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Vladimir Putin's annual press conference – live updates Putin press conference: don't blame me for Democrats' election loss – live
(35 minutes later)
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
10:24
10.23am GMT
10:23
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?”
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
10.18am GMT
10:18
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: “If someone is stimulating a nuclear arms race it’s not us.”
10.15am GMT
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.
10.11am GMT
10:11
10.10am GMT
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?
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.
10.05am GMT
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.
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.
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*
10.00am GMT
10:00
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? ...
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”.
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 GMT9.53am GMT
09:5309:53
9.51am GMT9.51am GMT
09:5109:51
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 GMT9.44am GMT
09:4409:44
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.
9.39am GMT
09:39
A Kremlin pool journalist is up next. He asks about western sanctions on Russia. Putin says he thinks the price of oil next year will be $40 a barrel. This has implications for the Russian budget. “We have money for the social security programme,” he says. In 2011 2.7% of GDP was spent on defence. This expenditure has since gone up. In 2016 it was 4.7%, Putin says, adding that he expects this figure to go down again.
Shaun Walker has tweeted this on the previous question about the murder of Boris Nemtsov. He notes there’s no opportunity to hit Putin with a follow-up:
Putin evasive on whether suspect & Kadyrov associate Geremeyev will be forced to appear at Nemtsov trial. Beauty of format: no follow-up Q.
Updated
at 9.52am GMT
9.32am GMT
09:32
The liberal radio station Echo of Moscow now has a question. It’s about corruption. He mentions the case of Alexey Ulakayev, recently fired from the economics ministry. He also asks about the investigation into the murder of Boris Nemtsov, the opposition politician gunned down in 2015 300 metres away from the Kremlin.
Putin says he’s been following these high-profile cases closely. He supports the investigators who are trying to find the people responsible. On corruption done by officials, he says “this happens in our country”.
He mentions Alexei Karlov, the Russian ambassador killed this week in Ankara, and says Russia will find out who was responsible. Putin says he didn’t speak to Ulakayev but says the evidence gathered “was enough to dismiss him”. He won’t speculate further ahead of a court case.
9.28am GMT
09:28
Elena from Tatarstan has a question. She says Russia has a lot of problems with its banks. Her region has been affected. Sometimes they go bankrupt and people don’t get their money. Any plans to fix this?
Putin talks about the policy of Russia’s Central Bank. He says it’s correct. There should be different requirements for big and small banks.
My colleague Shaun Walker already seems a little weary. He’s tweeted this:
. @Republic_Mag says Putin's agricultural figures are better than the ones Medvedev gave a week ago. A week is a long time in farming etc.
Updated
at 9.52am GMT
9.22am GMT
09:22
Alexander wants to know more about Russia’s economic growth. He says the world is going through “technological changes”. It seems “we are behind other countries, quite significantly”. Is this right? Putin says Russia is investing in technology. We export $14bn worth of weapons and $7bn in IT, he says. The country is a world leader in certain areas such as the defence industry and nuclear technology. “We saw a real boom,” Putin tells journalists.
Pretty clear that the questions so far – all of them on domestic stuff – are following a pre-arranged script. We should get more some more newsworthy lines a little later, once the conversation moves onto international affairs.
Updated
at 9.52am GMT
9.16am GMT
09:16
The second question is about agriculture. Marina, holding a yellow poster, wants to know about subsidies for farm machinery. Will there be any more money for this sector? Putin sees “positive developments” here too. He says the government shouldn’t subsidise the industry permanently.
9.13am GMT
09:13
Putin is still talking about the economy, saying he’s “optimistic about the future”. Shaun Walker points out that these press conferences can go on for a long time. He writes:
“The longest was in 2008 (4 hours and 40 minutes) and in 2012 (4 hours 33 minutes). But in recent years they have become somewhat shorter, last year’s was only three and a half hours.”
9.08am GMT
09:08
Putin is being asked about the Russian economy. It’s been a turbulent year, a journalist asks him. The president says that “everything is relative” and “we have to look at macro-economic indicators”. GDP was down last year by 3.8%, Putin says, but predicts the fall in 2017 will be 1%. In short, the economy is “developing positively”
Updated
at 9.51am GMT
9.04am GMT
09:04
And we’re off! Vladimir Putin has arrived
9.00am GMT
09:00
Shaun Walker
My colleague Shaun Walker is in place and ready to go. He sends this from Moscow:
The press conference usually includes a mixture of carefully scripted pre-arranged questions and off-the-cuff wild cards which Putin himself picks from the signs which journalists bring to wave in the hope of getting his attention. So far I’ve seen a “Gifted Children” sign, a “Save our Volga!” sign, and an “Irkutsk: boyaryshnik” sign referencing the horrendous tragedy in the city last week when over 70 people died from ingesting high-alcohol bath tincture. Oh and a sign with a full colour image of Putin as Superman.
8.40am GMT
08:40
Opening summary
Yes, it’s that time of year again. Not Christmas, or last-minute festive shopping, but Vladimir Putin’s annual blockbuster press conference. The event has become one of the highlights of his presidency and - at three hours plus - a macho display of the president’s ironman stamina.
Some 1400 journalists are accredited to this year’s conference in Moscow. It was delayed for a day to allow Putin to attend the funeral on Thursday of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, shot dead in Ankara this week.
Putin will undoubtedly talk about the major themes of the year: Syria, Ukraine, the election of Donald Trump, and whether Russian hackers helped Trump triumph. Plus terrorism, nuclear weapons, the ambassador’s murder, and Monday’s truck terror attack in Berlin. Putin’s spin doctor has already dismissed the hacking claim as ridiculous.
There will also be questions on bread-and-butter issues for ordinary Russians. Practically everyone agrees that 2016 has been an annus mirabilis for Putin. Everything the Kremlin might have wished took place: Brexit; the defeat of Hillary Clinton and Syrian rebels in Aleppo; victory for pro-Russian candidates in European elections. Putin’s only bad moment came in April when an international consortium of journalists revealed that Putin’s best friend - a cellist called Sergei Roldugin - had $2bn in secret offshore accounts.
I’ll be live-blogging Putin’s press conference. The Guardian’s Moscow correspondent Shaun Walker will be inside Moscow’s world trade centre watching it unfold live. It’s been a while since the Guardian got to ask a question but maybe 2016 is our year? You can follow Shaun on Twitter. I’ll be posting a mixture of reaction and analysis, and the odd joke.
Updated
at 9.11am GMT