The traditional direct line with Russian President Vladimir Putin was held on December 19 in a combined format with a large press conference. The head of state answered questions from citizens and journalists. The Kremlin received more than 2 million questions, and they were accepted until the end of the event. People were mainly interested in the topics of special operations and health care, the economy and affordable housing, pensions and others. The main quotes of the President - in the material "Izvestia".

On the economic situation

When everything is calm, stable, measured - we are bored, stagnant. We want movement. As soon as movement starts, everything whistles at our temples - seconds and bullets, unfortunately, are whistling now - so we are scared. It's horrible. But not horror-horror, because everything is measured by the economy.

Everything is tied to the economy - the living standards of citizens and defense. Despite everything, our economy is doing well, we are developing despite any external threats and attempts to influence us.

The economy is growing at 3.9%, and it may even grow at 4%. This means that in two years our economy has grown by almost 8%. In the States it is 5-6%, in the Eurozone it is 1%, in Germany it is 0% and next year it will be 0%.

International financial and economic institutions have put Russia in first place in Europe in terms of economic volume and in fourth place in the world. Ahead of China, we overtook the FRG and this year we overtook Japan. This is not an indicator on which we should fall asleep and calm down. Everything is developing, actively moving forward. If the eurozone has fallen asleep, there are other centers that are actively developing.

An alarming indicator we have had is inflation. It is already 9.2% or 9.3%. But our average wages are growing, and the average disposable income of the population is growing. In general, the situation is stable and reliable.

The unemployment rate is a serious indicator for all countries in the world. We have a record low unemployment rate of 2.3%, which has never happened before.

The second indicator is the growth of industry, which amounted to 4.4%.

Who are the Europeans?

Who are the Europeans? They are all proud that they are Europeans. But they are first of all French, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, and then Europeans. And they try to smooth everything out, to polish it. And, in the end, this affects everything, including the economy.

About sovereignty

Sovereignty is a very important thing. It should be inside, in the heart. If we lose sovereignty, we lose statehood. This is very important for us, for Russia. Strengthening sovereignty is first of all important for the economy. Foreign companies have left us - our manufacturers have started to supply goods and conduct scientific research themselves. Sovereignty is different. Defense, technological, scientific, educational, cultural.

Strengthening of sovereignty is also the result of economic growth.

About the rise in food prices

Inflation is about 9%, growth of wages and disposable real income of the population - these are average figures. Of course, the country is huge. Someone will listen and say: "What increase in welfare? I still have what I have." But I am talking about average figures, because we have to operate on something, we have to rely on something.

As for the price rise, there are objective and subjective things. The most important thing is that the supply on the market must correspond to the population's income. Or the incomes of the population must correspond to the volume of goods produced in the country. In our country, incomes and wages have been growing at a faster rate than the growth of commodity mass and output.

For example, our food production has been growing steadily. Plus 3% annually. We are fully self-sufficient in meat, 100%. But our annual consumption of meat is about 80 kg per person, while in the world it is 42 kg. It seems to be enough, but still meat consumption has doubled recently. Milk production is increasing every year, but its consumption is also increasing. There are not as many products as consumption has increased.

The second objective reason is the harvest. The third is the rise in world prices for some products. Of course, sanctions restrictions have an impact to some extent. They are not of key importance, but in one way or another they are reflected.

But there are also subjective reasons, there are also our shortcomings. For example, some experts believe that the Central Bank could more effectively and earlier start using instruments not related to raising the key rate. The government is working satisfactorily, but it would be good to work in a timely manner in the sectoral context, to think about the development of industries.

The price rise is an unpleasant and bad thing, but I hope that by maintaining macroeconomic indicators we will cope with it too.

On military schools and North Ossetia

North Ossetia has always been an outpost of Russia in the Caucasus. And at all times it has justified its high purpose. We know how the republic's residents feel about both their small homeland and their big motherland, Russia.

The reduction of schools is not due to the fact that Ossetia decided to close them. It is connected with the fact that the network of colleges, as experts have considered, was overdimensioned. Now, due to known circumstances, we are increasing the army to 1.5 million people and not immediately, but I think we will solve this issue.

On the course of the SWO

Of course, I was counting on questions of this kind. It gives us an opportunity to show what is happening and what our guys are doing on the line of contact. The fighters with whom I communicate regularly pass me all sorts of souvenirs, chevrons, weapons, etc. And just recently the soldiers of the 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet gave me a copy of their battle flag. I took it with me on purpose. First, I wanted to thank the guys for this gift. Secondly, this banner represents all the battle flags of all the battle lines.

I must say that the situation [in the combat contact zone] is changing dramatically. There is movement along the entire front line, every day. Our fighters are regaining territory by square kilometers. Why is this happening?

First of all, over the previous year - this is a classic - first the enemy climbs in, is defeated, and then starts moving forward. That is exactly what is happening for us. We're moving towards our primary objectives. As for the guys, they are acting heroically. The capabilities of the armed forces are increasing. And now the 155th Brigade is fighting in the Kursk region, pushing the enemy out of our territory, but of course they are not alone. The 810th brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, the 76th and 106th divisions of the Airborne Forces, motorized riflemen and motorized infantry of the Northern Military District are all fighting heroically. And at the moment they are going into battle. Let's wish them luck, victory and return home!

On combat payments to servicemen in the Kursk Region

It is possible and necessary to correct this situation [with payments]. This is our omission. But this is unexpected information for me. Servicemen who fought on other parts of the front, if they were moved to Kursk region, should receive everything. But there are apparently fighters who have not been on the line of contact before, and they probably did not fall into this category at all.

Frankly speaking, it had not occurred to me. It is a pity that the military department did not pay attention to this. We'll fix it, we'll recalculate it retroactively. Everything will be recalculated, all the due payments will be transferred.

Now the number of armored vehicles hit in Kursk region has outgrown the number of vehicles hit by our guys on the entire line of contact for the whole of last year. Comparable figures.

[The servicemen] should, of course, receive the promised reward for the hit vehicles. It's strange, of course, that there are problems with this. I know that the defense minister is listening to our conversation as well. It will all be done, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind.

On the liberation of Kursk Oblast, restoration of small villages and housing certificates

There is no doubt [that Kursk Oblast will be liberated]. I cannot give you a specific date when the Ukrainian armed forces will be knocked out. Right now the fighting is going on.

I have already said: it made no military sense for the AFU to enter the Kursk region, hold on there and throw the best assault groups and units to the slaughter. Nevertheless, this is happening.

We will absolutely definitely knock them out, it can't be otherwise. But I can't say by what date. The most important thing is that everything will be restored, there can be no doubt. We will restore the road network, communal infrastructure, social facilities, housing. Certificates will be issued for the restoration of housing. We will help those who want to move to other regions.

108 billion rubles have been allocated for these purposes, the first money has already been received. The administration will work all holidays and solve issues, including those related to certificates.

We will definitely do everything, we will restore everything. Everyone who needs housing restoration will be satisfied.

On the effectiveness of the "Nuttall"

This is a modern, new weapon of medium and shorter range. Can it be shot down? There are several types of air defense systems. These are Patriot, more modern THAAD systems. I don't think Ukraine has them. If the Americans want to supply them, let them supply them.

There are other means of defeat - missile defense systems, missile defense systems, which have been discussed a lot. We have done a lot to overcome missile defense. And in general, from the point of view of the interests of the American taxpayers, all this history gives little for the security of this country.

But the system is in place, two positioning areas have been established in Romania and Poland. There are 24 missile defense systems on alert there and there. In Romania, the range is 300 kilometers and the altitude is from 80 to 250 kilometers. In Poland, the intercept range is already 1,000 kilometers and the altitude is 500 kilometers.

But "Oreshnik" is a medium-range weapon, range of 1000, 1500, 3000 km and more. Now let's imagine that our system stands at a distance of 2000 km. Even missile defense from Poland won't reach it. Nothing will fly there, there are no such systems. And the second thing is that it takes time to get there, and we start separating the warheads after a few seconds, and that's it, the train is gone. So there is no chance to shoot down these missiles.

If Western experts believe that this is possible, let them offer us and our Western partners to conduct a technological experiment, a high-tech duel of the XXI century. Let them identify some object to be hit, say, in Kiev, and we will strike there with the Oreshnik and see what happens. We are ready for such an experiment.

On the restoration of Donbass and its potential

There will be enough [forces for these works], there shouldn't even be any doubts. We have a huge program for the restoration and development of these territories. It is calculated until 2030. And there is and will be work in a number of areas. This is the restoration of heating networks, housing, housing and utilities facilities, and social and cultural amenities. Within three years we plan to bring the entire road network in line with the national standards.

We plan to build a ring road around the Sea of Azov, which has become an inland sea of the Russian Federation. And it will be the same road as the Tavrida highway in Crimea, with all the advantages of such a highway. One part has already been done - from Taganrog to Mariupol. This is a small section of the highway, but the planning goes around the entire Sea of Azov.

These regions have a very good potential for development. Their tax potential is very large. In the LNR, for example, the taxes collected have increased by 97%. In Donbas, 69% growth has already occurred. In Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, the growth is measured in hundreds of percent, although the base is smaller there. But the growth is 200 and more percent. That is, the tax base is good, the revival is going quite quickly and all these regions are becoming self-sufficient. Yes, we need to support people, to help them in time, to give them a shoulder. The country is doing this and will continue to do it until these regions are fully incorporated into Russia, not in the legal sense, but in the sense of social and economic development.

About the "Time of Heroes" project

As for the "Time of Heroes" platform, I got the idea after meeting with guys, mostly students, participants of the NWO, in St. Petersburg. I looked at them and thought: "This is the future of the country". My colleagues came up with the name when I arrived in Moscow and told them my idea.

The first stream received 43,000 applications. Naturally, the selection process was very serious, we selected 83 people. And it is clear why - we need people who have administrative experience, education, and are suitable for future work in the management of large companies, municipalities, entire regions, ministries and departments. Of course, all our guys who fight for their homeland are worthy. But there is a question of their suitability for the line of work where they would like to see themselves. Both education and experience are needed. It is one thing to fight for the homeland, and another to work with people. You need talent and experience. Our task is to choose from this environment people who are willing and able to work there.

On the nuclear doctrine and security of Belarus

I don't know how they [in the West] understood the changes in the nuclear doctrine, you should ask them. I know what is the content of these changes. Some key things I will name.

We are talking about some new military dangers that could develop into military threats. These are the emergence of missile defense systems and some other things. Then we talk about increasing the responsibility of non-nuclear states that may take part in aggression against the Russian Federation together with countries that have nuclear weapons. If such countries and their allies threaten our sovereignty and the existence of Russia, then we consider ourselves entitled to use our nuclear weapons against them as well.

Finally, another component related to the management of nuclear weapons is Russia's declaration that if the same threats are created for our ally, a member of the Union State, Belarus, Russia will consider this as creating similar threats for the Russian Federation itself. We will do everything to ensure the security of Belarus, in coordination with the Belarusian leadership, with the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. I think this is a very important component of the updated Nuclear Strategy of the Russian Federation.

On the relocation of companies to the regions of the Russian Federation

It is right even to move some federal bodies to different centers of the country. This pushes development. We are trying to concentrate all judicial power in St. Petersburg. This "unhooks" a separate branch of government from the presidential office and the government, making it geographically more independent.

Other centers, of course, need to make the tax component work brighter, so that taxes are paid at the place of production. That's a push for development. We will do this, but the process is complicated, it takes time. We need to have personnel on the spot. But it is necessary to train personnel on the spot. We will definitely work to ensure that large companies and some authorities move to Russia's regions.

But there is a limit to everything. The President and the government must be close to each other. Nevertheless, it is necessary to follow this path.

On the restoration of Mariupol

We pay a lot of attention to Mariupol, it is a big city, before the SWO there were officially about 430 thousand people living there, and local authorities say it was even more, 470 thousand. There were about 3 thousand apartment buildings there. Of those, about 1.7k have been rebuilt, but not all of them have been put in yet. The documents for more than 500 houses are still being processed. Houses there are being restored and rebuilt.

There are houses that have been handed over to developers, they are going into the commercial sector, you can buy a mortgage at 2%, which is valid in the new territories, there is a housing boom there now. We are dealing with roads, social and cultural amenities, and medicine, a large medical center has recently appeared there, and we will continue to do so.

As for housing, I repeat: people have the right to get housing at least near where they used to live.

On the Arctic mortgage and construction teams

We are in the process of reviving construction teams. First of all, in the Arctic zone, we have retained a preferential mortgage at 2%. What is very important, people are taking advantage of this benefit. I should note that [mortgages at] 2% are also preserved for new territories. Secondly, in this zone we are doing a program for individual settlements, 25 cities, and we will expand it nationwide to 200 cities.

If we are talking about small settlements, they may not be included in these agglomeration development plans, individual cities. We will, of course, see what we can do additionally for the Arctic zone. Of course, this is very important.

Apparently, you proceeded from the fact that it is necessary to develop fast Internet here, etc. I agree, when [watching a movie] is in a movie theater, it's a completely different atmosphere, a different mood. I'll definitely watch it, I've marked it down. Many movie producers are leaving us. God bless them! But this, in turn, pushes our own production. Our fairy tales, bylinas and so on are all being revived.

On the problem of inaccessibility of the Internet in remote settlements

We have a program for the development of high-speed Internet, satellite constellation and so on. Especially the satellite constellation related to the organization of communication. All this will certainly be done. The relevant resources have been allocated and planned, and there will be no disruptions.

I count on the fact that the residents of remote regions, including Chukotka, will fully enjoy all the delights of modern civilization. For a country like ours, this is extremely important, because people are working remotely more and more, and getting their education remotely. And here high-speed Internet is of fundamental importance.

On the problems with pension accrual in new regions due to loss of documents

Yes, it is necessary to confirm the length of service. It was difficult to do this until recently. But recently a federal law has been adopted to the effect that all the length of service a person received in previous years, decades, is counted.

Therefore, there are regulatory and legal grounds to resolve the issue. All issues of this kind, even if there are no documents, are closed by testimonies and decisions of interdepartmental regional commissions. And I very much ask the leadership [of the regions] to organize their work in such a way that these issues are resolved without unnecessary bureaucracy.

On the assassination of General Kirillov

You said "assassination attempt. I am grateful to you for this, because you indirectly recognized that this was a terrorist act, because this murder was committed in a way that was dangerous to the lives of many.

The regime in Kiev has repeatedly carried out such terrorist crimes against Russian citizens: both in Kursk now, when they are shooting civilians, and in other Russian territories. They have killed journalists, your colleagues. And we have never once heard from the Western journalistic corps condemnation of such terrorist attacks.

These are signs of the terrorist nature of the regime in Kiev, but of course this means that our law enforcement and special services miss these strikes. What can be said here: we need to improve our work so that we do not have such punctures.

On demography and the aging population

We will improve measures [to increase the birth rate]. The issue is extremely important. It is one of the key issues for Russia and for many countries around the world. In the USSR, there was an increase in the birth rate of 2%. What is the birth rate? It is the number of children per woman. In modern Russia, the rate was 1.7%, and then 1.4% per woman. Of course, this is very low. But many other countries are in our situation: Finland, Norway, Spain, etc. In South Korea, it is 0.7%.

In order to ensure reproduction, we need to raise this indicator to at least 2.1%, and to ensure expanded reproduction, we need at least 2.3%.

We had a sharp decline in the birth rate during the Great Patriotic War and after the collapse of the USSR. The number of women of childbearing age decreased by 30%. Girls are needed.

We have a big program to restore these figures. First, a single allowance is valid from a woman's pregnancy to the child's 17th birthday. Over 10 million children and 320,000 pregnant women already receive it. Secondly, our invention, which is not available anywhere else, is maternity capital. There is also a family mortgage. In addition, we pay 450 thousand rubles to families with a third child. We will continue to fine-tune this instrument.

Demographics in Chechnya and Tuva are fine. We should say thank you to them and follow their example. But in regions where the birth rate is below 1.41%, we need to create a separate support program. This is what we are doing. A program of 75 billion rubles is being created for 35 regions for the next few years.

This is a challenge for many countries in the world, including Russia. Population is what makes up a country. Territory is good, but you also need citizens.

About the high-speed railroad and passage through Chechnya

We need to ensure passage along the Black Sea coast, provide access to Sochi and eliminate the traffic jams that accumulate on the approach to Adler, especially during the tourist season. This arose because in preparation for the [2014] Olympics, they made a bypass of Sochi, and then it turned out to be a bottleneck. Two streams merge there, the new and the old. This needs to be solved first, so that people don't stand in traffic jams there.

As for the extension of the expressway to Grozny and Makhachkala - right, we need to think about it, but as a next step.

On the denial of the unified allowance for large families

This is a purely formal approach [denial of a single allowance because of a small excess in income], we thought for a long time how to avoid such a situation. In principle, the decision has been made. We should, taking into account these situations, recalculate personal income tax. And then refund at least 7% of the tax paid by your family. We will see how it will work. Hopefully, it will compensate for your losses associated with underpayments in benefits. The Government's premise was precisely that this would recoup your money under-received in benefits. Hopefully, this problem will be resolved.

On travel benefits for large families

As for vacation, moving, there is such a problem. There is a solution, it is stated in the code that large families should be given a benefit, 50% of the standard fare. What do the airlines do? They introduce their own benefits, small ones, and then say: well, this is not a standard fare, so we will not provide 50%. This practice must stop, I agree with you completely. And I ask the government together with the airlines to regulate this problem no later than January 14 next year.

On eliminating the consequences of the wreck of tankers in the Kerch Strait

First of all, this is an environmental disaster, it is quite obvious. Law enforcement authorities are assessing the actions of the captains of the ships, who violated the relevant rule - they did not leave in time for shelter and anchored in the wrong place. The special services are now dealing with it. Secondly, yesterday the storm of 4-5 points continued, it is quite difficult to work. By Saturday the sea should calm down and it will be possible to organize work.

