Putin’s Yearly Press Conference 2020

Right after 4 hours and 30 minutes, Putin’s news convention finishes…. and then he proceeds answering issues from a scaled-down team of Tv cameras.

Subsequent concern is from Izvestia. States 2020 has been a quite tricky calendar year for all people and asks what thoughts Putin has felt most this year and what feelings does he want for Russians in 2021.

Putin claims each individual calendar year has a whole lot of issues that have to be dealt with, and every single 12 months has a good deal of joys and achievements. Admits that 2020 was tricky, but states that has been regular due to the fact the 1990s for Russia. The 1990s ended up significantly even worse for Russia, Putin claims.

States that the foundations of Russian statehood, the financial system, the abilities of the state are substantially larger now than they ended up in the 1990s. Russia has numerous extra instruments for motion now than it did then and is doing the job to realize its strategic ambitions.

For New Year’s wishes, Putin says he’ll toast his family members, good friends, and colleagues. The principal toast in Putin’s family members is always the identical one, he states: “To Russia!”

Putin then announces a payment of 5,000 rubles (about $70) for every relatives with a youngster beneath the age of 7. He many thanks everyone for listening for 4 1/2 several hours and suggests it was a fantastic enjoyment for him.

The push conference ends.

Peskov calls on a journalist from Iceland. Journalist praises Putin for keeping this kind of an function. Says it is great and democratic when a chief responses inquiries right. Needs Putin happy holidays.

The journalist stresses that men and women in the West adore Russia, but only the BBC and other Western journalists make up items about Putin. Many thanks anyone for the celebration and wishes Putin fantastic health and fitness. Does not even talk to a question.

Upcoming question is about assistance for compact enterprise for the duration of the pandemic. Asks no matter if subsequent year little companies can depend on more assistance.

Putin notes that he now enumerated all the actions the government has already taken to assist small companies.

Requested about the dwindling range of arms regulate treaties, Putin responds by 1) blaming the United States for pulling out of quite a few of individuals treaties, and 2) listing various of the new Russian weapons that the army has rolled out in new decades.

(paraphrase)

We’re currently in an arms race, it transpired following the U.S. withdrew from the ABM treaty (which was practically 20 a long time ago). We ended up forced to establish new weapons, like the hypersonic Avangard missile, as a end result.

The final, and biggest, nuclear arms-command treaty capping the arsenals of the United States and Russia is New Start out, and it is established to expire in February.

Putin echoed earlier statements that Moscow wishes to prolong the treaty, with no preconditions, possibly for a yr or right up until its mentioned conclude in 2026.

The United States has specified blended messages. President Donald Trump’s administration, which pulled out of both equally the Intermediate Selection Nuclear Forces treaty, and the Open up Skies treaty, at first required to bring China into the treaty. But when that appeared unrealistic, it proposed prolonging New Start, and also capping nonstrategic nuclear weapons, which Russia has a much larger selection of.

At this stage, it appears the talks on maintain, given the final results of the U.S. presidential election.

President-elect Joe Biden has signaled a willingness to lengthen the treaty without ailments.

Very same journalist from Rostov Oblast asks Putin a in depth problem about the firing of the editor of a local condition-controlled newspaper.

Putin answers by stating the cost-free press is necessary for a balanced civil modern society. Putin claims he’ll converse with the governor about the problem.

“In the fifth hour of the press conference, a issue about animal husbandry.”

Future query is from a journalist from Rostov Oblast. Notes that this yr there was a report harvest, but people are upset mainly because meals price ranges are mounting. Asks why this is taking place? Asks whether Russia is exporting far too a lot.

Putin notes that he by now answered this concern. Suggests that selling prices are increasing in Russia simply because producers are exporting more because selling prices are larger overseas. States this is specially a difficulty for sugar and cooking oil. Suggests the governing administration has mistakenly been de facto subsidizing exports.

Repeats that he expects this to be corrected within the coming weeks by increased export duties.