Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Good afternoon.
We are broadcasting live from Moscow.
We, Pavel Zarubin…
Pavel Zarubin: … and Yekaterina
Berezovskaya…
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: … welcome all our viewers from
Gostiny Dvor.
Pavel Zarubin: The President will be joining us in just a few minutes. Of course, we are all looking forward to this, since we all have
so many questions. Yekaterina and I are well aware of the fact that we received
tens of thousands, even millions of questions from our television audience. At the same time, we don’t yet know what questions matter most to you, journalists
from the leading media outlets. Right now, you have a unique opportunity.
We can see that you are recording everything,
but may I ask you to stop just for a moment, and listen to us?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Colleagues, we can see that you
have already taken your seats. Now, it’s time to put your phones aside, even if
you are using them to record us or your colleagues around you or scrolling
through the news to learn about the latest developments, as we journalists so
often do. The main news messages will be coming very soon, just be patient.
They will come from our studio when the President joins us. For now, we have a few minutes to talk to each other.
As Pavel has said, we are working live, and the entire country can see and hear you.
Colleagues, do not be shy, since you have a unique
opportunity to ask your question.
Please, introduce yourself. Which media outlet
do you represent?
Remark: When I looked into your big, beautiful eyes,
I knew that you would turn to me. This was inevitable. After all, I am from
Belarus.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Belarus. What is on the minds of people
in Belarus? What is your question about?
Remark: First and foremost, the development of our
shared home, the Union State, is what matters for Belarus, along with the threats we have had to counter together with Russia.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Thank you very much.
Indeed, we are about to begin the media event
of the year. This is reflected in every detail. We have representatives of regional media outlets, as well as our foreign colleagues, and guests from the Union State. There are all kinds of people in this hall. This will be a true question-and-answer
marathon.
Pavel Zarubin: The hall is divided into sections, and I should mention that from here, from the central podium, we have a perfect view
of everyone. So when you raise your hand to ask a question, the President will
see you.
I’ll start with this sector, and I can’t move
past the front row. We have some very young journalists here. How old are you?
Remark: Hello! I’m 13.
Pavel Zarubin: Where are you from, and what media do you
represent?
Remark: We’re from Moscow, representing a youth media,
Detskaya Redaktsiya (the Children’s Editorial Board).
Pavel Zarubin: A journalist at 13, and right in the front
row. What is your question? If it’s not a secret, of course.
Remark: We would like to know how the President receives
the valuable information as to what our people really need.
Pavel Zarubin: Well, over these past few weeks we have all been
receiving a great deal of valuable information and we continue to do so today.
So I would say this array of information is already valuable.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Absolutely. Pavel, you know, my main question for our colleagues is this: how do you actually capture the President’s attention? We know there is going to be a real battle for Vladimir
Putin’s focus today. You and I have seen this before – we know how the atmosphere
in the hall is about to heat up.
I will now turn to a young lady wearing a kokoshnik. Earlier this year, the President noted that the kokoshnik is no joke – it’s more than just a symbol of our traditional costume. What would you like
to ask? Where are you from? Please, introduce yourself.
Yulia Korotkova: Good afternoon. My name is Yulia Korotkova. I am a presenter with the Volga and Volga-24 NNTV channels from the Nizhny
Novgorod Region. And this outfit isn’t just about beauty – it represents our
region. The red colour, the kudrina pattern, the Khokhloma style.
My question touches on more than just our artistic
craft; it is also about the ban on vaping. It is a very serious issue.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: It is a highly relevant topic,
too. These questions have been coming up, and I’m sure they will be addressed here
today.
Pavel, let’s continue meeting our colleagues.
What does your sign say here?
Remark: This word, “ychchuu,” is from the Yakut language, meaning “cold.” It
signals our question to the President about energy prices – a critical issue
for us. This is especially important considering that in the Arctic and the North, the so called Far Eastern allowance (a bonus to the salary) is being
applied, but its application is somewhat limited. We absolutely want to raise
this issue.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Thank you very much.
I should note that everyone now has small
placards. The situation is quite different from several years ago.
Pavel Zarubin: That’s right. In previous years, people
didn’t just come with placards – you could say they arrived with full-scale
banners. They practically staged demonstrations. These banners were so large that
they blocked the cameras, interfered with the broadcast image, and even obstructed
the journalists themselves. After that, there were understandable requests for more restraint and for placards to be limited to A4 size. Still, as we know, our
people are endlessly inventive.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Pavel, look, here it’s not even a placard, yet the subject of the question is clear. But still…
Remark: The word “Astrakhan” is written on a figurine
of a Caspian roach. Our question concerns the development of the North–South international
transport corridor and the problem of the shallowing of the Volga, which
impacts not only the population but also the natural environment, in particular
aquatic biological resources.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Colleagues, I would like to draw
your attention to how many regional journalists are present here today. In a sense, each of you serves as a conduit to your region. You are not simply members
of the press – you will genuinely guide us and voice the specific concerns of the people in each of your regions.
Pavel Zarubin: We really shouldn’t have moved on from this
area. I see a young lady here with Labubu dolls. Is that right? I have to admit,
I’m not entirely familiar. Who is depicted here and why?
Regina Orekhova: Even I’m not sure of the correct term. We
brought them with us. Regina Orekhova, Channel 360. These Labubus became a real
sensation – in a good way – at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum,
almost attaining symbolic status. We came up with a trend for early 2025: pairing
them with the faces of our politicians.
Pavel Zarubin: And who do you have there?
Regina Orekhova: Elvira Nabiullina, Sergei Lavrov – do you
recognise them? Mikhail Mishustin. And an exclusive item: Donald Trump. As you
might guess, my question will be about international politics. I hope to catch the attention of the President or Dmitry Peskov. By the way, there’s also a figurine with Mr Peskov’s face.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: So, it could just as well have been a question about import substitution.
Let’s give the floor to the Amur Region. What question are you going to ask President Putin?
Irina Batina: Good afternoon. My name is Irina Batina. I represent the Amur Region Television, Blagoveshchensk.
We have come here to invite the President to a unique international
event, held on the ice of the Amur River. Blagoveshchensk is the only regional
capital located directly on the state border.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: That sounds more like an invitation
than a question.
Irina Batina: Yes, it’s an invitation. We’ve handed over our
symbols – a panda and a brown bear. We hope they will reach our President.
As for our question, we would like to ask if visa-free travel for Russians
to China and for the citizens of China to visit us in Blagoveshchensk, will be
promoted. It’s an incredible feeling when you have one foot in Russia and the other in China. We invite our President to experience it for himself.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Thank you very much.
Pavel, what’s happening in your sector?
Pavel Zarubin: I simply can’t walk past the only journalist here
who is a Hero of Russia – Yevgeny Poddubny.
Good afternoon, Yevgeny. This applause is for you. I know you always
have many questions. What do you want to ask today?
Yevgeny Poddubny: Of course, I have a question, but I don’t want
to give it all away. I’ll just say that it concerns hundreds of thousands of people across the country, including those in frontline regions where fighting
is underway. That’s why it’s especially important for me to ask it.
Pavel Zarubin: Do your best, keep raising your hand.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Colleagues, we’ve just taken our
viewers on a virtual tour of the hall, introducing our regional journalists and luminaries. I’d like to give the floor to Anton Vernitsky.
Anton, what are you doing?
Anton Vernitsky: You won’t believe it, but I’m streaming for our channel.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Just like that?
Anton Vernitsky: Yes, I’m doing two jobs at once, running two live
broadcasts simultaneously.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: That’s impressive. How many major
events like the annual news conference have you attended? What was it like in the past, and what is it like now, this Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin
event?
Anton Vernitsky: Yes, I was just thinking about that. The first
large news conference for regional and foreign journalists was held in 2001. It
was really something new. The first time it was held was in 2001. As for how
many I have attended, the answer is 22. That’s a lot –I might even be a record
holder. Somebody asked me today: “Can we talk or take a photo with you? You
were one of the first to attend this event.”
Actually, there are many such people, like Alexander Gamov from
Komsomolskaya Pravda. I know that he’s in the hall today; we were just talking
about it.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: There he is – Alexander is waving to you, over there, closer to Pavel.
Anton Vernitsky: You know, we look forward to this news
conference every year because we always hear something new. This time, I’ve
taken a strategic position – right in the centre.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Absolutely.
Anton Vernitsky: I really hope I will get a chance to ask my question.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: It really is a long-anticipated
event, and our programme, Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin, will begin in just a few minutes.
Colleagues, I would like to emphasise that we
are already live on air, and that the entire country can see and hear you. We
always have a huge audience since viewers take a lot of interest in events of this kind. There are likely tens of millions of people watching this broadcast.
Pavel Zarubin: Of course, we received many serious
questions. It goes without saying that you contributed the bulk of the serious
questions. That said, there were all kinds of questions. Here is what I noted.
For example, there was a question on when we will have a banknote with an image
of the Oreshnik missile? This is what our viewers want to know. “Who does the President find harder to communicate with when making important decisions: his
opponents, allies or himself?” There was also a question on who is better,
Messi or Ronaldo – it also came from a children’s editorial board, it seems.
Here is another question for Vladimir Putin: Would you like your knowledge to be digitised and used by artificial intelligence in the future?
Still, we have no doubt that today you will be
asking the very best questions.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: I am sure that these will be the best questions. I would like to draw the attention of our colleagues to this
young man with a placard that reads, “I want to get married.” And over there is
a young lady, as my colleagues tell me, with poster saying, “I want a husband.”
Why are you sitting so far apart from each other? Where is the young lady who
wants to get married? Here she is.
Pavel Zarubin: They should be sitting together, it seems.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: May I ask you to introduce
yourself. Demographics is, of course, a very important topic. I assume that is
what your question is about.
Remark: Yes, I want to ask a question about
demographics, especially since I know whom I want to marry. We’ve been together
for eight years now. We met in school. I’m from Yekaterinburg – in fact, from
Pavel’s home region. I work at the same TV channel, Channel 4. Overall, I very
much hope that this wonderful placard will help me attract the President’s
attention.
Pavel Zarubin: I didn’t put off my marriage for such a long
time.
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential
Executive Office – Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov: Friends,
We are delighted to see all of you here. In just a few minutes the President will be joining us, and we will start the Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin programme.
Let me remind you that this is a hybrid format,
combining the annual news conference with the Direct Line with the head of state. Having this direct engagement is something unique for the entire world.
Over the past two weeks, we have received almost three million messages from
the people. This is why we will be switching back and forth between questions
from the people – the ones we received and which were selected by the moderators and the President himself, and the questions from journalists. As usual, I will ask you to raise your hand. Please, try to be as brief as possible when asking your questions. The briefer you make your question, the more of your colleagues will be able to ask their question as well.
Let me remind you that everything said during
the Direct Line and the news conference undergoes extensive scrutiny and serves
as a basis for drafting a list of presidential instructions. This will be the case this time too. And the Russian Popular Front will work throughout the year
to make sure that no request we receive from the people is left unanswered, to review all of them and offer the needed assistance. Municipal, regional and federal government agencies contribute to these efforts.
I would like to ask you to mute your phones so
that they do not distract us. The President will be joining us very shortly. Let
us stay focused. We will be starting soon.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: Yes,
thank you, Mr Peskov.
But I would
like to quote the President, who once said that “every rule and every law
become outdated already in the course of its development
and adoption. Only direct communication with people <…> helps
the state steer its policy <…> in the right direction.”
Perhaps this is the primary purpose of this programme: direct communication and the opportunity to keep one’s finger on the pulse of current events.
Pavel
Zarubin: Yekaterina,
it has happened in the past that new laws were adopted or amendments were made
to existing laws following direct lines. It’s very likely that we will see the same happen today.
The Popular
Front has once again offered enormous support with processing questions. Both
volunteers and veterans of the special military operation have been taking
calls. By the way, when the questions first started coming in, I asked the Director of the Popular Front: “You have received an immense number of questions. What are you going to do with them? Will you forward them to the same institutions that gave people the runaround before?” “No,” he answered,
“We will take charge of following through on the most urgent matters.” And this
is exactly what happened – right up until we went on air.
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: That’s
right. As a matter of fact, we also have a virtual assistant called GigaChat. But
I’ve been told we are ready to start. Here we go.
President
of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
We will be accepting
questions and inquiries until the end of this live programme. As always, there
are several options: you can call 8 (800) 200 4040, send an SMS or MMS message to 0
4040, or submit your
question via VK, Odnoklassniki, moskva-putinu.ru, or the MAX chat bot. By the way, we are using MAX for the first time this year and it’s been incredibly
popular. As for the number of questions, by this very moment we have received
over 2.5 million.
Pavel
Zarubin: We are
about to start asking the President questions. Just a few more things.
Yekaterina
and I have reviewed tens of thousands of your questions. They have come from across
Russia and beyond. Of course, these two million questions come from different
people, although they often concern similar issues. We have grouped them into
topics that are truly relevant to millions of people. And we all know which
topic concerns the public most of all.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, numerous
questions are coming in regarding social policy, yet the main inquiries concern
war and peace.
You have made it clear on several
occasions that we are ready for peace negotiations; however, at the same time,
we are satisfied with the dynamics on the frontlines. So, what is it to be –
war or peace? What path guarantees the attainment of the goals of the special
military operation? What is the situation on the negotiation track, given Vladimir
Zelensky’s statement in Berlin that Ukraine is not ready to discuss the territorial issue?
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: So far we really do
not see such readiness.
Let me remind you how it all began.
It began with the 2014 coup d’état in Ukraine and the deception over the potential resolution of all issues through the Minsk agreements. In 2022, when
everything had already reached a breaking point, when the Kiev regime unleashed
war in southeastern Ukraine, we made it clear to them: listen, we will have no
choice but to recognise those unrecognised republics. It would be preferable if
you simply let the people live peacefully as they wish, without your coups,
without Russophobia and so on – just withdraw your troops from those territories,
and that is all.
They did not accept that, even
then. Following the negotiations in Istanbul, they first agreed, virtually
initialled [the agreements], and then reneged, discarding all these
arrangements. Today, they are essentially refusing to end this conflict by peaceful means. Nevertheless, we perceive and are aware of certain signals,
including from the Kiev regime, indicating that they are prepared to engage in some form of dialogue.
The only point I wish to convey,
and we have always stated this, is that we are ready and willing to conclude
this conflict by peaceful means, based on the principles I outlined in June of last year at the Russian Foreign Ministry, provided that the root causes that
led to this crisis are eliminated.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, the situation on the frontlines changes daily; we have seen, time and again, and know, that you always keep your finger on the pulse, personally engaging with
commanders and our fighters. Yet, I repeat, the situation changes every day,
and our forces are advancing confidently and daringly.
As Supreme Commander-in-Chief, how
do you assess the situation at the moment?
Vladimir Putin: I have just received
another report from the Chief of the General Staff.
In general, here’s what I would like
to say. Basically, ever since our forces drove the enemy from the Kursk Region,
the strategic initiative has been firmly in the hands of the Russian Armed
Forces. What does this mean? It means that our forces are advancing along the entire line of contact, faster in some areas, a little slower in others, but in all directions. The adversary is being pushed back.
The key thing, and we started
with that when we said that we had offered the Kiev regime to withdraw their
troops from the territory of the then-unrecognised republics that did not want
to live under the pressure of nationalists: the Kiev regime had already
constructed, over the course of a decade, a fortified area in the Slavyansk–Kramatorsk–Konstantinovka
agglomeration – this is their principal fortified area.
Let’s begin there. What’s the situation? Just recently, the Chief of the General Staff, the group commander,
and local commanders, including the brigade commander who was in my office,
reported the capture of Seversk. This is a key town that provides a staging
point for an advance towards one of the main fortified areas in this urban area – Slavyansk.
Meanwhile, a little further south,
our units are also conducting active and successful operations in the southern
Liman sector. Our troops are already inside the city of Krasny Liman, engaged
in street fighting. I expect it to fall very shortly. We currently control
roughly half the city, and the advance will press southward, towards Slavyansk.
As I mentioned, this urban area also
includes Konstantinovka. Fighting is ongoing there as well, and we hold over 50
percent of the city. I have no doubt our forces will secure that area too.
The capture of Krasnoarmeysk was a particularly significant development. It opens up several opportunities… The high command has yet to finalise the exact axis of advance, but it provides an excellent springboard for future offensive operations.
Just to the north-northeast, the city of Dimitrov – another critical locality and strategic foothold – is now
completely encircled. I believe our troops already control about half of it.
The enemy has not been given orders to surrender and is attempting to break out
in small groups.
They have made attempts to retake at least a portion of Krasnoarmeysk, but without success. They are sustaining
heavy losses there and have made no headway.
Separately, our Vostok Group of Forces
is advancing rapidly through the Zaporozhye Region, liberating one community
after another. As you know, combat is currently taking place in Gulyaipole. The city is divided by the river, with the main part on the right bank. Our troops
have crossed that water obstacle, entered the city, and now control
approximately 50 percent of it. However, not all of our forces are committed to this urban fight; a significant portion continues to advance from east to west,
systematically clearing settlements across the region.
In addition, we are establishing
security zones. On the Sumy axis, the city of Volchansk has been taken. And in the Kharkov Region, as is widely known, the city of Kupyansk came under our
control several weeks ago. Our forces are consolidating their hold there. They
are not yet pushing west because they have a critical prior task: eliminating
the enemy grouping on the left bank of the Oskol River and securing the key
rail junction of Kupyansk-Uzlovoy. The encircled force in that pocket is
substantial – about 15 battalions, as I’ve said, roughly 3,500 personnel. They,
too, have not received orders to lay down their arms. Their position is
practically hopeless, as they are tightly surrounded by our Armed Forces.
Once that operation is concluded – and it will be – our units will then redirect westward. I am confident, absolutely
confident, that before the year’s end, we will see further significant successes
by our Armed Forces all along the line of contact.
Pavel Zarubin: What is the situation in Seversk? Why was it so
difficult to seize that city?
Vladimir Putin: You probably saw and heard the reports from the Chief of the General Staff, the commanders of the group of forces and the army,
as well as the commander of the brigade that was fighting there. I asked him:
“How do you assess the situation in Seversk? Are you safely controlling the city?” He replied: “Mr President, we are already moving west. My brigade has
advanced about 1.5 to 2 kilometres in the western direction, and we keep
moving.”
You also probably remember that part of our
meeting when an assault group reported live about capturing Seversk right from
the city. You may recall that at the end of that report, I asked them to quickly change their position. Yesterday – I think it was yesterday – at the Defence Ministry [Board] meeting, after the meeting, the Defence Ministry Board
meeting, I presented decorations – yes, I think it was yesterday or the day
before – to our men who liberated Seversk.
After that, I returned to the Kremlin and asked
the commander of that assault group to come to the Kremlin too. I wanted to talk with him about current matters. I sometimes do that when there is such a possibility. He arrived while I was discussing preparations for today’s event
with my colleagues. He entered the Security Council room where we were meeting.