This is a big disaster, a catastrophe, because almost 40% of the fuel [that the tankers were carrying] has leaked out. One tanker is submerged, one sank. Various services are working on the site, including the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Transportation, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. I asked the Prime Minister to organize a working group, which is headed by Vitaly Savelyev, Deputy Prime Minister for Transport. All services are working and regularly report to me on what is happening.

The solution to this problem should be divided into stages. The first stage is already underway. Everything must be done to fence off the area with spilled fuel and prevent this stain from spreading. Second, we need to do everything we can to clean up this fuel that's showing up on the shore. The day before yesterday, Governor Kondratiev reported to me that a group of about 4,000 people had been concentrated at the accident site. According to the governor, no other measures are required now. But, if necessary, we are ready to deploy an additional group of EMERCOM there.

Discharged fuel oil hardens in the cold and in this form it is thrown ashore. In May, part of this fuel oil, which has lain on the seabed, may rise. We need to prepare for this now. We need to think now about how to pull the tankers ashore. For this purpose, it is necessary to reinforce them so that the fuel does not leak out, and then make a project on how exactly to pull them ashore. This is a big job, and the government is working on it. I am counting on the fact that time will not be lost.

On the goals of BRICS and the establishment of the organization's headquarters in Kazan

BRICS is not a tool to counteract the West. We are not working against anyone, we are working for our own interests, for the interests of the member countries. We are not building any confrontational agenda within BRICS.

The organization is developing rapidly. Work is based solely on reciprocity and respect for each other. All issues are adopted by consensus. This is very important. There are no small or big states, more developed or less developed. There is an association of interests. There is only one interest - development.

As for the BRICS headquarters, we are not creating it. There are separate instruments that are created and work in the interests of the entire organization. We will certainly use all the opportunities of the capital of Tatarstan. Kazan has made an amazing leap in its development. It is without any exaggeration one of the best cities in Europe.

On migrants and compatriots

Citizenship is indeed conferred by presidential decree, but it is a purely formal act that should be prepared by local commissions. We are talking about working with compatriots, that is, people who feel part of Russia, speak Russian and consider themselves part of the Russian world. As a rule, they are highly qualified specialists, and we are interested in attracting such specialists to work and live here. We have a whole program created for this purpose, but apparently not everything is still working effectively, we need to improve these mechanisms.

As for Ukrainians: it seems to me that there are as many Ukrainians living in Russia today as there are in Ukraine, or maybe more. I'm not kidding, it could well be, if you mean those people who live in the new territories, in Crimea, or simply those who have moved from Ukraine. And we welcome this, these are people of our culture. We are interested in having highly qualified people, bearers of our traditional values come to us.

About the elections in the United States and about the journalist missing in Syria

To be honest, I have not yet seen President Assad since his arrival in Moscow. I will definitely talk to him. You and I are adults. And we understand what the situation there [in Syria] was like 12 years ago. Does President Bashar al-Assad himself know [about the missing journalist]? I promise that I will ask this question.

I don't know when we will meet with newly elected U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, because he doesn't say anything about it. He and I have not communicated for more than four years. But I am ready for it at any time, if he himself wants it.

On strengthening Russia

Despite all the persecution of our press, we allow foreign journalists to work in Russia, they do it freely - this is already good. They and the people who pay their salaries would very much like us to be in a weakened position. I have a different point of view - Russia has become much stronger over the past 2-3 years.

We are becoming a truly sovereign country: we have little dependence on anyone and are able to stand on our own feet in terms of the economy. I have already spoken about the pace of economic development. We are strengthening our defense capabilities. The combat readiness of our armed forces is now at the highest level in the world. The same applies to our defense industry. We are increasing the production of everything we need for our armies and navy, both for the current moment and for the future. And we are doing this quite confidently and at a rapid pace, which is not the case with our adversaries.

Yes, all NATO countries are practically at war with us. But we talked about our inflation, and what is happening there? One shell [of 155 mm caliber] two years ago cost 2,000 euros, and now it costs 8,000 euros. A fourfold increase in price. The training and combat readiness, the internal state of Russian troops - there is no other army in the world that has this. That is why I believe that Russia is largely in the condition we have been seeking: it has become stronger, a truly sovereign country. We will make decisions without any regard for other people's opinions, we will be guided by our national interests.

In response to those who would like to portray Russia as weakened, I would like to recall the words of a man and writer known to everyone: "rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated".

On the situation in Syria

Foreign journalists and those who pay their salaries want to present [the situation in Syria] as some kind of failure and defeat for Russia. I assure you that this is not the case. After all, we came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave like the one that emerged in Afghanistan would not be created there. On the whole, we have achieved our goal. And even those groups that fought the Assad regime have undergone internal changes. It is not for nothing that today many European countries, including the United States, want to establish relations with them. Why do you go there if they are a terrorist organization? So they have changed, haven't they? To a certain extent, the goal has been achieved.

We didn't have ground troops in Syria. There are two bases there: an air base and a naval base. The ground component consisted of the armed forces of Syria itself and some so-called pro-Iranian fighting formations. We did not fight there.

What was happening there? When the armed opposition group approached Aleppo, it was defended by about 30,000 people, and 350 militants entered the city itself. The government troops, and with it the pro-Iranian units withdrew without a fight, blew up their positions and left. And so it was pretty much the same, except for minor exceptions, all over Syria. If before our Iranian friends were asking us to help them move their units into Syria, now they are asking us to move them out of there. We took 4,000 Iranian fighters to Tehran. Some went to Lebanon without a fight, some to Iraq.

Now the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic is not easy, and we very much expect peace and calm to come there. We are in contact with all factions and with all countries in the regions. The vast majority of them are telling us that our bases should remain. But we have to think about this and decide for ourselves how we will have relations with the political forces that control and will control the situation in this country in the future. And our interests must coincide. What those interests will be is a question awaiting painstaking research on both sides.

We proposed using the Khmeinim air base to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria. This was accepted with understanding by our colleagues, and we are ready to organize this work together. This also applies to the naval base in Tartus.

On the migration problem and migrant workers

This is a very sensitive and acute issue. Indeed, there is a shortage of laborers. This is a fact, there is no way out. What is the solution? First: in order to reduce the number of migrant workers, we need to increase labor productivity and introduce technologies that do not require a large amount of unskilled labor.

Second. If this is inevitable, we need to work together with our partners, primarily from Central Asia, to prepare people for this. That is, to develop a network of Russian schools, to study the Russian language, to familiarize people who are going to come to us with the traditions, culture, and requirements of Russian law. Of course, it is also necessary to toughen the requirements for those who are already on our territory.

Some steps have been taken. A law has been passed on the right not to admit to schools the children of migrants who do not speak Russian. On the whole, this is understandable.

Here we need to ensure that people who come here are not disadvantaged, that the appropriate guarantees and rights are provided, but in such a way that this does not place an additional burden on the local population. There are a lot of questions, and of course the government should pay more attention to this.

On family and rural mortgages

There should be no limits on family mortgages. We have already discussed this topic with the Government. I was promised - and I will check how this promise is being fulfilled - that there will be no limits on the part of banks. Because everything is connected with subsidies from the state. It should be just a pleasure for banks to receive 6% from those who use the loan, and the difference between the preferential rate and the key rate should be reimbursed by the state. And here there should be no limits on the part of the state. So if the banks refuse, it means that the government does not send this subsidy in time. Probably. I will check, I promise you that I will check. But we have agreed that there will be no limits.

What concerns family mortgages, also concerns rural mortgages at 3%, this is a very important element in housing construction. Because 50% of the housing built last year was FHL. And residential housing is mostly in rural areas. People of about 40 years old take this mortgage, they move to the village, build families there. This mortgage should not have any limits either. It is a few tens of billions for the budget, it is not critical at all, it should be preserved. Family mortgages will definitely remain, agricultural mortgages will definitely remain, the Far East, in the Arctic, in new regions. And I ask the government to check the subsidies there. We will put things in order there.

On Sino-Russian relations, the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II and the founding of the United Nations

We often talk about cooperation between Russia and China. Next year we celebrate 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. A lot has happened over these years, but in the last decade the level of relations has become such as it has never been before. First of all, this is due to mutual trust. We do a lot of things that are in the interests of both the Chinese people and the people of Russia.

As for economic relations, according to various estimates, trade turnover is 220-230 billion dollars a year. Last year's growth amounted to about 3%. We have about 600 joint investment projects totaling $200 billion.

An important component of Russian-Chinese relations is the humanitarian part. We constantly hold cross years - culture, youth exchanges. This is the basis for the development of economic ties and political interaction. The most important part is regional interaction, when regional leaders communicate with each other. Personal chemistry matters.

Turning to the issue of the Great Patriotic War, we can confidently say that Russia and the PRC are the most affected countries, which achieved victory as a result of heavy losses. Historians say that 27 million people died in our country during this period. In China even more - over 30 million. What the Japanese militarists did on Chinese soil is horrifying. The Chinese people went through it.

We were together then and we are together now. This is the most important factor of stability in world affairs. This instrument of stability was originally and specially created for this purpose by the UN, which was founded by Russia and China. We very often coordinate our actions in the international arena and will continue to do so.

On the possibility and conditions of negotiations with Kyiv

The illegitimacy of the regime lies in the fact that there is no indication in the Ukrainian Constitution that the powers of the president can be extended even under martial law. Now they have only one representative body of power - the Rada - whose powers can be extended under martial law.

The state structure in Ukraine is such that a number of government bodies are formed by the president. But if the first person himself is illegitimate, then the other bodies have no rights either. By performing the actions of an illegitimate president, they are complicit in illegal activities.

We are ready to dialog without preconditions, but on the basis of what we agreed upon during the negotiation process in Istanbul at the end of 2022, as well as on the basis of the realities on the ground today.

If not with the head of the regime, then with whom? If someone goes to the polls and gets legitimacy, we will talk to anyone, including Zelensky. Now, if Ukraine really wants to go down the path of a peaceful settlement, they are able to do it [organize the election process] inside the country as they want. However, we can only sign documents with representatives of legitimate authorities.

On the situation of the ROC in Ukraine

What is happening to the ROC in Ukraine is a unique thing. It is a gross violation of the rights of believers, the Church is being torn apart before the eyes of the whole world. And everyone prefers not to notice it. Those who are doing this will get an astonishment.

The fact is that they are not even atheists. Atheists are people who believe in something. That there is no God, but that's their belief. And these are people without any faith, godless people. They're ethnic Jews, but who's ever seen them in a synagogue? I don't think anybody's seen them in a synagogue. They're kind of not Orthodox, because they don't go to church either. They're certainly not Islamic, because they don't go to mosques either. They are people without kindred and without tribe. They do not care about anything that is dear to us and the overwhelming part of the Ukrainian people. They will leave someday and go not to church, but to the beach.

About phone scammers and approval of loans online

Indeed, banks have learned to issue loans quickly, instantly. But they are obliged to check solvency. There is even a certain rule that if more than 50% of a citizen's income goes to servicing the loan, it becomes more expensive for banks to issue such loans. The capital burden for the bank increases. What is happening now is, of course, very alarming. The volume of this scam is off the scale.

Recently, at a Sber event, Herman Oskarovich Gref reported to me that more than 250 billion rubles had been swindled from the accounts of citizens throughout the banking system from Ukraine alone, where this fraudulent activity has been elevated to the rank of state policy.

This is roughly what Hitler's Germany did, printing money from our allies during World War II. Including Britain's money: pounds sterling was printed and distributed to undermine the British economy. Roughly the same thing is happening in Ukraine now.

Of course, we need to discipline this situation, pay serious attention to it. Let them issue loans up to Br50 thousand online. From Br50 to Br200 thousand - it is necessary to give people at least a few hours to check something additionally and make a final decision. And the issuance of Br200 thousand and more should be extended at least for a few days.

These issues are being discussed in the State Duma and the Central Bank, where they will improve decisions related to the burden on capital in respect of those banks that give unsecured loans. I hope that all this will lead to the desired result.

There is another problem that the Central Bank Chairman reported to me and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Cards are opened for people who do not seem to be involved in this fraudulent scheme. But then, when money is swindled from citizens, it is first transferred to intermediary cards, and then the fraudsters steal the money from there. And those who open these cards have nothing to do with it.

There is a proposal to strengthen not only control, but also the responsibility of these people, who are actually accomplices in these crimes. Formally they do nothing, but they understand what the card is opened in their name for. There is a proposal to criminalize such activities. I am not saying that this is the solution, but it is definitely necessary to think in this direction.

I have acquaintances who have reported that fraudsters call or have called them. As soon as they hear an unfamiliar voice and offers related to some action, they hang up. I highly recommend that all citizens of the country do exactly the same.

On putting Ukraine's call centers on Russia's list of priority targets

The list of priority targets includes military facilities and military-industrial complex facilities, and there may be decision-making facilities as well. But we will not spend ammunition on these call centers. We need to make appropriate decisions inside Russia in the appropriate instances (the Central Bank, the Russian government and internal affairs bodies).

About the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation and its development

The Foundation was created after I had a meeting with the mothers and widows of the Defense Forces participants. I realized that the usual methods of support are not enough. It is necessary to create a separate mechanism, including for those who lose their ties with the Armed Forces.

The foundation's tasks include solving social issues, receiving various benefits, payments, and organizing prosthetics. We should pay tribute to the fund, they order not just a product, a prosthesis, but a whole service. Now there are requests from the guys about employment, sports and participation in cultural events. This is great. So, there is a trend towards changing the situation for the better.

But the most important task, of course, is employment. Young guys, their eyes are burning, they have training. In modern conditions, you can stay in the armed forces, [...] but you can work in the IT sector, medicine, sports. There are a lot of ways to find yourself, and there are more and more opportunities. The Foundation is also working successfully on this. There are always some problems, but there are many people working there who are directly related to the NWO: either widows, or mothers of servicemen, or servicemen themselves. These are not indifferent people, so, probably, the work is quite effective.

About the assistance to the victims of the AFU attacks and the single window for civil initiatives

I want to say thank you for doing this. This is an extremely important thing, helping specific people. When volunteers do this, for which I would like to express my gratitude to all volunteers, they do not just work, they risk themselves - unfortunately, there are losses among volunteers - when they do this, they reach a specific person and feel more clearly what the state is doing well and what is "failing".

I have already said that there is a reconstruction program for the Kursk region, for which funds are allocated. The same will happen in other border regions, Belgorod and Bryansk - no one will be ignored.

Of course, you [volunteers] feel it [possible problems] more subtly and acutely. I will think about how to do it [combine the efforts of the state and volunteers]. And I will definitely ask the relevant agencies, and we will talk to the governor about how to combine these efforts. I don't have a direct answer right now, but the statement of the question is absolutely correct. We will think about how to do it.

On support for the families of fighters who have gone missing

This is a very sensitive issue for many people. It is one thing when a person is fighting, and God willing, everything is fine. There are different kinds of payments out there. The difference is small, but in all cases it is clear what [the payments] are for. When a person disappears from the radar, there is the issue of supporting people. We have discussed this issue with the Minister of Defense, he knows about it. At least two things need to be done here - first, to speed up or shorten the process of making a final decision. Because there is no information, families stop receiving the appropriate payments because he is not involved in either defensive or offensive actions, and family support is reduced.

Here, the Ministry of Defense together with the government should make another decision - what can replace at least part of these payments. There are different ideas out there, maybe to formulate that there is an allowance for children, or some other, but here it is necessary to make a decision on temporary measures and speed up the decision on the final closure of the issue. The Ministry of Defense knows and is working on it.

On Israel's actions in Syria and Palestine and the situation in the Middle East

We are in constant contact with Turkish President Erdogan and discuss the situation in the region and in the Middle East.

President Erdogan's attitude to what is happening is well known to everyone, and Russia's position is also well known. Both on Lebanon and on Palestine. Our position is not subject to the current conjuncture, we have always believed so. There can be a solution to the Palestinian problem only if we remove the cause of the conflict.

It is necessary to comply with the UN Security Council decisions on the establishment of two states. The state of Israel has been created, but the state of Palestine has not yet been created. That is the problem. Moreover, so-called illegal settlement activities continue from the Israeli side.

I do not know what Israel's ultimate goals are in the Gaza Strip, but it is condemnable, and we have repeatedly spoken about it at all levels. The same applies to Lebanon.

As for Syria, it seems to me that, let's be frank, Turkey is doing everything to ensure its security on its southern borders, to create conditions for the return of refugees from its territory to other parts of Syria, to move Kurdish formations away from the border. All this is possible. But the main beneficiary of the events in Syria, in my opinion, is Israel.

Russia condemns Israel's seizure of Syrian territories, but Israel is trying to protect itself. Israel has advanced about 60 kilometers inland by 25 kilometers on the Golan Heights and approached the fortifications that were built in Syria by Soviet troops.
I have a feeling that they are not going to withdraw from there. And the local population has asked to be included in the Israeli state.

Everything that's going on there is a complicated issue. Turkey has a similar problem with the Kurdistan Workers Party. It's a serious problem, the Kurds are serious guys. I hope there will be no aggravation there, but this problem needs to be solved. There will be many problems, but we are on the side of international law.

About values in the Internet and blocking Youtube

Regarding the Youtube blocking, there are more questions to Youtube's side, not ours. When Google created its network here, it also created corresponding services that need to be maintained. Having created these "subsidiaries", it worked with them. After various restrictions and sanctions began to be imposed in the West, Google practically stopped or reduced their financing and the supply of relevant equipment here, thus creating certain problems for itself.

Both Youtube and Google should respect our laws, avoid some kind of cheating on the net, namely, they should not use and abuse the net to achieve the political goals of their governments. [...] This is all a violation of the laws of the Russian Federation, and Roskomnadzor is charging them accordingly. Competition is growing, if Google and Youtube, realizing this, will somehow change their outline of work, they won't have any problems.

