Russia wants to avoid conflict with Ukraine and the West, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
“This is not our (preferred) choice, we do not want this,” Putin said at his annual news conference.
Putin said Russia had received a generally positive response to security proposals it handed to the United States this month and that negotiations would start early next year in Geneva.
“I hope the development of the situation will proceed along that path,” he said.
Russia rejects Ukrainian and U.S. accusations that it may be preparing an invasion of Ukraine as early as next month by tens of thousands of Russian troops poised within reach of the border.
It says it needs pledges from the West – including a promise not to conduct NATO military activity in Eastern Europe – because its security is threatened by Ukraine’s growing ties with the Western alliance and the possibility of NATO missiles being deployed against it on Ukrainian territory.
Putin added the onus was on the West to provide Russia with the security guarantees it was seeking, and this would determine Moscow’s future actions.
Putin said NATO had “cheated” Russia with five waves of expansion since the Cold War and the United States was at Russia’s doorstep with its missiles.
Below are other themes Putin touched upon during the press conference. Putin spoke in Russian. The quotes below were translated into English by Reuters.
ON NATO EXPANSION
“What is unclear here? Are we putting missiles next to the United States’ borders? No, it is the United States that has come to us with their missiles, they are already on our doorstep.”
“The course of negotiations is not important to us, the result is important… ‘Not one inch to the East,’ they told us in the 90s. So what? They cheated, just brazenly tricked us! Five waves of NATO expansion and now already, please, the systems are appearing in Romania and Poland.”
ON GAS
“Gazprom is supplying all volumes requested under existing contracts.”
“Gazprom did not book this traffic as its customers, above all German and French companies, who buy gas via this route, did not put purchase requests forward.”
“They turned this route into reverse from Germany to Poland… Why? Because we supply gas to Germany under long-term contracts and the price is three to four, (even) six to seven times cheaper than on spot. Just reselling 1 billion cubic metres one can earn $1 billion.”
ON DONBASS
“The future of Donbass should be determined by the people who live in Donbass… It cannot be any other way. We see our role as mediators in creating the best conditions for determining the future of the people who live in this territory.”
ON RUSSIA LABELLING SOME MEDIA AS FOREIGN AGENTS
“We do not forbid the work of these organisations. We want organisations engaging in Russia’s domestic political activity to clearly and concisely declare the sources of foreign funding for their work.”
ON VACCINES
“…I am talking about the need for mutual recognition of vaccines and for these vaccines to be spread around the world as quickly as possible in as large a quantity as possible. Otherwise we will not be able to cope with this problem globally, humanity will live with it all the time.”
ON INFLATION & RATE HIKES
“(Inflation) of 8% is a lot and we of course need to return to the target, to 4%.”
“I know the real (economy) sector’s dissatisfaction with raising rates, but if this is not done, we could have the same problem Turkey has. This is a serious issue and a serious challenge.
“Of course, these instruments need to be used carefully, but the central bank carries out independent policy. This may seem strange to you, but I do not interfere in the central bank’s work, but I assess it as positive and believe that in principle we are finding the right balance.”
ON ECONOMY
“GDP growth this year is expected to be 4.5%.”
“The unemployment rate has become lower, by the end of the year it may slightly increase to 4.4%. This is a very good indicator of the economy as a whole.”
ON COVID-19 IMMUNITY
“Collective immunity today in Russia is 59.4%… But this is not enough, we need collective immunity of around 80%. Hopefully, next year, somewhere at least by the end of the first quarter or in the second quarter, we will reach this level.”
Reporting by Moscow newsroom; Compiled by Alexander Marrow and Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan
Photo – Russian President Vladimir Putin. EPA-EFE/MICHAIL KLIMENTYEV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL
