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| Putin press conference: don't blame me for Democrats' election loss – live | Putin press conference: don't blame me for Democrats' election loss – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.55am GMT | |
| 10:55 | |
| 10.53am GMT | |
| 10:53 | |
| Here’s Shaun Walker’s latest analysis: | |
| “Putin was pretty vicious on the Democrats, which is not surprising given the way bilateral relations have been over the past years. Now that Obama is leaving office, Putin can finally say everything he thinks. He portrayed all the accusations of Russian interference as sour grapes from bad losers.” | |
| “Putin gave another denial that Russia was behind the hacking of the Democrats, and said Trump was quite right to say it could have been any other country or individual. He declined to say whether recent US claims that Obama personally asked him to stop hacking were true.” | |
| “And, in classic Putin fashion, after denying everything, he gave a little wink-nudge nugget just to muddy the waters: “Nobody believed he’d win. Except us, of course. We always believed.” | |
| 10.48am GMT | |
| 10:48 | |
| Relations with Turkey will continue following ambassador's murder, Putin says | |
| We’re now on Turkey and its relations with Russia. The question follows the murder on Monday in Ankara of Russia’s envoy to Turkey, Andrei Karlov. | |
| Putin calls Karlov’s killing “a tragedy”. It was an attack on Russia and on Turkish-Russian relations, he says. Putin says ties will continue and says it recent months the two countries have found compromises. He says Turkey has a “huge role” to play in what happens in Aleppo. Russia has carried out a “major humanitarian action” in Aleppo, he claims. No mention of civilian casualties. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.50am GMT | |
| 10.41am GMT | |
| 10:41 | |
| It’s worth following the BBC’s Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg, who asked the best question so far on Russian hacking of the US election. Here’s Steve’s translation of Putin’s answer: | |
| Replying to my question on US election hacking allegations, Vladimir Putin says: "The losing side always tries to pass the buck" | |
| 10.39am GMT | |
| 10:39 | |
| After the fascinating exchanges on Trump, we’ve now moved onto Ukraine. What’s happening with the peace process there? How are negotiations going with the leaders of France and Germany? Putin takes a second question from a Ukrainian journalist asking if the Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko - arrested in Russia - can be freed? “Russians are occupiers for us,” he says. | |
| Putin says that Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko has suggesting swapping prisoners one for one. He agrees with this. He adds that journalists should concentrate on doing journalism. “Nobody wants to arrest journalists doing their job”. He refers to the case of film director Oleg Sentsov and says he’s been convicted by a court of terrorist activity. | |
| 10.29am GMT | |
| 10:29 | |
| Putin is now talking about the environment. Russia needs to look after its forests, he says. If we don’t do this major cities and green areas will suffer. | |
| 10.24am GMT | 10.24am GMT |
| 10:24 | 10:24 |
| 10.23am GMT | 10.23am GMT |
| 10:23 | 10:23 |
| Russia's president says he didn't hack the US election | Russia's president says he didn't hack the US election |
| On hacking the US election, Putin says that he won’t reveal his private conversations with Obama. He says: “Losers always look for ways to accuse someone else. The always forget the most important thing. Let’s say some hackers hacked Democratic emails. As Trump said: “Who knows who did it?” | On hacking the US election, Putin says that he won’t reveal his private conversations with Obama. He says: “Losers always look for ways to accuse someone else. The always forget the most important thing. Let’s say some hackers hacked Democratic emails. As Trump said: “Who knows who did it?” |
| Putin repeats Trump’s comments that “maybe it was some guy sitting on a couch who did it”. He says that “the truth came out”. We discovered that the Democrats were manipulating the election to help Hillary Clinton and hurt Bernie Sanders, Putin says. | Putin repeats Trump’s comments that “maybe it was some guy sitting on a couch who did it”. He says that “the truth came out”. We discovered that the Democrats were manipulating the election to help Hillary Clinton and hurt Bernie Sanders, Putin says. |
| Putin says it’s not important who hacked the emails. What’s important is what they revealed, he insists | Putin says it’s not important who hacked the emails. What’s important is what they revealed, he insists |
| 10.18am GMT | 10.18am GMT |
| 10:18 | 10:18 |
| Putin says Russia not to blame for increasing nuclear tensions | Putin says Russia not to blame for increasing nuclear tensions |
| Putin says that the US created conditions for a new arms race when it withdrew from the ABM treaty. Russia simply responded to what America did. “We don’t violate anything. We are in line with our obligations as to the number of our warheads.” US inspectors visited a site recently, Putin says. “It wasn’t us. They did it.” He says Russia’s system is highly effective which is why the US is “anxious” to improve its systems. Countries including the UK have also been upgrading nuclear weapons. | Putin says that the US created conditions for a new arms race when it withdrew from the ABM treaty. Russia simply responded to what America did. “We don’t violate anything. We are in line with our obligations as to the number of our warheads.” US inspectors visited a site recently, Putin says. “It wasn’t us. They did it.” He says Russia’s system is highly effective which is why the US is “anxious” to improve its systems. Countries including the UK have also been upgrading nuclear weapons. |
| Putin says: “If someone is stimulating a nuclear arms race it’s not us.” | Putin says: “If someone is stimulating a nuclear arms race it’s not us.” |
| 10.15am GMT | 10.15am GMT |
| 10:15 | 10:15 |
| Steve Rosenberg from the BBC asks about Russian hacking of the US presidential election. He speaks in English. Did Putin interfere? Big moment. | Steve Rosenberg from the BBC asks about Russian hacking of the US presidential election. He speaks in English. Did Putin interfere? Big moment. |
| 10.11am GMT | 10.11am GMT |
| 10:11 | 10:11 |
| 10.10am GMT | 10.10am GMT |
| 10:10 | 10:10 |
| Next a question on Russian doping. Is the situation improving? Should Wada - the organisation which said the Kremlin was guilty of state-sponsored doping - be reformed? Is the World Anti-Doping Agency political? | Next a question on Russian doping. Is the situation improving? Should Wada - the organisation which said the Kremlin was guilty of state-sponsored doping - be reformed? Is the World Anti-Doping Agency political? |
| Putin says there is no state doping programme in Russia. He says like any other country there are problems with doping. Russia should work closely with the International Olympic Commitee and with WADA. He says Russian prosecutors are investigating doping. | Putin says there is no state doping programme in Russia. He says like any other country there are problems with doping. Russia should work closely with the International Olympic Commitee and with WADA. He says Russian prosecutors are investigating doping. |
| Putin says he can’t remember the name of the person who fled to the US. (This is Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, who passed evidence to the authorities of Kremlin-backed doping.) Putin suggests Rodchenkov had “patrons” in the US and suggests that his allegations were part of a conspiracy. Wada has been extremely secretive and not transparent, Putin claims. “Sport should be separate from geo-politics,” he says. | Putin says he can’t remember the name of the person who fled to the US. (This is Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, who passed evidence to the authorities of Kremlin-backed doping.) Putin suggests Rodchenkov had “patrons” in the US and suggests that his allegations were part of a conspiracy. Wada has been extremely secretive and not transparent, Putin claims. “Sport should be separate from geo-politics,” he says. |
| 10.05am GMT | 10.05am GMT |
| 10:05 | 10:05 |
| That was Putin’s most interesting answer so far. Putin said nothing about the allegation, made by US intelligence officials, that Kremlin hackers stole and published Democratic emails in order to help Trump. | That was Putin’s most interesting answer so far. Putin said nothing about the allegation, made by US intelligence officials, that Kremlin hackers stole and published Democratic emails in order to help Trump. |
| Here are what journalists are saying about Putin’s comments on Trump: | Here are what journalists are saying about Putin’s comments on Trump: |
| Trump "understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him, except us," says Putin to more applause. | Trump "understood the mood of the people and kept going until the end, when nobody believed in him, except us," says Putin to more applause. |
| Putin: Dems are "losing on every front and looking for people to blame everywhere. They need to learn to lose with dignity." | Putin: Dems are "losing on every front and looking for people to blame everywhere. They need to learn to lose with dignity." |
| Putin on Trump: "Right up to the end, nobody believed he would win, except us." *applause* | Putin on Trump: "Right up to the end, nobody believed he would win, except us." *applause* |
| 10.00am GMT | 10.00am GMT |
| 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Putin says he's not to blame for the failures of the Democrats in US | Putin says he's not to blame for the failures of the Democrats in US |
| A question on international affairs. The world is undergoing a fundamental change. People are voting against the old ideas of political elites. There’s been Brexit in 2016, the victory of Donald Trump. Have you discussed these changes? Is it true that 37% of Republican voters in the US like you? Are you the most influential man in the world? ... | A question on international affairs. The world is undergoing a fundamental change. People are voting against the old ideas of political elites. There’s been Brexit in 2016, the victory of Donald Trump. Have you discussed these changes? Is it true that 37% of Republican voters in the US like you? Are you the most influential man in the world? ... |