I asked him: “Please, say a few words so that my colleagues know what the situation in Seversk is now, and what it was like.” And he started talking
right there and then, reporting briefly.
When he left the room, my colleagues asked:
“Can we invite him to the Direct Line?” I replied: “I don’t know, you’ll have
to ask him if he has time for that. His leave is very short.” They called him,
and he agreed to come.
Here he is, Naran Ochir-Goryayev. (Applause.)
Dmitry Peskov: Give him the microphone, please.
Vladimir Putin: Naran, please sit down. Have I told everything
correctly?
Naran Ochir-Goryayev: Yes, sir.
Vladimir Putin: If anyone has any questions about the current
situation in Seversk and what the fighting there was like, you can ask them
now. That will be the best way.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Colleagues, let’s welcome our Hero
of Russia, who is with us today. (Applause.)
Pavel Zarubin: Naran, we saw you during that videoconference – you were the one in the helmet – but we don’t know you. Can you tell us about
yourself? Where are you from? How long have you been participating in the special military operation? Where did you start?
Naran Ochir-Goryayev: I’m from Kalmykia. I joined the fighting at Soledar, starting as a rank-and-file assault soldier and rising to assault company commander.
Vladimir Putin: Naran is too modest. He started as a driver,
and now he is an assault company commander with over 80 subordinates. He has
been awarded the title of Hero of Russia for his service. (Applause.)
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Naran, we, and I think the journalists here all
saw your video conference with Mr President. When you spoke, the connection was
unstable, which is understandable given the conditions [on the front line]. But
now that we have an opportunity to talk to you directly, could you please share
the details of that brilliant operation to liberate Seversk, or at least as many as possible. How did you liberate the city? What was it like? And how did
your men, your subordinates act in that situation?
Vladimir
Putin: Let me ask
the questions I posed to Naran when he entered the Security Council hall. I asked, “Mr Ochir-Goryayev, what was the most challenging aspect of capturing
Seversk?”
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: The most difficult part was reaching Seversk undetected, as the terrain was open
with minimal natural cover. Therefore, we decided to advance in small, covert
groups. This task was accomplished. We gathered under the enemy’s nose and,
once assembled, we waited for the order to begin the assault.
Pavel
Zarubin: There were
also many civilians remaining in the city. How did the Armed Forces of Ukraine
treat these people?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: The civilians were under constant…
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: In fear, of course, under the direst conditions.
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: They were constantly under enemy pressure. Once
we liberated our designated zone in Seversk, we began engaging with the civilians. As they retreated, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, much like the Nazis,
shot civilians who refused to leave with them.
Pavel
Zarubin: So, these were unarmed civilians, and they were
shot simply for staying behind?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: Yes, precisely because they stayed.
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: When our troops arrived, when you entered, how
did the people react? What did they say?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: When
we arrived, the people were in a dire state – physically and morally broken. When
they first saw us, they were overjoyed, truly overjoyed. They had even been
secretly listening to Russian radio, awaiting our arrival. They were immensely
relieved.
Vladimir
Putin: Mr Ochir-Goryayev,
you mentioned that the AFU executed civilians as they retreated. But you also
explicitly stated that primarily young people were targeted, correct?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: Yes, young people. Particularly those aged 30
to 40 were taken out and executed without trial or investigation.
Pavel
Zarubin: Everyone
indiscriminately?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: Yes, everyone.
Pavel
Zarubin: How do you assess the current situation on this
sector of the front?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: The situation is stable. As the President
noted, we have advanced beyond Seversk.
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: Mr Ochir-Goryayev, looking at you and listening
to you, I must say again that our fighters are true heroes, real men. Thank you
for your service. I’d like to ask, what is the morale of your troops?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: Our lads are determined. We are acting
methodically and consciously, upholding the course set by the Supreme
Commander-in-Chief. The objectives of the special military operation will be
achieved.
Pavel
Zarubin: Mr Ochir-Goryayev, how many personnel are under
your command? And, if possible, what losses have you sustained?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: My assault group consists of 157 people. For the capture of the community, as I mentioned earlier, 24 teams totalling 84
personnel were deployed. Losses were minimal due to our small-group tactics.
During the capture, four personnel were lost.
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: Out of 157?
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: Out
of 84.
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: Out of 84.
Naran
Ochir-Goryayev: Those directly involved in the assault
operations.
Pavel
Zarubin: Let us once again welcome and thank the Hero of Russia.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Thank you very much.
Pavel Zarubin: Given all this, I have to ask: a week ago, [Vladimir]
Zelensky supposedly filmed a video in front of the Kupyansk stele. But many
people quickly called it a fake, pointing to various inconsistencies as proof.
If it really is staged, why would he resort to a forgery of this scale at such
a critical time?
Vladimir Putin: I don’t know; I don’t follow that. He’s an actor – a talented one, I’ll say that without irony. We remember him from his
old films. So, it’s not exactly out of character. They say the actual stele
looks completely different now.
But that’s not even the main point. That stele
is about a kilometre from the city proper. If Kupyansk is really under their
control, why linger on the doorstep? Why not simply enter?
Meanwhile, some female bloggers actually
managed to slip in there. Thankfully, they came out unharmed.
Let me tell you, the skies there are simply
swarming with drones, like flies, from both sides. You can’t just take a stroll
into Kupyansk.
The time will come when our forces will complete
their mission to eliminate the encircled group on the river’s east bank, they
will turn west, and it will happen pretty soon. They will take it all back.
It’s just a matter of time. There are no problems here.
As for these staged stunts, or their desperate
attempts to regain lost ground, like what they’re trying now near Krasnoarmeysk,
they’re failing there, too. Their bigger problem is this: due to the active and effective operations of our troops, it seems the enemy has exhausted its
strategic reserves. They’ve suffered very serious losses; there are practically
none left. This, I hope, is a significant factor that should encourage the Ukrainian regime in Kiev to resolve all disputes and end this conflict by peaceful
means. Their reserves are practically gone.
Pavel Zarubin: I think everyone watching, and everyone here,
understands that war places a heavy burden on any economy. Yet, European “swine
underlings,” as you recently called them, continue doing everything in their
power to, as they say, ruin the Russian economy.
Under such difficult conditions, can we even speak
of further economic growth? Are we seeing growth in some sectors but not
others? And if so, which ones?
Vladimir
Putin: You know, I usually bring a spreadsheet to every Direct Line. This is nothing confidential – it’s open data on the performance of the Russian economy over the past year.
Our GDP growth is 1 percent; however, if we take the previous three years – this
sort of review is also meaningful –, the overall growth has been 9.7 percent. Meanwhile,
the Eurozone has shown 3.1 percent.
As for the 1
percent growth this year and the economic growth rate in general, they are the result of deliberate actions by the Government, the Central Bank and the country’s leadership to target inflation. I should note that overall, we have
been able to handle this task because the goal was set to lower the inflation
rate to at least 6 percent. We can see now that by the end of the year, the inflation rate will fall even further, to around 5.7–5.8 percent. Slowing economic
growth was a deliberate step to maintain the quality of the economy and the macroeconomic indicators.
What else
is happening? Industrial production has grown by 1 percent while the processing
industry is up 3.1 percent. Agricultural production has increased by 3.3
percent.
Housing
construction is an important area. Millions of square metres have been built.
Last year, the total was 107.8 million square metres. This year, output is
slightly lower although still considerable, around 103˗105 million.
We have managed
to maintain good real wage growth. The rates are not as high as last year, but
in my opinion, they provide a solid real wage. Adjusted for inflation, real wages
have increased by 4.5 percent.
Unfortunately,
it must be admitted frankly that, over the same period, labour productivity
growth has been rather modest, only 1.1 percent. Of course, we should make
effort to improve this ratio in favour of higher labour productivity.
Last year,
the unemployment rate was at a historic low of 2.5 percent. This year, it has fallen
further to 2.2 percent. Overall, these are excellent indicators.
The Central
Bank’s international reserves are also growing. I spoke with Ms Nabiullina
yesterday: as of a few days ago, the reserves amounted to $741.5 billion if we
use the US dollar equivalent.
The federal
budget deficit stands at 2.6 percent. We expect it to fall to 1.6 percent next
year and 1.5 percent within the next three years. This is a good indicator,
considering that the national debt remains very low, one of the lowest among developed
economies. We estimated yesterday that the national debt currently stands at 17.7 percent and is not expected to rise above 20 percent in the next three
years.
So, these
are the indicators. The principal thing is that… What is the principal thing?
Most importantly, we have managed to balance the budget – and credit is due to the Government for performing significant work. The quality of this balancing
is at the level of 2021. This is a very important indicator of stability of the economy and the financial system of our country.
It means
that we will be able to fully solve the issues regarding the social obligations
towards the population, handle the development issues under our national
projects, achieve technological development goals and, certainly, meet the needs of the Armed Forces. All this put together indicates that the economy and the financial system are stable and fully under the control of the Government
and the Central Bank.
Pavel Zarubin: People in the audience are eager to ask their
questions.
Mr Peskov, over to you.
Dmitry Peskov: Let me remind you that we are working in a hybrid format, since this is both a Direct Line and the annual news conference.
I suggest we now turn to journalists so that they can ask their questions.
We can start from the central section, perhaps.
I can see someone with a ‘Siberia’ placard. Why not start with Siberia then? Go
ahead, please.
Ivan Dvoynichnikov: Good afternoon, Mr President.
Ivan Dvoynichnikov, Gorodskaya Volna [City Wave] radio station, Novosibirsk.
Everyone knows Novosibirsk for its Academic
Town. In recent years, and with your support, by the way, we have been building
the Siberian Circular Photon Source, or SKIF. What makes this device even more
unique is that it will open new research horizons not only for our country, but
for the entire world too.
The researchers managed to build it without
using any foreign parts or materials, all while facing sanctions and having to navigate a very complex economic environment. This unit is expected to be
launched next year.
What is my question? My question is whether it
is possible and what can be done to retain young researchers?
We will be launching the SKIF next year and are
looking forward to seeing you at its opening ceremony.
Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you for raising this topic. This is excellent
news and very welcome for everyone involved in this process.
What do I mean? This topic came up during a meeting
of the Presidential Council for Science, which took place in 2018, I think, and Novosibirsk served as its venue. It was then that our colleagues from the Siberian
Branch of the Academy of Sciences – the Institute of Nuclear Physics – raised
this issue and talked about the need to create the SKIF, this system, an accelerator.
It is true that sanctions-related issues caused
some delays, but we managed to complete the project and finish the job. This is
a great achievement. I would like to congratulate everyone who was involved in this process and who will be operating and using this unit in the future. It is
an unquestionable success.
We already had a similar unit here in Moscow, at the Kurchatov Institute. It is an older generation
unit that requires quite a few upgrades, and there are plans to make these
improvements. At the same time, similar systems with the same equipment will be
installed in Vladivostok and other cities. We have them in Gatchina and other
locations as well. We will work to make this happen.
As for the SKIF, this is a great success story,
indeed. Why? Because it makes it possible to conduct not only basic but also
applied research. This is instrumental since it offers an opportunity to work
on pharmaceuticals, new materials, etc.
How do we keep young specialists in the country? We’ve built a comprehensive system, and overall, it’s working. But
what’s the key? We have to develop the laboratory infrastructure. True
scientists are driven by their work; for them, that passion can be the most
important thing. But other factors matter, too: salary, housing and quality of life. We’re implementing all of this step by step. That’s the purpose of our
entire grant system, including the “megagrants.”
In fact, the recipients of those
megagrants – top-tier scientists, both Russian and international, who have
worked under these programmes – raised this very point with us at a meeting.
They said it plainly: you must create the conditions for young specialists to stay. You have to offer them a clear horizon, so they can see the scope of their research, ensuring that funding isn’t just for six months or a couple of years, but for a longer cycle – five years and beyond. We’ve done that as well,
and it helps retain talent. It does.
Moreover, many are coming back. I’ve
spoken with such specialists myself. Young people who used to work abroad are
now returning to Russia. Ironically, our so-called Western colleagues are
actively helping us with this. When asked why they returned, they say, first,
because research facilities and opportunities are being created here. But one
of the main reasons is: “We’re concerned for our children. The idea of sending
them to the local schools there is out of the question.”
Well, thank God, the protection of traditional values is part of our agenda. People appreciate that, and together
with other aspects, it leads them to come home. There are many such people, and their number is growing.
We will, of course, continue working
in all these areas.
Ivan Dvoynichnikov: Will you come visit?
Vladimir Putin: I will certainly try, thank you very
much.
Dmitry Peskov: Let’s take a couple more questions from the audience.
I see one of the long-standing
members of the Kremlin press pool. Please give Alexander Gamov the microphone.
Alexander, if you have a question – you raised your hand very timidly.
Alexander Gamov: Of course I do. Thank you very
much.
Alexander Gamov, Komsomolskaya Pravda radio,
news website, and newspaper.
Mr President, this year, Komsomolskaya
Pravda is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first issue. You awarded us
the Order of Honour. Thank you very much for this high recognition. I simply
haven’t had an opportunity to thank you yet.
I wanted to remind you that you held your very
first Direct Line conference at our offices, on February 9, 2000, if you
recall.
I would like to frame my question in Komsomolskaya Pravda’s frontline-reporting style. I wanted to ask you about the Time of the Heroes programme, its development and progress. You initiated it.
Have you been following the way people who benefited from this programme have
been doing their job, those you have assigned to high government posts? To what
extent has this system proven its worth in general? How long will this
programme last? What new appointments can we expect?
Thank you very much.
Vladimir Putin: First, I suggest that we remember those who
took part in the Great Patriotic War. The people who fought on the frontlines
of the Great Patriotic War came back and achieved outstanding results in research, art and education.
You know, when I was a university student,
there were Great Patriotic War veterans among the faculty members who taught
me. We treated them with great respect. Some of them had suffered very serious
wounds. There was one professor who lost his leg and had to use a prosthetic, but
he was absolutely brilliant in his subject. We all remember him with a sense of deep gratitude for the knowledge he shared with us.
There was also Nikulin, and so many other
people of science who reached a very high level of excellence and contributed
to the development of our Motherland.
Why can’t our fighters, participants in the special military operation, do the same? We have Naran Ochir-Goryayev sitting
here. You know, I did not recognise him at first since we are in a big room.
There is a microphone, and the cameras are rolling. But these people have a lot
behind their belts. When he walked into the Security Council hall in the Kremlin, I told him: “Naran, tell us what is going on there, please.” And everyone
could not believe what they heard during his report. Here, he keeps a low
profile, but why am I saying this? These people have a lot of positive
potential.
Of course, there were doubts at the outset.
Fighting is one thing, while heading a team or an entire sector, standing at the helm of a major corporation or even regions, or ministries, is another. It
goes without saying that this requires skill and talent.
Look, we have hundreds of thousands of men fighting
over there, and not all of them aspire to pursue a civilian career. In fact,
this is not what many of them are after. However, for those who do want to move
in this direction and have the potential, the necessary level of education and experience, or are ready to get
the necessary credentials, the state must do everything to offer opportunities
to people who have proven they are ready to assert the interests of their
Motherland without sparing themselves.
I think I have already mentioned how this whole
idea occurred to me. There was a meeting with young people, including students.
I was listening to them as they elaborated on their thoughts and proposals, the goals they set for themselves, and what they thought were important national
goals in general – it was during this conversation that it occurred to me that
we had to bring together these people and help them achieve more and move
forward. With them, the destiny of our country is in safe hands.
Of course, they need training. This much is
obvious. Hence the programme. I would like to thank the heads of the regions
for scaling and spreading this programme at the regional level. It does work,
you know. I am very glad for the graduates of the first enrolment campaign. The second enrolment wave has been completed, and training is underway. Many
graduates have already become governors, deputy ministers, or work for our
companies. Several people work for the Presidential Executive Office. They are doing great.
It is clear that there can be some challenges here
and there. It may well be that some of them decide to choose a different area.
However, the programme has been effective and is delivering tangible results.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr Putin, colleagues, if I may, I have news that is important for our country, breaking news. It has been
reported that Brussels’ attempts to seize our asset have failed.
How can you comment on that?
Pavel Zarubin: They have not stolen them yet, but they keep
trying.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: But they have not succeeded so far.
Vladimir Putin: Pavel, stealing is not the right word.
Stealing is a covert theft of property. But they are doing this openly.
Therefore, it is robbery.
Why aren’t they succeeding? Because the consequences will be grave for the robbers. What does this mean? First, it is difficult to accomplish. They
have not said that they will rob and seize. One of their ideas is to issue a reparation loan secured by our assets.
What does issuing a loan mean? It means consequences for the budgets of every country involved; this will increase the budgetary debt of each country.
If a country issues a loan secured by our gold and currency assets, this must
be reflected in its budget. Take France, whose state debt has reached 120
percent [of GDP]. Our state debt is 17.7 percent, and theirs is 120 percent. It
is true that our budget deficit is 2.6 percent, but it will go down to 1.6
percent next year, while France’s budget deficit is 6 percent. The new obligations will have to be added to the budget. I believe they are having
big problems with next year’s budget. All this is the reason why it is
difficult to take decisions related to the robbery of someone else’s assets.
But there will be graver consequences for those who might endeavour
that. This will not just be a blow to their image, but this will subvert all
the confidence in the euro area, since many countries store their foreign
reserves in the eurozone. Not only Russia does that, but also those who have
free reserves, primarily oil-producing countries. They will look at what is
happening – they are already doing so, and they will have suspicions, doubts
and fears. What if the same happens to them?
It is only difficult the first time, and then you can do the same under
different pretexts. Today, they don’t like our special military operation and the fight against neo-Nazism in Ukraine. Later, they could be displeased with
some country’s policy towards the LGBTQ community. There are very many strict
laws in Muslim countries that protect our common traditional values. We don’t
have such laws, but they do. This could be used as a pretext for seizing
sovereign assets, sovereign resources and money. And why not? Or they can find
some other pretext.
Apart from image-related losses, there will be direct financial losses
related to the contemporary financial architecture. That is why it is so
difficult to accomplish. And the main thing is no matter what they steal,
sooner or later they will have to give it back.
Besides, we will protect our interests. How? Most importantly, we will
go to courts to protect our interests. We will do our utmost to find a jurisdiction that will be independent from the political context.
Dmitry Peskov: Let’s give the floor to the audience.
Vladimir Putin: Yes. Road of Life – please go ahead.
Darya Shuchalina: Good afternoon, Mr President.
Darya Shuchalina, Komi Republic. I represent
the Komiinform news agency and I’m a member of the Civic Chamber of our region.
You are aware that a significant part of the Komi Republic and the neighbouring Nenets Autonomous Area are cut off from the mainland, as they lack year-round road connections to central Russia. The road
from Moscow ends within our republic, and beyond that, there is no route further
north.
