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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) | |
11.36am GMT | |
11:36 | |
We’ve been going for two-and-a-half hours now and my neck is beginning to hurt. Putin is talking about Crimea again. He says he will step up electricity production to the peninsula, which has suffered from shortages and blackouts. His audience applauds. | |
11.31am GMT | |
11:31 | |
The later stages of Putin’s press conferences can go anywhere, frankly. Putin is now talking about chess. He says Russia can be proud of its chess players and its specialist chess schools. The chess centre in Sochi - scene of Russia’s 2014 Winter Olympics - is doing good things, he says. | |
Putin praises Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian world number one and winner of this month’s Fide world championship in New York. Carlsen was playing against the Crimean-born and Russian-affiliated challenger Sergey Karjakin. | |
11.28am GMT | |
11:28 | |
11.26am GMT | |
11:26 | |
Now something from RT, the Kremlin’s international propaganda channel! Americans love to talk about democracy. Now people think the recent US election wasn’t democratic at all. What does Putin think? | |
Putin says the US electoral system is “archaic” and “unfair” but that ultimately this is a matter for the American people. He says America is “a great country”. | |
Oliver Carroll of the Moscow Times is unimpressed with this question: | |
Brilliant, cutting, unscripted question fm @RT_com: “Americans talk abt democracy more than anyone, and now they complain. Am I right, VV?” | |
11.20am GMT | |
11:20 | |
One of the most amusing commentators on Twitter is @DarthPutinKGB, a parody account that pokes fun at Russia’s leader. After a somewhat slow start this morning he’s just tweeted this: | |
I like when journalists ask me multiple questions. That way I can ignore the awkward one, joke about the easy one and lie about the hard one | |
11.17am GMT | |
11:17 | |
We’re now talking about the European Union and the 2010 crash in Smolensk, Russia, which killed 96 people including the Polish president, Lech Kaczyński. The government in Warsaw has blamed Moscow for the disaster. | |
Putin says this is wrong. He says: “I personally read the transcript of the conversation between the pilot and the president.” [Kaczyński insisted the pilot land even though the runway was shrouded in fog, it’s been claimed.] Putin says: “It was a terrible tragedy. We’re doing everything we can to investigate. Don’t use this to spoil bilateral relations.” | |
Putin denies that he wants a weak Europe. “We want a reliable, strong & independent partner,” he says. | |
Updated | |
at 11.18am GMT | |
11.11am GMT | |
11:11 | |
And now a question from Ufa, capital of the republic of Bashkortostan. The journalist thanks Putin “for everything you have done”. “We agree with you,” he says. He talks about the “information war” against Russia. He says western consulting firms are working in Russia. There are lots of “foreign agents” out there, he says. | |
This question not exactly spontaneous, methinks. | |
Putin says the question of western rating agencies is not straightforward. (They’ve marked down Russia’s economy.) He says they should work properly and transparently. | |
Here’s Shaun again: | |
Long rambling Q to Putin that boils down to: We love you, we won the war, why are foreign consulting companies allowed to work in Russia? | |
11.03am GMT | 11.03am GMT |
11:03 | 11:03 |
We’re now on mining. There’s a question from the Kuzbass region about Russia’s coal industry. (Kuzbass is one of the biggest coal-mining areas in the world, in south-west Siberia.) Putin says coal should play as important a role in Russia as oil and gas. | We’re now on mining. There’s a question from the Kuzbass region about Russia’s coal industry. (Kuzbass is one of the biggest coal-mining areas in the world, in south-west Siberia.) Putin says coal should play as important a role in Russia as oil and gas. |
He turns next to the price of oil and its implications for Russia’s budget. A $10 difference in oil price means 3.7 trillion roubles more or less for the budget, he points out. | He turns next to the price of oil and its implications for Russia’s budget. A $10 difference in oil price means 3.7 trillion roubles more or less for the budget, he points out. |
Some of the reporters in the audience are getting a bit restless. This from the FT’s long-suffering Max Seddon: | Some of the reporters in the audience are getting a bit restless. This from the FT’s long-suffering Max Seddon: |
Almost two hours into the Putin presser. Putin talking about coal. Still waiting for traditional questions from completely insane people. | Almost two hours into the Putin presser. Putin talking about coal. Still waiting for traditional questions from completely insane people. |
10.55am GMT | 10.55am GMT |
10:55 | 10:55 |
10.53am GMT | 10.53am GMT |
10:53 | 10:53 |
Here’s Shaun Walker’s latest analysis: | 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 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.” | “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.” | “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 | 10.48am GMT |
10:48 | 10:48 |
Relations with Turkey will continue following ambassador's murder, Putin says | 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. | 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. | 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 | Updated |
at 10.50am GMT | at 10.50am GMT |
10.41am GMT | 10.41am GMT |
10:41 | 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: | 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" | Replying to my question on US election hacking allegations, Vladimir Putin says: "The losing side always tries to pass the buck" |
10.39am GMT | 10.39am GMT |
10:39 | 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. | 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. | 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 | 10.29am GMT |
10:29 | 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. | 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 |