In the midst of heightened tensions with the West and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin held his traditional annual press conference on Thursday.
There were curious scenes among the accredited journalists, some of which attracted attention with eye-catching costumes or signs – in order to finally be able to ask their questions.
Putin is toying with marrying again!
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been divorced for a good four years – a renewed marriage is an option for him. „As a decent person, I’ll have to do this at some point,“ said the 66-year-old on the PK.
Which woman he will give the yes-word and when, the Kremlin chief wrapped himself in silence. Officially, Putin is still single.
The Russian president had officially divorced his wife Ljudmila in 2014 after 30 years of marriage. Already the year before, they had announced in front of the state television camera that they were going their separate ways in the future. Both justified the decision with the fact that they saw themselves hardly by Putin’s work. The president usually keeps himself covered with details about his private life.
The highlights of the strange Putin show
More than 1,700 journalists from all over Russia and around the world registered for the event in Moscow’s International Trade Center.
The focus was on the Ukraine crisis, relations between Washington and Moscow and the economic situation in Russia. Four hours were scheduled for the Putin show.
The most important topics – the strangest reporters
Russia, Putin’s words, is beginning to rise economically among the top nations. His country could become the fifth largest economy in the world, claimed the Russian president.
Moreover, according to Putin, the Russian economy has adjusted to international sanctions for the annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
▶ In a response, Putin accused Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko of deliberately provoking an incident in Kerch Strait to improve his chances in the election campaign.
It is noteworthy that Ukrainian journalists were allowed to ask questions on the spot.
Putin does not believe that relations with neighboring Ukraine will normalize in the foreseeable future. „As long as there are Russophobes in the Kiev powerhouses overriding the interests of their own people, the situation will not change, no matter who sits in the Kremlin,“ he told journalists in Moscow on Thursday.
Putin said his country was interested in peace and prosperity in Ukraine, as the neighboring country was one of the biggest economic partners. The volume of trade between the two countries has increased recently.
▶ The unpopular increase in the retirement age of five years was also discussed. It caused massive public protests and falling approval ratings for Putin.
▶ Putin at least expressed the hope that the planned VAT increase, which was extremely unpopular in the population, would remain a unique event.
▶ During the press conference, Putin warned of a possible nuclear war. Putin criticized that there are currently no talks about limiting the rocket armor. The lowering of the nuclear threshold could lead to a global catastrophe. Russia does not aspire to military superiority but to equality.
„We are witnessing the demise of the system of deterrence. It has reached a dangerous limit, „said Putin. And further: „For humanity that is very bad. The whole thing can lead to the annihilation of the planet. “
▶ According to Putin, Russia will not return to socialism. Economically, the socialist system has led to the impasse, said the head of the Kremlin. But individual elements such as the „equitable distribution of resources“ or caring for the poor part of the population are the goal of his policy. „There will be socialization in this sense,“ Putin said.
It is already Putin’s 14th annual balance sheet with the media since taking office in 2000.