At the same time, there is a popular motorway:
Syktyvkar – Ukhta – Usinsk – Pechora – Naryan-Mar. This spans over a thousand
kilometres, 869 of which lie within our republic. The route ensures year-round
northern deliveries, connects residential communities and, most importantly,
guarantees safe travel for northern residents.
However, Mr President, to be perfectly honest,
much of the road is in a deplorable state. It is clear that the Komi Republic alone
cannot possibly maintain and repair a road of federal significance. Moreover,
Komi has virtually no federal motorways, unlike other regions in the European
part of Russia.
In this regard, Mr President, I have a proposal
for you. Is it possible to transfer our Road of Life – the only route serving
the North – to federal ownership? This would stabilise northern deliveries for a vast population, ensure connectivity with central Russia, and provide a new
impetus for the northern regions.
Also, while I have the opportunity, I would
like to invite you to visit the Komi Republic. We have two significant
anniversaries approaching: in 2029, the city of Ukhta, the birthplace of Russia’s first oil, will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Today, it
is the largest centre of the oil and gas industry in the northwest. And in 2030, thanks to the executive order you signed, our capital, Syktyvkar, will
mark its 250th anniversary. Your visit would be a historic event for our republic.
Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much for the invitation.
Regarding the road, this is a known issue, and we
are aware of this problem.
Indeed, the solution lies in transferring all
sections of this route to the federal level, as the federation faces the task
of bringing our federal motorways up to the established standards. This task
has been largely accomplished for federal motorways. The focus now is on developing and bringing regional roads up to standard.
Several key issues are at play here – northern
deliveries and road safety, I agree. But I can’t promise that construction will
begin tomorrow. You understand, we must calculate everything, review the plans
for developing the country’s backbone road network – we have such a concept. I will definitely discuss this with the Government, and we will respond – we will
certainly respond.
Thank you for the invitation.
Dmitry
Peskov: Let’s
continue and take a question from the audience.
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: The direct line is a combined format. We’ll have to share the territory.
Dmitry
Peskov: That’s
right. Journalists are also very enthusiastic.
Let’s
continue. Channel One, third row. Our military correspondents.
Amir
Yusupov: Good
afternoon, Mr President. My name is Amir Yusupov. I’m a military correspondent
from Channel One. I have three questions but I’ll try to be brief.
My first
question is from our drone operators at the front. Of course, they expressed
their gratitude for the current attack drone supplies, especially the fibre-optic UAVs that can stop entire columns. Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky is
really something.
However, we
have very few large hexacopters like Baba-Yaga – the types that are extensively
used by the Ukrainian army. We need them to deliver food supplies and munitions
to battlefield positions. You yourself said today that the whole sky is filled
with drones, and even carrying a bottle of water to the first line is almost an impossible task. The guys really need these drones.
My second
question is also from the operators. Once I was sitting in the trenches with a guy, and he said: “I’m going to be a father. I’ll go home then.” I asked him:
“Will you miss the front?” He said: “Of course.” I was surprised when he said he
would miss operating drones. We have a great number of drone operators that is
growing all the time, and they want to do it as a civilian job. Are there any
prospects for unmanned civil aviation? Will this experience be useful in peacetime?
And the last question is from me personally. Since the first days of the special
military operation, we have worked with the famous Veterans Brigade. They are
famous for their underground operations in Avdeyevka, Dzerzhinsk and Sudzha.
Their most recent operation received worldwide coverage. But despite their achievements
and daily hard work on the ground, this brigade is simply called a voluntary
unit in many Defence Ministry reports. I would like to ask you to confer the honorary title of a guards brigade on the Veterans Brigade.
Thank you.
Vladimir
Putin: I will start
with your last question. Of course, the Veterans Brigade deserves the highest
praise. They are truly heroic individuals, and it goes beyond that. You know,
it is not easy to risk your life and climb into a pipeline. They prepared every
operation competently, meticulously and thoroughly. They conducted serious
groundwork to figure out approaches, entrances, exits and supply routes. This
is extremely hard professional work. They are heroic troopers, and that is a fact. There is no doubt that this brigade deserves the highest praise and the guards title. I agree with you. This is the first point.
Now, regarding
your first question on UAVs. It is true that there is a shortage of heavy
drones. The Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Industry are working on improvements. This task will be solved.
I want to acknowledge the Minister of Defence, who is personally in charge of UAV
supplies and has done a great deal. It is thanks to his efforts, among other
things, that the availability of UAVs has changed drastically. The troops at the contact line have noted this. I think you are well aware of this. We will
continue to support our modern-day Kulibins. There is an entire system of grants and other support in place. We will keep going.
I would like to express my gratitude to our citizens and our entrepreneurs. In addition to everything else they are doing, our people have raised 83 billion rubles, which
have been used for a number of purposes but mostly for drones.
It should be
said – and I think there is nothing to be shy of here – that we are the indisputable leader in terms of the number of drones. We are still short of heavy drones like the adversary’s Baba-Yaga, but with respect to the number of drones, we are ahead of our adversary in almost all the segments of the frontline. It is a fact, although we may be short of some specific types in some segments.
As for civilian goods and proof of our leadership, it can only be proved if the goods
we have started producing because we need them for our combat operations are
also applied and improved in the civilian sphere, following which they are used
to build up and strengthen national defences. We will certainly do this. We
have started doing this, and we will continue to do this.
I am talking
about everything you are well aware of, such as the use of drones to deliver
all kinds of stuff, including mail, food, and medicines. This is not only true for fixed-wing drones or small air-based copters. The matter concerns all types of drones,
including unmanned ground vehicles and crewless boats. This field is developing
at a good pace, and we will continue to do this in the future as well.
Speaking about
those who fought and want to continue fighting, I would like to share some
information with you. The situation is somewhat specific. What does this mean?
We continue to recruit personnel for our Armed Forces, and this process is progressing
at a good pace and in accordance with plans. Many of our men, real men,
voluntarily enlist in the Armed Forces and voluntarily protect the interests of the Motherland and our people.
Naran has told
us about how the Ukrainian military maltreat civilians. He did not say this
now, but he mentioned it when we talked in the Kremlin: “When we saw what they
did to civilians, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on them.” Did you say this,
Naran? “We are ready to keep fighting to finish off that viper.” Do you
understand? When they saw what was done to people, to civilians… Grannies were
shot and killed by drones… He is a modest man, and it is probably the first
time he is in the same room with so many people, but he said this to me.
So, over
400,000 people signed up in the outgoing year, 406,000 or 410,000, but the number of those who want to serve in the new branch we have recently created,
the Unmanned Systems Troops, is so large that the Defence Ministry had to announce
a competition. It is remarkable that some very young people, students at various universities, are taking an academic leave to sign up for service on the frontline. Above all, they want to take part in combat activity as drone
operators.
I can
understand the man you have talked with. Here is what I will tell you. Even
those who come home on leave sometimes continue to take part in combat
operations. Modern technologies have made this possible.
Yekaterina
Berezovskaya: This
is very important – continuing the subject we have just touched upon, regarding
our fighters… You yourself, Mr President, have said that supporting our soldiers
is not a trend but the state’s tribute to its defenders. And that is indeed the case.
Here is a very important observation related to preparations for today’s programme. Pavel
and I have reviewed an enormous number of appeals. As confirmed by GigaChat,
this year the number of appeals from servicemen, their family members, and the fighters themselves is lower than last year or, say, the year before. Work is
underway, and a great deal is being done – this work is being carried out by the Popular Front, the Ministry of Defence, and the Defenders of the Fatherland
Foundation. Problems remain, related to delays, payment issues, and searching
for those missing in action. But again, I’d like to reiterate: much is being
done, and it is being done literally within days.
Let me give
a few examples. Alexei Gushchin from the Oryol Region wrote to our programme.
Two years ago, he was seriously wounded and could not receive the payment of 3
million rubles he was entitled to. As it turned out, not all the documents had
arrived from his military unit. The Popular Front got involved in resolving the issue, the payment was processed, and the money should reach him any day now.
There was
an appeal from Lyudmila Orlova from Beloretsk, the mother of a fallen hero. Her
son died last year and was posthumously awarded the Medal For Courage, but the medal itself could not be handed over to her. Volunteers looked into the matter. The award was found and has now been presented to the hero’s mother.
What do
these stories have in common? They remained unresolved for a year or longer,
and people did not receive what they were due. The professionals stepped in and, most importantly, deeply caring individuals who genuinely engaged with the problem and resolved it literally within days.
Pavel
Zarubin: Just two
days ago, at the Ministry of Defence Board meeting, you said that there is
still work to be done in this respect. Naturally, while preparing for today’s programme,
we repeatedly saw evidence of this.
Now, let’s
watch a video message from Kristina Grebe from Novosibirsk. We know her
situation is also under control, but we also know that there are many such
stories.
Kristina
Grebe: Good
afternoon.
My name is
Kristina Grebe. I am the widow of a serviceman who was killed in the special military operation zone. We live in the city of Novosibirsk. We
have two children, six and four years old. Here is my question. To this day, we
have not received the survivor’s pension, nor do we have the certificates confirming
the status of family members of the deceased, which grant entitlement to certain benefits.
My husband died in January 2024. On December 10,
2024, I received the death certificate based on [Government Resolution] PP-1421.
We are now approaching the end of 2025, and there is still no pension. My question is this: can the processing time for such applications – for the survivor pension and the issuance of certificates for family members of the deceased – be shortened?