As for bloggers' reference points, responsibility to their child, their future and the country where the child will live will orient [in priorities] better than I will. On what is beneficial for our children in the future and what is harmful and unacceptable: it is necessary to fight [against evil] not according to my direction, but according to the call of the heart.

On helping defrauded shareholders

We have created a system of escrow accounts, where people, if they take out a mortgage, transfer money. And this money remains frozen until people get their square meters. It is the same with housing and communal housing, it is fully covered by mortgage lending.
Of the 110 million square meters of housing built last year, half of it was housing developments. This is a breakthrough. But the money should be in escrow accounts. Where did people transfer this money to and why?

This particular case should be projected on other possible situations of this kind and prevent this fraud. We do not have housing completed yet, but the money that came into escrow accounts is almost 7 trillion rubles. This is more than 65% of what has been collected and what is needed to complete the housing financed, in fact, by citizens in 2025. I can practically guarantee that this housing will be built, and no one will be left without apartments, because the money is in these accounts, they are protected.

On Zhirinovsky's predictions

I was personally acquainted with Vladimir Volfovich, he was not a predictor. He loved epatage and enjoyed doing it. But he was a very erudite and well-prepared person. He was actually a specialist in the Middle East, an expert. Everything he said came true, because he said it on the basis of analyzing what was happening in our country and in the world. This is a forecast based on knowledge.

On further decisions on the Central Bank's key rate

Elvira Sakhipzadovna [Nabiullina] does not tell me anything about the key rate, she herself probably does not know yet, because they are discussing it at the Central Bank's board of directors, at their "Komsomol cell", and in the course of the discussion they make the final decision.

But I hope that it will be balanced and will meet the requirements of today.

On multi-stage decision-making by Russian officials

The decision-making process is always difficult. When ambiguous issues come to me, they are usually problems that require different points of view.

My instructions are usually necessary to make up my mind. If there is a dispute, then my colleagues come to me and ask me to make the final commander's decision. Sometimes it is necessary to put the decision on paper and implement it as a normative act.

About climate warming

Remember the old joke? You have to think about the house. Those projections you mentioned are not ephemeral calculations. They say that the permafrost will melt and there is a huge problem for the environment here, because there are more emissions from here than from all cars combined.

So, if the ice melts, the coastal regions of the Russian Federation could be threatened as well. Well, first of all, we have entire settlements and cities standing on stilts in permafrost, and something is already starting to crackle there. This is something we need to think about. Secondly, we have coastal cities, including St. Petersburg. We have built a dam, which we have dreamed of since the time of Peter the Great, but we need to think about what to do next. Think about the house first of all!

In fact, this is not an idle question. If someone moves to us [from other countries because of climate change], we have 2.3% unemployment, we have jobs. [...] We have a place to resettle people, but we need to think about social infrastructure in advance. But above all, we need to think about the issues we have internally.

About the paper press

I think that paper journalism will also have its place in this huge changing world, just like the paper book. There is an opportunity to flip through a gadget where everything is written in different languages in a good font. I use it myself, to be honest, but picking up a book is a different story. And paper journalism - taking Izvestia or Komsomolka in your hands, leafing through it, digging through it - there is a kind of thrill in that. I hope that those who are engaged in paper journalism will take this into account and create this interest. The main thing is content. If the paper press has interesting content compared to the Internet, it will not die.

On who Putin would have a cup of tea with

Among living personalities, I would like to meet more often with people close to me. Speaking of departed world leaders, I had contacts, not so close, but I had contacts with Chancellor Helmut Kohl of the Federal Republic of Germany. He was an international figure, not only because he was a big man, but also because of his actions and beliefs.

When he was no longer Chancellor, he came to visit me regularly. And I had the pleasure of talking to him. I remember many of our conversations with him with interest, and they were very useful to me.

Jacques Chirac, the former president of France, was a very interesting person. He was an encyclopedist: whatever you asked him, he knew everything. He had his own opinion on everything, and he stuck to it. He was a gallant man. <...> I learned a lot from him: demeanor, intelligence, and so on.

Another person who was not only very warm in communication, but also very active and quick-witted, was Silvio Berlusconi. He did a lot for the development of Russian-Italian relations. Despite what is happening now, Italy has sympathy for Russia, and we have sympathy for Italy. I note that all these figures have contributed to the development of bilateral relations. It was very interesting with them. They were personalities, with their own opinions, focused on strengthening the sovereignties of their own countries.

On the shortage of narrow specialists and therapists in hospitals

The main problem with staffing is in the primary health care. We have hospitals, there are practically no problems with staffing there, but in primary care there are. A clear conclusion follows from this. This is primarily a question of the organization of health care in the regions of the Russian Federation.

If we look at the turnover of beds in hospitals, we will see that they are not completely and fully filled during the year. And at the same time, there are problems in the primary health care sector, in polyclinics, hospitals, where people work every day. And it is the task of local authorities to distribute the load.

The second is related to staff training. The Ministry of Health is trying to attract as many applicants as possible, and this process is underway. We have started to pay extra to doctors and nurses in small communities, and this also matters. For the first time in previous years, we are seeing an influx of 17,500 specialists, but there are still not enough of them. All of this, of course, needs to be done at a much higher and better pace than we have been doing so far. I cannot disagree with this.

About work in the countryside and the shortage of young personnel

Agriculture is one of the key sectors of the Russian economy. It is developing at a good pace, 3% per year. We cannot but be happy about what is happening in agriculture. In 1986, the Soviet Union bought 35 million tons of grain, and last year we exported 66 million tons. Back in 2000 we started exporting, but it was 1.2 million tons.

We are among the three largest exporters of food to the world market, and in wheat we rank first in the world. We have a steadily large resource for export operations. There are problems related to milk, to horticultural products, but there is a development program. Everything is growing.

One of the most important problems is social issues in rural areas, housing, culture, education. There is a program of socio-economic development of the village. In general, it is financed. It is probably not enough. The most important thing is to improve the welfare of people living in rural areas and increase their income. All other issues will depend on this.

