a\u00a0military audience. I\u00a0did not mean anybody specific. In\u00a0fact, I\u00a0never engage
\nin\u00a0ad hominem attacks. It is not something I\u00a0ever do. I\u00a0was talking about a\u00a0group of\u00a0people in\u00a0general, \u201can\u00a0indefinite number of\u00a0persons,\u201d as\u00a0lawyers say.
\nAnd\u00a0some of\u00a0them may be long gone or\u00a0irrelevant. It is ancient history. But it
\nis unimportant. What is important is our relations. <\/p>\n
I\u00a0watched the\u00a0Belarusian President\u2019s remarks at\u00a0the\u00a0National Assembly yesterday. I\u00a0must congratulate him: it was a\u00a0very emotional,
\nmemorable and\u00a0substantive address. I\u00a0want to\u00a0thank him for\u00a0his review of\u00a0Russia-Belarus
\nrelations in\u00a0their current state. <\/p>\n
As\u00a0concerns security, we deal with these issues both
\non\u00a0a\u00a0bilateral basis and\u00a0within the\u00a0CSTO. You have mentioned Oreshnik. Alexander
\nLukashenko spoke yesterday about the\u00a0deployment of\u00a0Russian tactical nuclear weapons
\nin\u00a0Belarus. We hold regular military exercise and\u00a0have created a\u00a0grouping of\u00a0forces. Our defence ministries maintain very close cooperation. The\u00a0security of\u00a0the\u00a0Union State is in\u00a0safe hands of\u00a0our military and\u00a0it will be guaranteed, there
\nis no doubt. <\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Since we already had Belarus, I\u00a0think that we can invite our guests from NBC to\u00a0ask their question.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Yes, please.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Pass the\u00a0microphone, please.<\/p>\n
Keir Simmons<\/b>: Keir Simmons
\nfrom NBC News. <\/p>\n
Mr President, I\u00a0want to\u00a0ask you about relations
\nwith President Trump and\u00a0the\u00a0United States. <\/p>\n
President Trump has a\u00a0peace deal on\u00a0the\u00a0table.
\nUkraine is offering enormous compromises, yet you continue to\u00a0talk of\u00a0war. <\/p>\n
Mr President, if you reject President Trump\u2019s
\npeace offer, will you be responsible for\u00a0the\u00a0deaths of\u00a0Ukrainians and\u00a0Russians
\nin\u00a02026?<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: We do not believe that we bear any
\nresponsibility for\u00a0human casualties because we were not the\u00a0ones who started
\nthis war. It followed a\u00a0government coup in\u00a0Ukraine\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0unconstitutional
\ngovernment coup in\u00a02014, followed by\u00a0the\u00a0effort by\u00a0the\u00a0leaders of\u00a0the\u00a0Kiev
\nregime to\u00a0unleash combat operations against their own people in\u00a0southeastern
\nUkraine.<\/p>\n
We refrained from recognising the\u00a0Donetsk and\u00a0Lugansk people\u2019s republics as\u00a0independent states for\u00a0quite a\u00a0long time. But
\nwhen we got misled and\u00a0the\u00a0other side failed to\u00a0fulfil the\u00a0Minsk Agreements, we
\nhad no other option left than to\u00a0use our armed forces for\u00a0putting an\u00a0end to\u00a0the\u00a0war unleashed by\u00a0the\u00a0Kiev regime with the\u00a0support of\u00a0Western countries. <\/p>\n
President Trump has been serious about ending
\nthis conflict. He said that he was absolutely sincere in\u00a0his efforts. Moreover,
\nduring the\u00a0meeting with Trump in\u00a0Anchorage, we coordinated and\u00a0came really
\nclose to\u00a0accepting President Trump\u2019s proposals.<\/p>\n
Therefore, it would be totally wrong and\u00a0groundless to\u00a0claim that we reject something.<\/p>\n
During preliminary meetings in\u00a0Moscow, some proposals
\nwere made to\u00a0us, and\u00a0we were asked to\u00a0make certain accommodations. When I\u00a0arrived in\u00a0Anchorage, I\u00a0said that those would be difficult decisions for\u00a0us,
\nbut we are still in\u00a0agreement with this trade-off proposed to\u00a0us.<\/p>\n
So saying that we reject anything is inappropriate
\nand\u00a0groundless. The\u00a0ball is entirely in\u00a0the\u00a0court of\u00a0our Western \u201copponents,\u201d
\nso to\u00a0speak, primarily the\u00a0chiefs of\u00a0the\u00a0Kiev regime and, most importantly,
\ntheir European sponsors. We are ready for\u00a0talks, and\u00a0we are ready to\u00a0conclude
\nthe\u00a0conflict by\u00a0peaceful means.<\/p>\n
Dmitry Peskov<\/b>: Let\u2019s take a\u00a0couple more questions from the\u00a0audience.