Vladimir Putin:
First of all, Miss Grebe, I want to apologise to you for the sluggishness on the part of the services in charge of these matters. I apologise.
Rest assured,
your case is going to be resolved quickly. But the problem is there. I recently
met with Anna Tsivileva, who currently also serves as Deputy Minister of Defence, and she briefed me on the work of the Defenders of the Fatherland
Foundation. She told me that, unfortunately, normal cooperation still hasn’t
been established between the Ministry of Defence and the Government’s social
affairs bloc.
The issues are
largely bureaucratic: documents get lost, passed down from one department to another, decisions are delayed, and so on. We will work on that to expedite
everything. I will definitely keep track of all that personally.
The way forward
is clear. We simply need to act faster and more efficiently, so that people,
especially those in situations like yours, with two children, don’t face
unnecessary hardship.
However,
there’s another, widely discussed problem that’s also evident from the questions
coming in through various channels. Mr Peskov handed me a large folder of such
questions and requests, which I reviewed. It concerns the search for missing
persons. This is an extremely urgent matter.
In Kristina
Grebe’s specific case, I hope the problems she is facing will now be resolved
quickly and without delay. But the issue of missing persons is particularly acute.
I should note
that the Ministry of Defence has taken specific steps in this area that are yielding
results. First, a coordination centre, a central coordinating body, for the search
for missing servicemen has been created.
Second,
dedicated departments have been set up within the groups of forces and at the local level, and a separate registry has been created. If we compare the situation
at the start of the year and at this time, the number of missing servicemen has
been reduced by 50 percent; compared to the beginning of the year, it’s a 3-fold change. That is a significant improvement. This work must and will continue
and improve. Our objective is to minimise such cases, ultimately bringing them
down to zero.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya:
The issue of missing persons is really important indeed. I know that many
journalists, including some of our colleagues here, have relatives who
participated in the special military operation and are missing. This problem is
very real. I think everyone present would support a request for you to issue an instruction ensuring that all such inquiries from soldiers’ families receive
special attention and are never disregarded. And, as we have said, it’s crucial
to remember both the missing and those who have been taken prisoners.
Vladimir
Putin: Such
instructions have already been issued. In fact, I have just outlined the steps the Ministry of Defence is taking in this regard.
Dmitry Peskov: I suggest that we turn to the people in this
room and invite them to ask a few questions. I can see Mir television company.
Can you hand over the microphone to the lady in red?
Elina Dashkuyeva: Thank you.
Mr Putin, good afternoon. Hello to my colleagues too.
I am Elina Dashkuyeva, Mir International Television Company.
Phone scams remain an issue these days. Have
the measures adopted by the state been effective? Do you have any information
on whether the number of people suffering from this kind of fraud has declined?
Thank you very much.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, I do have this information. The measures
have proved to be effective. Much will have to be done, of course, in this
regard. There was a seven-percent decline in the number of crimes of this kind,
according to the Interior Ministry, while the damage decreased by 33 percent.
Overall, this was quite a positive result.
There is, however, one thing I wanted to point
out. I would like to address the citizens of the country. Fraud is still very
much an issue. And the more sophisticated our devices are getting, the more
sophisticated our life is becoming, the more sophisticated tools scammers use
in turn to defraud the citizens. This is why, regardless of the voice you hear,
which is especially dangerous considering what artificial intelligence can do,
if someone starts talking to you about money, about property, just put down the phone, put down the phone right away! You should not say anything.
If this is about banks and the like, there are
people to talk to, people you know. You can get things done by visiting the bank in person. This is the best way.
I advise you against discussing any matters
dealing with money or property with anyone.
Dmitry Peskov: Thank you.
Staying in this room, I would like to once
again ask journalists to be as concise as possible.
Vladimir Putin: I see a young man holding the Children’s
Newsdesk poster. How can we fail to recognise him? Go ahead, please.
Maxim Zakharov: Good afternoon, Mr Putin.
My name is Maxim Zakharov, I am 13 years old,
and I am a correspondent with the Children’s Newsdesk.
Here is my question. You have said recently
that you sometimes drive around Moscow incognito. In addition, when we hear you
at various meetings or even now, you are very well informed. Here is my question: How do you get to know the most important things, what people really
need?
Vladimir Putin: I did not exactly say that I drive around
Moscow incognito – that does happen, but very rarely. What I meant is that
sometimes I drive without a traffic police escort. Most of the time, that is
how it is.
These trips aren’t meaningless; even from the car window, it is interesting to see more than just the road I take between the official residence and Moscow. And when I drive through different parts of the city, it is also quite interesting to observe what is happening around.
As for obtaining reliable information on current events, meetings like this probably provide the best sociological
snapshot. How many people are we talking about – two million?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Two and a half.
Vladimir Putin: 2.5 million.
Pavel Zarubin: 2.7 million.
Vladimir Putin: Can you imagine, Maxim? Two and a half million
people reached out through the Direct Line.
Of course, it is impossible to process and respond to all of this during our current session. But since these 2.5 million
inquiries reflect people’s most pressing concerns, they will be addressed, in part, with the help of artificial intelligence. My, shall we say, loyal
colleagues from the Popular Front will be working on this throughout the year.
This provides the most powerful sociological snapshot of both the state of society and the issues that matter most to people. That’s the first point.
Second, of course, intelligence and law enforcement
agencies provide various types of information. I try to use it not in a generalised form, but in its original context, so to speak. Meeting with people
directly – whether with servicemen from the front, workers, or during trips
across the country – is extremely important. Direct communication sparks a certain energy; you immediately begin to sense people’s mood, their needs, and their aspirations.
And, of course, we cannot overlook sociological
surveys. I understand that people have different views of them, but it is
important to remember that these are primarily professional tools. Average
figures can sometimes irritate people because they do not always reflect
personal experience. Nevertheless, they are valuable and essential for understanding broader trends and dynamics in the country.
Taken together, these various sources provide a fairly objective picture of what is happening.
Dmitry
Peskov: Let’s take
a few more questions from the audience.
Yakutia,
please.
Oleg
Kolesov: Good
afternoon, Mr President. Oleg Kolesov, Sakha National Broadcasting Company. We
represent the coldest part of the world, Yakutia. Right now, the temperature is
−50 degrees. As you know, in a harsh climate, people especially value warmth
and unity.
You have declared
2026 the Year of Russian Peoples’ Unity. We all know that the special military
operation is where this unity is manifested most clearly. As a military
correspondent, I know first-hand that our troops are fighting for the Motherland shoulder to shoulder, regardless of their ethnicity or faith. They wear
chevrons that say “I am Russian. God is with us,” regardless of their ethnic background.
What
chevron would you wear in the Year of Peoples’ Unity?
Continuing on the theme of unity in culture, a unique Arctic Centre of Epic Literature and Arts
will open in Yakutia next year, along with a new building for the Higher School
of Music. Both are being built at your instruction. We would like to invite you
to attend their opening ceremonies.
Yakutia is
also known for its film industry. We are working on a film about Hero of Russia
Andrei Grigoryev, callsign Tuta. We hope you will support the production and distribution of this film.
What
measures will be taken to support Russia’s ethnic groups in the Year of Peoples’ Unity? Thank you.
Vladimir
Putin: With regard
to supporting ethnic groups, we have a targeted policy of supporting the cultures
and languages of Russia’s peoples – in schools, in the media, and in literature.
You have
just mentioned various initiatives in Yakutia. The people of Yakutia are very
talented. It is no coincidence that this music school is opening there. I often
recall my first trip, when I visited a similar music school, which has since
expanded, where children from towns and villages, no matter how small, across
the republic could enjoy creative activities. The film industry in Yakutia is
also thriving. In fact, Yakutia itself is on the rise and growing rapidly. The republic is also sending military personnel to the line of contact who possess
exceptional capabilities – perhaps unmatched anywhere in the world.
The film
you mentioned will certainly receive support with distribution and so on.
As for the Year of Russian Peoples’ Unity in general, I think we are doing the right
thing, especially now during the special military operation, because when a country faces challenges, it closes ranks.
You put it perfectly, and it’s true. What
difference does it make to people under fire what faith they belong to? Naran
understands this very well, doesn’t he? What does it matter? There’s a joke for such situations: if God exists – and I have no doubt that He does – then He
surely doesn’t know that people on earth have divided themselves into different
churches. What unites us are our shared values. Those are what matter most – values
that are traditional for all the peoples of the Russian Federation. And now,
during the special military operation, this is becoming especially evident,
prominent, and clear. We see it plainly.
This just reminded me of something. We were
discussing the reports on the capture of Seversk. You may recall that the commander of one of the brigades was in my office. After the briefing, the videoconference ended, and I began talking with him about the situation in his sector
of the front, and about certain welfare issues affecting the soldiers. Suddenly
he said to me, “You know, I feel guilty.” I asked, “Why?” He said, “I’m here,
while my comrade, the commander of a neighbouring brigade fighting alongside
me, is there. We’re discussing basic supplies and state decorations, but
believe me, he is just as good and worthy as I am.” I asked, “Who is he?” “He’s
from Daghestan,” he said, “a representative of a small ethnic group there. But
he is a true warrior, a Russian patriot, and an excellent commander.” I said, “I know. But you can’t all leave the front. You are here now because the group
commander decided so; he sent you. Someone has to hold the front. Tell you what – let’s try calling him.”
