Putin’s Final Message in 2022: I am a Peacemaker
The annual address to the Russian Federal Assembly has been canceled, according to Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, who recently explained that he finds it difficult to record results and upcoming plans.
Nevertheless, the final days of 2022 were marked by an unusually high level of Putin’s public activity, as if the president had something important to say. At times he even made jokes (which is not necessarily a good sign).
The Russian leader answered some questions from journalists after the State Council meeting on Thursday, December 22. Here are the main talking points.
The Russian economy
The predicted collapse of the economy has not happened, although there is definitely a decline in the economy.
Inflation this year will be a little over 12%, which is better than in other countries, including the G20.
It is important to replace foreign investment in Russia with domestic investment.
There are no alarming elements in the Russian economy.
The year 2022 in Russia passed “fairly confidently,” everything related to the “special operation” in Ukraine is forced and necessary.
The “Special military operation”
I meet with the military every day.
No one wants to unite the Russian people but us. And we will do it. And we will.
All armed conflicts end with negotiations on the political track, the Russian Federation has never abandoned them, the Ukrainian leadership has forbidden this to itself.
Intensification of hostilities leads to unnecessary losses, the hen beaks one grain at a time.
Russia will want the conflict in Ukraine to end as soon as possible, and the sooner the better.
If they put Patriot in Ukraine, we will “snap” Patriot as well.
Patriot is a rather old system, it doesn’t work like the Russian S-300.
The role of the West in the conflict.
All this started in 2014 after the coup d’état instigated by the United States, our goal is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict, but to end this war, that is what we are aiming for.
The resources of NATO countries are not running out yet, but Ukraine is receiving mostly Soviet-made weapons, and that is close to exhaustion. Western countries also have new equipment, but it will not be so easy to switch to it.
What happened at Nord Stream is an act of terrorism, everyone has admitted that. Who benefits from the fact that gas only goes through Ukraine? That’s who blew it up.
Gas and oil prices
The European Commission imposed a transition to exchange-based gas pricing on Russia, we persuaded Brussels not to do this, but now they do not know how to “bail out” of the current situation.
The decree on the response to the oil price ceiling will be signed on Monday-Tuesday.
These are precautionary measures, because no individual damage to the Russian economy or the fuel and energy complex is in sight. We are roughly selling at the prices that are set as the ceiling.
The Address to the Federal Assembly, the meeting with big business and the New Year
The situation is developing very dynamically, so it was difficult to record the results and specific plans for the near future at a given moment. The Address will certainly take place at the beginning of the year.
I would be happy to meet with representatives of big business, but now COVID has begun to rise again, and there is another attack, the swine flu. The only question is this.
Dangerous for Russia are people who do not value it, but only “take out” money from it. We are loyal to everyone, the main thing is for them to work effectively.
I will try to celebrate this New Year with my loved ones, so that there are people close to me. I will watch the president’s speech.
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