| This is pretty fawning stuff. | This is pretty fawning stuff. |
| Putin says the Democrats are trying to find a scapegoat for their failures. They lost the Congress and the Senate. “Am I to blame?” Putin asks. He says the Obama administration has systemic problems. The fact that many Republican voters support Moscow is not down to him. It’s because they have the same ideas about the world order. “They are people who share our traditional values”. | Putin says the Democrats are trying to find a scapegoat for their failures. They lost the Congress and the Senate. “Am I to blame?” Putin asks. He says the Obama administration has systemic problems. The fact that many Republican voters support Moscow is not down to him. It’s because they have the same ideas about the world order. “They are people who share our traditional values”. |
| He says that Reagan would “not roll in his grave” at Trump but would be happy at his victory. “Certainly only we knew that he was going to win. No-one else did,” Putin says to applause. Roosevelt united the nation but the Obama administration split the nation. “It’s a humiliation for them,” Putin says of the Democrats. He says he wants a “business-like relationship” with the Trump government. | He says that Reagan would “not roll in his grave” at Trump but would be happy at his victory. “Certainly only we knew that he was going to win. No-one else did,” Putin says to applause. Roosevelt united the nation but the Obama administration split the nation. “It’s a humiliation for them,” Putin says of the Democrats. He says he wants a “business-like relationship” with the Trump government. |
| 9.53am GMT | 9.53am GMT |
| 09:53 | 09:53 |
| 9.51am GMT | 9.51am GMT |
| 09:51 | 09:51 |
| So we’re now moving onto Crimea, the territory Putin invaded and annexed in 2014. How is Crimea integrating into the Russian economy? The peninsula has problems with energy resources? | So we’re now moving onto Crimea, the territory Putin invaded and annexed in 2014. How is Crimea integrating into the Russian economy? The peninsula has problems with energy resources? |
| Putin talks about the bridge being built across the Kerch strait between mainland Russia and Crimea. It’s up to Crimeans to give it a name, he says. He says that he hopes one day Russia will normalise its relations with Ukraine. He admits legally and economically integration has been tougher than he expected. | Putin talks about the bridge being built across the Kerch strait between mainland Russia and Crimea. It’s up to Crimeans to give it a name, he says. He says that he hopes one day Russia will normalise its relations with Ukraine. He admits legally and economically integration has been tougher than he expected. |
| Shaun tweets this: | Shaun tweets this: |
| Q from Crimea - What should we call the bridge? - It's not for me to come up with a name, I came up with idea to build it.[applause] | Q from Crimea - What should we call the bridge? - It's not for me to come up with a name, I came up with idea to build it.[applause] |
| 9.44am GMT | 9.44am GMT |
| 09:44 | 09:44 |
| OK! The Wall Street Journal is next. It’s Nathan Hodge. Will there be a presidential election next year? Putin jokes: “Which country”? Hodge: “Russia”. Putin: “It’s possible but not expedient.” Everyone laughs at this exchange. | OK! The Wall Street Journal is next. It’s Nathan Hodge. Will there be a presidential election next year? Putin jokes: “Which country”? Hodge: “Russia”. Putin: “It’s possible but not expedient.” Everyone laughs at this exchange. |
| Hodge asks about strengthening nuclear forces. Putin asks him to clarify what exactly what he means. Hodge says Trump has said he wants to strengthen them. Putin says there’s nothing new about the president-elect’s comments. “To be honest I’m a bit surprised by the officials of the Obama administration. They started to prove that the US army is the most powerful in the world. Nobody challenges that. I said that Russia is stronger than any potential aggressor.” | Hodge asks about strengthening nuclear forces. Putin asks him to clarify what exactly what he means. Hodge says Trump has said he wants to strengthen them. Putin says there’s nothing new about the president-elect’s comments. “To be honest I’m a bit surprised by the officials of the Obama administration. They started to prove that the US army is the most powerful in the world. Nobody challenges that. I said that Russia is stronger than any potential aggressor.” |
| Putin says he didn’t use the word “aggressor” accidentally. Why? Because we upgraded our armed forces, and because of our history and geography. He says it’s no secret that “we have overhauled our nuclear capabilities”. Russia has ground and sea based missiles. Plus new submarines and aircraft systems. | Putin says he didn’t use the word “aggressor” accidentally. Why? Because we upgraded our armed forces, and because of our history and geography. He says it’s no secret that “we have overhauled our nuclear capabilities”. Russia has ground and sea based missiles. Plus new submarines and aircraft systems. |