I went to the phone and, through military channels,
located this second brigade commander right at his forward command post. I spoke with him briefly, then handed the phone to the brigade commander who was in my office. And here is what was so remarkable. It’s a common way for men to address
each other, but when it comes from real officers, frontline fighters, it
carries a special weight. He took the phone and said, “Hello, brother!” In that
moment, it was incredibly powerful. This is where the unity of the peoples of the Russian Federation truly manifests itself. And we will strengthen this
unity further. We will do everything to foster and cement it.
Thank you for your question.
Dmitry Peskov: Let’s have one more question from the audience
before we return to our moderators. I see a sector that has been idling – the man in a blue jacket in the first row. Please introduce yourself.
Vladimir Seroukhov: Good afternoon. My name is Vladimir Seroukhov,
the RBC radio and television channel. There will be many changes in the tax
sphere next year. It is clear that their goal is to generate additional revenue
for the budget. What financial effect do you expect to see? And will there be
any relaxations once this goal is achieved? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, this is a difficult issue. It was
discussed for a long time within the Government and the Presidential Executive
Office. Ultimately, as I have pointed out, it was decided that the best and most honest and transparent way to address our problems, including in the financial sphere, is to raise the VAT rate. Is this what you were referring to?
The goal is simple, as I said in my opening remarks: to balance the budget.
Overall, we have achieved this, as I have said, including thanks to that
decision.
Of course, certain issues remain, and the Government must take them into
account. We have talked about them many times. When the tax burden grows, when
taxes are increased, this creates a temptation to evade taxes. Our task has
been and remains to eliminate the shadow economy, to prevent businesses from
going into the shadows and evading taxes. This is a challenging task. We must
create conditions in which higher taxes do exist only on paper but actually
translate into budget revenues.
I have taken your hint about this being permanent. No, of course it
won’t. Our ultimate goal is to reduce the tax burden in the future, and the Government is acting with this goal in mind. I pin my hopes on this as well.
Pavel Zarubin: This year we have received an exceptionally
large number of questions from self-employed people and private entrepreneurs.
There are millions of them across the country, and tax changes are therefore a matter of concern for a huge number of people.
We have received a MAX message from Denis Maksimov from Lyubertsy. Let’s
try to connect with him by video, if this is technically possible.
Mr Maksimov, can you hear us? Ask
your question.
Vladimir Putin: Excuse me for a moment. (Writes down a question from a text message.) “When will government agencies start
regulating fish prices to make them affordable for the people?”
You know, government regulation of prices in the market is a complicated
and very dangerous matter, because products tend to disappear as soon as we
start regulating prices and issuing plans. That is what usually happens in a market economy.
On the other hand, regulation is necessary in some spheres, such as essential medicines. There is a price ceiling beyond which prices must not be
raised. But applying such a measure to ordinary consumer goods is extremely
complicated.
That said, there is one thing you are right about: our people don’t eat
enough fish. There are established norms for fish consumption, and we are still
below them.
I believe we should find a different solution. We must improve logistics
to ensure that fish products from the Far East can reach European Russia as cheaply as possible. We must improve transport links. We should also discuss
taxation in this sector. We must create conditions for the construction of fishing vessels, and so on. There are many issues that should bring about the desired result.
Pavel Zarubin: A video call, right?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please.
Pavel Zarubin: Mr Maksimov, if you
can hear us, please go ahead with your question.
Denis Maksimov: Good afternoon, Mr
President.
My name is Denis Maksimov, and I’m
from Kraskovo in the Lyubertsy District. We run a small family business, a bakery. For about eight years, we have been operating under the convenient
patent tax system. Starting next year, however, we will be required to pay
income tax and VAT. This means we will need to hire a professional accountant,
which will result in additional expenses for us.
We fully understand that the country is in a difficult situation at the moment and that raising taxes is
necessary. However, in my view, it would be far more effective for both the state and individual entrepreneurs if the cost of patents was simply increased – two, three, four, or even five times – depending on turnover, for example. As things stand, the situation is tough, and honestly, we don’t look to the future
with much optimism. Many businesses may close or move underground.
Could you please advise us on how
to navigate this situation, given the drastic changes to tax legislation?
Vladimir Putin: Mr Maksimov, is that
your bakery in the background?
Denis Maksimov: Yes.
Vladimir Putin: Mashenka. And who is
it named after, with such a lovely name, Mashenka?
Denis Maksimov: My eldest daughter.
Vladimir Putin: You make delicious
buns? What do you have there?
Denis Maksimov: I hope they are
delicious.
Vladimir Putin: Mr Maksimov, regarding
your question, here’s the background. Initially, various measures were
introduced to support individual entrepreneurs and small businesses. More recently,
however, the Government has identified problems, particularly in trade, both
among individual entrepreneurs and small businesses. These measures and business formats have sometimes been used for the uncontrolled import of “grey”
and “black” goods. That’s where the problem arose. But this does not mean that production
businesses should face difficulties. I will certainly bring this matter to the attention of the Government and the relevant agencies.
Regarding accounting, I would note
that you do not necessarily need to incur significant additional expenses to set up an accounting department. Many major financial institutions now offer a range of banking and accounting services. You could, for example, consult Sberbank – they should be able to help you organise this work without seriously
disrupting your business or creating a heavy financial burden.
But you are absolutely right on one
point: production business must not suffer because of the transition to a new
tax system. I assure you that this issue will be brought to the Government’s
attention.
In any case, I wish every success to you, your [bakery] Mashenka, your daughter, and your business with such a sweet
name. I sincerely wish you all the best!
Perhaps you could even send me some
of your tasty stuff?
Denis Maksimov: With pleasure.
Vladimir Putin: And I, for my part,
will work with the Government to support your business and others like it.
Thank you very much.
Denis Maksimov: Thank you.
Pavel Zarubin: Incidentally, there was a news alert just now
saying that the Central Bank has revised its key interest rate down to 16
percent. We are getting there.
Vladimir Putin: You know, the Central Bank, of course, is
under constant pressure. The high interest rate is a very controversial matter.
The difference between it and the inflation rate… By the end of the year, as I have said, inflation will be under six percent at 5.7˗5.8 percent, or maybe 5.6 percent, while the interest rate
remains unchanged at 16 percent. Experts expected a cut of up to one percentage
point.
According to the law, the Bank of Russia is an independent institution, so I try not to interfere with its decisions and to shield it from any outside influence or pressure. Overall, the Bank of Russia
has not only succeeded in delivering on its mandate, but has been quite
diligent and responsible in this regard.
In late 2024 and at the beginning of this year,
we had conversations with the Central Bank Governor, with senior Government
officials and the cabinet’s economic block, saying that we had to make a decision on targeting inflation and to do everything to ensure that the Russian
economy and the macroeconomic situation are sustainable and robust and that the national economy remains on a solid footing. The fact that there is this gap
between the inflation rate and the key interest rate offers the Central Bank’s
critics an angle of attack.
What is the problem here? In fact, there are
quite a few challenges, and one of them, as I have already said, or as I will
say, if I have not mentioned this until this point, is the slowing investment
activity. It decreased by 3.1 percent in the first three quarters. But what
matters for the Central Bank is not this substantial decline but the fact that
lending remains quite high. The number of issued loans has not been decreasing
all that much. It did decline, but only marginally. This compels the Bank of Russia to exercise extreme caution in order to avert any inflation spikes so
that it does not have to make any moves in the opposite direction. These
back-and-forth oscillations are the worst thing you can imagine. The Bank of Russia is seeking to ensure stability in this regard, which is important, of course. We cannot agree more.
Is a cut of half a percentage point enough? I will
not share any assessments at this point, leaving it up to experts. We have many
prominent specialists – let them draw the corresponding conclusions. There will
also be a response from the real economy. I can even anticipate how they will
respond. That said, we have yet to see what comes of it all.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, official inflation
is one thing, but the so-called perceived inflation is somewhat different. We
receive a substantial amount of correspondence about this. We also do our own
shopping and see how everything is getting more expensive. What can be said?
You often refer to it as the “ballpark figure” – approximately six percent.
Indeed, people write complaining that everything is getting more expensive, and prices are growing like mad.
Pavel Zarubin: Maxim Volkov from Chapayevsk in the Samara
Region: “Why has everything become so expensive? Even the price of chicken has
almost doubled. I am a father of three. I work, making 50,000 rubles, but even so,
I cannot meet their needs or feed them properly.”
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Or take these various appeals, for example. Here is one from the Rostov Region – clearly written by a child, as it
states they are under 18: “Hello! Why are the prices for food and buns in the canteen going up, while my parents’ salaries aren’t?”
Vladimir Putin: I have already mentioned that when people see
average indicators, these average figures often raise questions, because as a rule, they do not match what a person encounters in daily life.
For instance, we say inflation will come down.
That means prices will go down, and it will be at about 5.7–5.8 percent.
However, food inflation, especially in certain categories, may be higher – and it is higher – and this depends on the food basket a person uses. If that food
basket consists largely of protein products like chicken, then naturally, this
impacts the family budget. There is certainly nothing good about that.
At the same time, I would note that last year,
or the year before, we were critically assessing the actions of our colleagues
in the Government when the price of eggs suddenly spiked. Now, prices are not
just falling – they have dropped by over ten percent, almost 16 percent. These
are also important factors. Nevertheless, without any doubt, we must closely
monitor the situation in every segment and across every demographic group.
As for families with children: the family must be
at the centre of everything here, and we are striving for that. I would like to emphasise that additional measures to support families with children will come
into effect from January 1 next year. For example, out of the 13 percent
personal income tax paid, in families with modest incomes – less than one and a half times the subsistence minimum per person – seven percent, that is, the larger
part, will be returned to the family. I hope this will be a real way to support
families with children. By the way, if a family’s income, correct me if I’m
wrong, is below one and a half times the subsistence minimum, then additional
support equivalent to one subsistence minimum is provided for each child.