\nLet\u2019s continue. <\/p>\n
Thank you very much, thank you. <\/p>\n
Let\u2019s go to\u00a0Belgorod, please.<\/p>\n
Anna Rudchenko<\/b>: Good afternoon, Mr President.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Good afternoon.<\/p>\n
Anna Rudchenko<\/b>: My\u00a0name is Anna Rudchenko, Belgorod State
\nTelevision and\u00a0Radio Company.<\/p>\n
First, I\u00a0have to\u00a0say we would be delighted if
\nyou could find an\u00a0opportunity to\u00a0visit us. We will always welcome you.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Thank you.<\/p>\n
Anna Rudchenko<\/b>: Today, in\u00a0frontline regions like Belgorod, reliable
\ncommunication is one of\u00a0the\u00a0most urgent and\u00a0painful issues. It\u2019s essential for\u00a0attack alerts and\u00a0drone warnings. It allows children to\u00a0continue their
\neducation remotely. And\u00a0for\u00a0some, it\u2019s a\u00a0lifeline. Children with diabetes have
\nglucose sensors connected to\u00a0smartphones so parents can monitor their levels.
\nWithout mobile internet, that system glitches.<\/p>\n
We urge you to\u00a0instruct the\u00a0Government to\u00a0add
\ndiabetic services to\u00a0the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Digital Development\u2019s \u2018whitelists,\u2019 so that
\nthey function without interruption, like the\u00a0Gosuslugi portal, even when mobile
\naccess is restricted.<\/p>\n
And\u00a0one more point. Thanks to\u00a0your decision,
\nresidents of\u00a0border areas are receiving federal compensation for\u00a0homes lost to\u00a0shelling by\u00a0the\u00a0Ukrainian Armed Forces. Thank you very much for\u00a0that.<\/p>\n
But previously, also thanks to\u00a0your decision, compensation
\nwas also provided for\u00a0the\u00a0second lost property. That support has now been
\ndiscontinued. We ask for\u00a0your help in\u00a0resolving this compensation issue.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: One moment, please. Could you clarify the\u00a0second part again?<\/p>\n
Anna Rudchenko<\/b>: It\u2019s about a\u00a0second home. Some people lost
\nboth their parents\u2019 house and\u00a0their own. There aren\u2019t many such families, but
\nthey are suffering. People are relocating from unsafe areas, taking on\u00a0mortgages, and\u00a0the\u00a0state compensation isn\u2019t enough. We ask for\u00a0your help in\u00a0restoring compensation for\u00a0the\u00a0second lost
\nproperty.<\/p>\n
Thank you so much.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Let\u2019s start with where you ended. I\u00a0give you
\nmy\u00a0word, we will certainly review these cases.<\/p>\n
You know, similar issues constantly arise in\u00a0emergency situations\u00a0\u2013 after fires, floods, accidents. Here, the\u00a0circumstances
\nare even more severe. In\u00a0principle, such matters have been addressed in\u00a0disaster relief efforts before. They can be resolved here as\u00a0well, and\u00a0we will
\ndo so. That\u2019s the\u00a0first point.<\/p>\n
Second, regarding services: for\u00a0children\u2019s
\nschooling, for\u00a0monitoring diabetic sensors, and\u00a0so on. As\u00a0I\u00a0understand, the\u00a0issue isn\u2019t access to\u00a0the\u00a0medication itself, but the\u00a0ability to\u00a0monitor whether
\nit\u2019s being taken on\u00a0time. Is that correct?<\/p>\n
Anna Rudchenko<\/b>: When the\u00a0internet is down, the\u00a0sensors don\u2019t
\ntransmit data.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin<\/b>: Yes, yes, I\u00a0understand. Without a\u00a0connection,
\nit\u2019s impossible for\u00a0parents to\u00a0monitor their child\u2019s condition. And\u00a0here, of\u00a0course, we have to\u00a0weigh this against the\u00a0necessary security restrictions,
\nwhich serve to\u00a0minimise the\u00a0risk of\u00a0air and\u00a0drone strikes. Because if the\u00a0servers for\u00a0these services are located abroad, then, regrettable as\u00a0it is, it
\nmakes target acquisition easier for\u00a0the\u00a0enemy. That\u2019s the\u00a0reality we are facing
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
But there are two ways to\u00a0resolve this problem:
\nfirst, to\u00a0migrate to\u00a0domestic software and\u00a0hardware platforms, which many
\nservices are already using. And\u00a0second, we can work with foreign manufacturers
\noperating here to\u00a0negotiate transferring these specific services to\u00a0servers
\nwithin the\u00a0Russian Federation. In\u00a0any case, work must be done on\u00a0both fronts.<\/p>\n
Anna Rudchenko<\/b>: Thank you.<\/p>\n
To\u00a0be continued.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Good afternoon. We are broadcasting live from Moscow. We, Pavel Zarubin\u2026 Pavel Zarubin: \u2026 and\u00a0Yekaterina Berezovskaya\u2026…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":458438,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[50,5207,110477,103],"class_list":{"0":"post-458437","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-news","9":"tag-president","10":"tag-transcripts","11":"tag-world"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115748010030107468","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=458437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458437\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/458438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=458437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=458437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=458437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}