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Version 4 Version 5
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)
12.12pm GMT
12:12
Will Putin stand again as president? This comes from Andrey Kolesnikov, celebrated correspondent for the Kommersant newspaper. Russia’s next election is due 2018. It would surprise no-one if Putin did stand for a fourth presidential term.
Putin says he’ll look at the state of the world and Russia, have a think and then decide. This sounds to me like a yes.
12.08pm GMT
12:08
Putin expresses condolences to the victims of Monday's terror attack in Berlin
Ah! A question in German. Putin speaks German fluently from his time as a KGB spy in Dresden. What does he make of the terror attack in Berlin? And the death yesterday aged 80 of Stalin’s grandson Yevgeny Dzhugashvili?
Putin talks about Russia’s relations with Germany. Russia hasn’t started anything and is merely responding to “anti-Russian sanctions”, he says. He asks: “Let’s look at what actually happened.” [He’s referring to events in Ukraine in 2014, which saw president Viktor Yanukovich flees to Russia following anti-government protests.]
He says Russia was merely responding to the “tragedy in the Donbas” in eastern Ukraine. “We didn’t initiate these events,” he repeats. “We don’t consider ourselves to be the guilty parties.
He sends his condolences to the victims of Monday’s terror attack in Berlin. He says western spy agencies have stopped cooperating with their Russian counterparts, making terrorism easier.
12.01pm GMT
12:01
It’s a “tough question” now. A lot of your friends have been given influential jobs and got state awards. They have become regional governors across Russia, one journalist says, citing various examples. “Did you do this specially?”, he asks.
The question is indeed a good one: many of Putin’s old school-friends and cronies from St Petersburg are now billionaires (though the journalist doesn’t mention this.) Putin says he’s appointed these people for the good of Russia. They are effective, energetic and reliable, he says.
11.49am GMT
11:49
Now it’s the turn of Lenta.Ru, an online news portal. (Its editor was fired after printing an interview with a Ukrainian ultra-nationalist, in a blow to Russia’s already squeezed independent media.) The question is rather disappointing, about the treatment of animals.
Not everyone is finding this scintillating:
Putin's big annual press conference. Hour one. pic.twitter.com/HxD7AlWwN5
Shaun Walker isn’t having a great time, either:
At 2hrs48, Putin presser approaching the length of two football matches. My laptop has 40% power left & frankly I'd back VVP to outlast it.
11.49am GMT
11:49
11.45am GMT
11:45
And now an interesting question from a Kurdish journalist. Russia is playing a big role in the world, especially in the Middle East. What does Russia think about the fact that Iraqi Kurds are on the way to independence?
Putin says Russia has always had a very good relationship with the Kurds. They’ve had a tough destiny, he says. He says the Kurds have fought very effectively against terrorism. On sovereignty, Putin says everything must be done according to international law. What happens next is up to Iraq and the Kurds, he adds.
11.42am GMT
11:42
Putin gets a question from the North Caucasus. This is Russia’s Muslim south where a largely unreported war has been going on between Islamist rebels and federal and local security forces. The area has suffered from “international terrorism”. Should the term “Islamic State” be banned? Putin doesn’t agree.
He moves onto another question about Russia’s road-building programme in the north of the country. Roads are an old favourite at these events. A good transport system is important, Putin says.
11.36am GMT11.36am GMT
11:3611:36
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.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 GMT11.31am GMT
11:3111:31
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.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.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 GMT11.28am GMT
11:2811:28
11.26am GMT11.26am GMT
11:2611:26
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?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”.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: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?”Brilliant, cutting, unscripted question fm @RT_com: “Americans talk abt democracy more than anyone, and now they complain. Am I right, VV?”
11.20am GMT11.20am GMT
11:2011:20
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: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 oneI 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
11:03
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.
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:
Almost two hours into the Putin presser. Putin talking about coal. Still waiting for traditional questions from completely insane people.
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
10:24