Brendan Cole
"They should not act from a position of strength, dictate imperial ambitions," Putin said.
Vladimir Putin promised the Russian people that the
beleaguered economy would bounce back, and brandished his country's
credentials in overseas conflicts, such as Syria, in his annual marathon
call-in show on 14 April.
Ahead of the tightly scripted and rehearsed show, the Kremlin said
that more than one million questions had been sent in to the president
with the ones finally aired ranging from potholed Russian roads to ties
with Turkey.
The faltering economy, due to lower oil prices, will be an
issue for the Russian parliamentary elections in September. In response
to concerns over high inflation, poor public services and wage arrears,
he said: "I share your concerns in nearly 100% of cases. We'll work
together so that your problems are relieved."
During the three hour 40 minute session, he said that Syrian government forces,
with Russia's support, had enjoyed some gains in Syria despite Russia's
drawdown of troops – and was optimistic that the truce brokered by
Moscow and the US would help peace talks in Geneva.
Putin said that despite poor relations between Moscow and Ankara, after it shot down a
Russian warplane in November, he said Turkey was a friendly nation and
it only had "problems with some politicians who have behaved
improperly".
Putin also said that information from the Panama Papers revelations, implicating his friend and cellist Sergei Roldugin, with cash flows of up to $2bn (£1.4bn) "was correct".
"I have the feeling that it was prepared not by journalists but by
lawyers, given the way it is presented. And it doesn't actually accuse
anyone of anything, and that's the whole point.
"They are just trying to cause confusion, saying that some
of my friends are involved in business, and suggesting that some of the
money from these offshore accounts finds its way to officials, including
the president."
Putin also praised US President Barack Obama as "decent" for
admitting to failures over the US intervention in Libya, and he asked
that foreign powers should treat Russia as an equal partner."They should not act from a position of strength, dictate imperial ambitions," Putin said.
He was asked by a
12-year-old if who he would save if Turkish President Tayyip ErdoÄŸan and
Ukraine's pro-Western leader Petro Poroshenko were both drowning in
front of him.
"If someone has decided to drown, then it's already
impossible to save them. But we are of course ready to extend a helping
hand, a hand of friendship, to any partner of ours that itself wants
that help," Putin said
Post a Comment