14:32
17.4.2014
Question about Putin's "inner circle" who have been hit by sanctions.
Putin: Those people are my close friends. They earned their capital before we knew each other. They have nothing to do with Crimea.
Says one friend, Timchenko, couldn't pay for his wife's surgery because he couldn't get money from his bank account.
More on how sanctions affect Putin's inner circle here.
Putin: Those people are my close friends. They earned their capital before we knew each other. They have nothing to do with Crimea.
Says one friend, Timchenko, couldn't pay for his wife's surgery because he couldn't get money from his bank account.
More on how sanctions affect Putin's inner circle here.
14:29
17.4.2014
We won't stay in international structures if they can't demonstrate their independence. But we won't withdraw. There will be no "self-isolation."
14:27
17.4.2014
Utilities
Question from pensioner in Chelyabinsk: thanks for taking my call but why are you forcing the poor people who are already poor to pay more for utilities.
Putin: We need to deal with the types of proplems you described. It's a common practice of companies to either be inefficient or steal money through meter manipulation.
Question from pensioner in Chelyabinsk: thanks for taking my call but why are you forcing the poor people who are already poor to pay more for utilities.
Putin: We need to deal with the types of proplems you described. It's a common practice of companies to either be inefficient or steal money through meter manipulation.
14:08
17.4.2014
14:03
17.4.2014
Translation:
Vladimir Putin: Odessa wasn't a part of Ukraine until the 1920s.
On the other hand, in Odessa...
Apparently though, this picture is actually from April 1.
Vladimir Putin: Odessa wasn't a part of Ukraine until the 1920s.
On the other hand, in Odessa...
Apparently though, this picture is actually from April 1.
14:00
17.4.2014
On Tatars
Putin: Crimean Tatars really suffered in the Soviet Union. We have to do everything to ensure they're integrated into the Russian Federation and that their lawful rights can be restored.
Quotes Catherine the Great saying their full rights would be respected. "This was a wise policy."
Putin: Crimean Tatars really suffered in the Soviet Union. We have to do everything to ensure they're integrated into the Russian Federation and that their lawful rights can be restored.
Quotes Catherine the Great saying their full rights would be respected. "This was a wise policy."
13:58
17.4.2014
Putin also says it wouldn't be worth it because it would be too cold and they'd have to pay people more.
13:56
17.4.2014
Putin on potential for oil/gas sanctions
Q: What happens if West refuses to buy gas from Russia?
Putin: Main revenues come from oil. Far more than from gas. Oil is sold international in global markets.
On oil
Can they [the west] hurt us? They will try. But the question is how. If the price of oil goes below $90 a barrel Saudi Arabia will have budget problems, but for us we'll be okay until $85. We have good relations with Riyadh and they wouldn't allow that.
It's not that they like us, but they have their own interests.
"They really want to bight us but their opportunities are limited."
On Gas
Can Europe stop buying Russian gas? I think it's impossible.
Will they make themselves bleed? That's hard to imagine. Of course, everyone wants to diversify their supply. We also have been talking about this.
There's only one problem. Those who transit our gas. On Ukraine, it's very difficult to negotiate our energy.
Q: What happens if West refuses to buy gas from Russia?
Putin: Main revenues come from oil. Far more than from gas. Oil is sold international in global markets.
On oil
Can they [the west] hurt us? They will try. But the question is how. If the price of oil goes below $90 a barrel Saudi Arabia will have budget problems, but for us we'll be okay until $85. We have good relations with Riyadh and they wouldn't allow that.
It's not that they like us, but they have their own interests.
"They really want to bight us but their opportunities are limited."
On Gas
Can Europe stop buying Russian gas? I think it's impossible.
Will they make themselves bleed? That's hard to imagine. Of course, everyone wants to diversify their supply. We also have been talking about this.
There's only one problem. Those who transit our gas. On Ukraine, it's very difficult to negotiate our energy.
13:49
17.4.2014
Q: My wife, who's a teacher said that her salary would be reduced because of needs of Crimea. Is this true?
Putin: We have no need to cut any other social programs that we have.
Putin: We have no need to cut any other social programs that we have.
13:48
17.4.2014
Putin: Ukrainian colleagues once said that Crimea was artificially made to be a region that received subsidies.