I am not even mentioning other components of support for families with children. Naturally, this is not enough. We all
realise, of course, that this is not enough. But what is to be done? First, we
will continue to refine this system of family support, because state policy,
both at the federal and regional levels, should revolve around this.
Second, we will, of course, strive to increase salary
levels, to ensure that incomes, especially for families with children, do not
fall. When labour incomes rise, the state must under no circumstances reduce
these support measures, which, unfortunately, is what happens now. This is a well-known problem: a family with children receives certain benefits and support, then their earnings rise, and the state cuts back the benefits it had
been providing. Therefore, when earnings rise, the family’s total income,
including benefits, must not decrease.
I return to this issue once again and ask the Government to pay the closest attention to it. It makes no sense to do
otherwise, because the budget gains nothing from it – it cannot gain – and we
only discourage people from working.
Dmitry Peskov: Let’s return to the audience for a few more questions. We haven’t covered that sector yet. I see Tyumen. Tyumen,
please pass the microphone.
Kristina Smirnova: Good afternoon, everyone. Kristina
Smirnova, Tyumen Time television channel, Tyumen.
I have a question about the unusual
object, 3I/ATLAS, that’s currently approaching. According to forecasts, later
today, on December 19, this object – which some speculate is a spacecraft with
an engine and others say is simply a comet – will make its closest approach to Earth. My question is: what are the intelligence services and Roscosmos telling
you? Are there any genuine signs of the object’s artificial origin? As far-fetched as it may sound, there are a lot of theories circulating. And while
we in Tyumen – Russia’s thermal capital – are ready to welcome any guests, if
they are guests from space, we’d like to be prepared.
Secondly, is the date of our news conference
today connected to this forecast? This is the first time we’re holding our
year-end review on a Friday. Thank you.
Pavel Zarubin: Mr Putin, they’re actually asking
you here to wink if you know that aliens exist, but it’s classified. That’s
what it says. Go on, wink if you know.
Vladimir Putin: Kristina, is that your name? I’ll
tell you, but this must stay strictly between us. It’s classified information.
It’s our secret weapon, but we will only use it as a last resort. Because we
are, in principle, against the placement of weapons in space.
But in all seriousness, it is a comet. Our scientists understand what’s happening with it. Moreover, this comet
is of extragalactic origin, so it behaves differently from comets within our
own galaxy. It has a different composition, and as it approaches the Sun,
slightly different processes occur on its surface and within its dust tail,
which makes certain aspects appear unusual. But it’s quite large, somewhere
between 2 and 6 kilometres, I believe. Just consider this: the Moon is about
400,000 kilometres away. The object you’re asking about is hundreds of millions
of kilometres away. I don’t believe it poses any threat to us. We’ll send it on its way to Jupiter. Early next year, it will leave the Solar System entirely.
Dmitry Peskov: Thank you. Let’s continue.
Pavel Zarubin: So, no winking then.
Vladimir Putin: I’ll wink just for you.
Now, let’s turn to Belarus. Please.
Viktoria Senkevich: Thank you very much, Mr President, for this
opportunity. Viktoria Senkevich, Channel One News, Belteleradiocompany.
Belarus and Russia have synchronised their
policies so well that we are also holding a major event these days, the All-Belarusian
People’s Assembly. Our President says: “Belarus and Russia must be together.” You
must have heard this. Let’s also build a bridge together, Belarus and Russia.
It is not the first time we have done this. We actually rely on Russia’s strength.
Oreshnik is to be put on combat alert in Belarus these days. Thank you for bringing
tactical nuclear weapons back to us. For some reason, not everybody likes our
union. It is odd. One day Lithuania closes its border, another day Poland. One day
they are planning to build a training ground, another day they are planning to steal
or, as you say, rob us of our property. Belarus has been affected by this, too.
My question is, what do you think about the actions of these “European swine
underlings”? Thank you for the new diplomatic term. How will Russia respond to threats at the western borders of our shared home, the Union State?
Vladimir Putin: As for the term, I blurted it out when I was talking
to a military audience. I did not mean anybody specific. In fact, I never engage
in ad hominem attacks. It is not something I ever do. I was talking about a group of people in general, “an indefinite number of persons,” as lawyers say.
And some of them may be long gone or irrelevant. It is ancient history. But it
is unimportant. What is important is our relations.
I watched the Belarusian President’s remarks at the National Assembly yesterday. I must congratulate him: it was a very emotional,
memorable and substantive address. I want to thank him for his review of Russia-Belarus
relations in their current state.
As concerns security, we deal with these issues both
on a bilateral basis and within the CSTO. You have mentioned Oreshnik. Alexander
Lukashenko spoke yesterday about the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons
in Belarus. We hold regular military exercise and have created a grouping of forces. Our defence ministries maintain very close cooperation. The security of the Union State is in safe hands of our military and it will be guaranteed, there
is no doubt.
Dmitry Peskov: Since we already had Belarus, I think that we can invite our guests from NBC to ask their question.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please.
Dmitry Peskov: Pass the microphone, please.
Keir Simmons: Keir Simmons
from NBC News.
Mr President, I want to ask you about relations
with President Trump and the United States.
President Trump has a peace deal on the table.
Ukraine is offering enormous compromises, yet you continue to talk of war.
Mr President, if you reject President Trump’s
peace offer, will you be responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians and Russians
in 2026?
Vladimir Putin: We do not believe that we bear any
responsibility for human casualties because we were not the ones who started
this war. It followed a government coup in Ukraine – the unconstitutional
government coup in 2014, followed by the effort by the leaders of the Kiev
regime to unleash combat operations against their own people in southeastern
Ukraine.
We refrained from recognising the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics as independent states for quite a long time. But
when we got misled and the other side failed to fulfil the Minsk Agreements, we
had no other option left than to use our armed forces for putting an end to the war unleashed by the Kiev regime with the support of Western countries.
President Trump has been serious about ending
this conflict. He said that he was absolutely sincere in his efforts. Moreover,
during the meeting with Trump in Anchorage, we coordinated and came really
close to accepting President Trump’s proposals.
Therefore, it would be totally wrong and groundless to claim that we reject something.
During preliminary meetings in Moscow, some proposals
were made to us, and we were asked to make certain accommodations. When I arrived in Anchorage, I said that those would be difficult decisions for us,
but we are still in agreement with this trade-off proposed to us.
So saying that we reject anything is inappropriate
and groundless. The ball is entirely in the court of our Western “opponents,”
so to speak, primarily the chiefs of the Kiev regime and, most importantly,
their European sponsors. We are ready for talks, and we are ready to conclude
the conflict by peaceful means.
Dmitry Peskov: Let’s take a couple more questions from the audience.
Let’s continue.
Thank you very much, thank you.
Let’s go to Belgorod, please.
Anna Rudchenko: Good afternoon, Mr President.
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.
Anna Rudchenko: My name is Anna Rudchenko, Belgorod State
Television and Radio Company.
First, I have to say we would be delighted if
you could find an opportunity to visit us. We will always welcome you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
Anna Rudchenko: Today, in frontline regions like Belgorod, reliable
communication is one of the most urgent and painful issues. It’s essential for attack alerts and drone warnings. It allows children to continue their
education remotely. And for some, it’s a lifeline. Children with diabetes have
glucose sensors connected to smartphones so parents can monitor their levels.
Without mobile internet, that system glitches.
We urge you to instruct the Government to add
diabetic services to the Ministry of Digital Development’s ‘whitelists,’ so that
they function without interruption, like the Gosuslugi portal, even when mobile
access is restricted.
And one more point. Thanks to your decision,
residents of border areas are receiving federal compensation for homes lost to shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Thank you very much for that.
But previously, also thanks to your decision, compensation
was also provided for the second lost property. That support has now been
discontinued. We ask for your help in resolving this compensation issue.
Vladimir Putin: One moment, please. Could you clarify the second part again?
Anna Rudchenko: It’s about a second home. Some people lost
both their parents’ house and their own. There aren’t many such families, but
they are suffering. People are relocating from unsafe areas, taking on mortgages, and the state compensation isn’t enough. We ask for your help in restoring compensation for the second lost
property.
Thank you so much.
Vladimir Putin: Let’s start with where you ended. I give you
my word, we will certainly review these cases.
You know, similar issues constantly arise in emergency situations – after fires, floods, accidents. Here, the circumstances
are even more severe. In principle, such matters have been addressed in disaster relief efforts before. They can be resolved here as well, and we will
do so. That’s the first point.
Second, regarding services: for children’s
schooling, for monitoring diabetic sensors, and so on. As I understand, the issue isn’t access to the medication itself, but the ability to monitor whether
it’s being taken on time. Is that correct?
Anna Rudchenko: When the internet is down, the sensors don’t
transmit data.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, yes, I understand. Without a connection,
it’s impossible for parents to monitor their child’s condition. And here, of course, we have to weigh this against the necessary security restrictions,
which serve to minimise the risk of air and drone strikes. Because if the servers for these services are located abroad, then, regrettable as it is, it
makes target acquisition easier for the enemy. That’s the reality we are facing
today.
But there are two ways to resolve this problem:
first, to migrate to domestic software and hardware platforms, which many
services are already using. And second, we can work with foreign manufacturers
operating here to negotiate transferring these specific services to servers
within the Russian Federation. In any case, work must be done on both fronts.
Anna Rudchenko: Thank you.
To be continued.
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