Traditionally, since the times of the USSR, we have paid much attention to personnel. Now the work in the countryside is becoming more and more interesting. It is already an industry. It requires high-class specialists, highly qualified. And of different levels: in the field of biology, chemistry, genetics.

Genetics is the most important area. It is now developing at the fastest pace in relation to the interests of agriculture. We need to talk about it not only at events of this kind once a year, but to talk about it constantly and create conditions for young people to come and work in this sector of the economy with interest.

The state, for its part, will do everything it can to attract applicants. But manufacturers should create conditions to send people for training in a targeted way. And in the course of training, they should select personnel for themselves, ensure their work at enterprises and their industrial practice.

On abortion

Regarding abortion, we have to think here about religious beliefs, about demographic issues, about the welfare levels of Russian families, and about the right of women. This is a subtle issue that is not resolved in the course of a press conference.

About porn sites and bans

Porn sites are watched all over the world, not only in our country. First porn sites, and then the cutlet to order. Any bans have the right to exist, but it is necessary to offer an alternative more interesting than porn sites. So that a person goes there, opens a porn site and says: "no, I've already seen this somewhere else, and I want to see something else...".

About Lenin's body

The same goes for the topic of burying Lenin's body. Someday, perhaps, society will come to this, but today, especially in Russia, we must not take a single step that would split our society.

About the status of Korolev

As for the development of Korolev as a space capital - we will build a space industry development center in Moscow, but Korolev is a recognized center and as a science town it deserves special attention, there are ideas there.

In general, we need to think about how to use Korolev's potential.

On the pardon of Biden's son and personality changes

Biden pardoned his son, although he promised not to do it. There are other examples in the history of our country. Everyone knows the painting "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan." Legendary or not, so is what happened to Peter the Great's son, Alexei. Or with Stalin, it's not a legend when Stalin refused an offer to swap his son Yakov, who was in captivity, for Field Marshal Paulus. He said: "I don't swap a soldier for a field marshal!". This is the decision of a man. <...> This mood in society, which was also supported by the head of state, Stalin, did not give him the opportunity to save his son.

As for Biden - he is a politician, and it is always important what is more in you: a politician or a man. It turned out that Biden is more of a man, I would not condemn him for that.

On how Putin has changed during his time in SWO

We all change, every day, every hour. But these three years were a serious test for all of us, for the country and for me. I began to joke less and almost stopped laughing. And I began to improve my skills in finding key issues and being able to focus my attention and energies on them.

On peace initiatives on Ukraine

We are paying attention to the peace initiatives of Brazil, China and other countries. They are sincere and do not impose anything on either side: neither Ukraine nor Russia. And it is done by neutral countries that do not intervene in the conflict.

Unlike Western states, which are actually the belligerent party. We should think a hundred times about their initiatives.

As for the possibility of stopping the conflict now. The enemy's combat equipment and manpower are now being depleted. What do we see on the battlefield today? Our army is advancing, the enemy cannot gain a foothold. Our guys are going further, and further, and further.

If we take a break, it will give Ukraine an opportunity to rest, to tighten up the equipment. The training of Ukraine's current fighters is not the same, our guys are noticing this either. Because those who train them have never fought themselves.

A long period of truce will give the enemy an opportunity to train and strengthen their personnel.

We do not need a ceasefire, we need peace, long-term and durable, with guarantees. It is a difficult question of how to provide these guarantees. But solutions must be found.

On what he would change in the decisions of February 2022

Hypothetical question. If one were to look at the situation knowing what is happening now, I would think that the early 2022 decision should have been made earlier. Knowing this, we should have started preparing for these events, including the SWO.

After all, the Crimean events were also spontaneous. The events of 2022 also began without much preparation, because it was impossible to stand still, to tolerate and wait for the situation to worsen for us.

The Kiev authorities announced that they would not fulfill the Minsk agreements. They said so bluntly, claiming some kind of weapons of mass destruction. We saw that we were deceived about the Minsk agreements. Eight years of war, slaughter and destruction of people have been going on in Donbass. Moreover, we saw that the military development of these territories with the parallel destruction of everything connected with Russia had begun. It was impossible to remain in the state we were in. We were forced to take these actions.

Knowing in advance what would happen, we should have made systematic and serious preparations.

On the level of development of the pharmaceutical industry in the country

The pharmaceutical industry is the most important area of our activity. In 2008, I was Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation when we started work on the development of our own pharmaceutical industry. In 2009, certain programs were formulated, implying the development of this industry with the support of the state, federal budget funds. Today, our pharmaceutical companies have begun to invest their own resources in development. These are large investments, amounting to tens of billions of rubles. They have started to create their own development programs, drugs, substances. Russia has begun to produce complex drugs, including those to fight cancer.

The lack of test strips [for diabetics] and insulin in pharmacies is the fault of the relevant local departments. In general, money is allocated in full for all prescription drugs. The shortage of drugs is a matter of organizing tenders and timely decision-making. I will certainly talk about this with my colleagues in the government and in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. We just need to do everything on time and be properly oriented as to what the market needs are.

Now the pharmaceutical industry development program is included in the technological leadership project. By 2033, we should reach 90% of our own vital drugs and 40% of our own medical devices. - for medical devices.

Threats to Russian LNG projects in the Arctic

Competitors are afraid of competition and use the means of political struggle for unfair competition. The well-known company Novatek - it is not a leader, other countries, including the States produce more LNG. But we are growing. They are trying to prevent us from growing. This is an unfair means of restraining competitors. It is bad for them, because if they fight with competitors in such ways, not economic ones, they will lose competitiveness.

On Ukraine and Russian gas

Ukraine refused to extend the contract, although it received 700-800 million dollars per contract from us. The question arises as to what to do about it. But these are not our problems. It is Ukraine that has cut off our gas supplies to European consumers.

By the way, just recently our special services reported to me that Ukrainian saboteurs were detained in Slovakia with maps of the location of gas energy facilities in Slovakia. I was informed about this yesterday or the day before yesterday, but I will ask our guys to clarify with their colleagues through partner channels what this is all about, not only are terrorist acts being committed in our country, but now they are also being committed in European countries. But that is their choice. Our choice is the development of cooperation, and we will achieve our goals.

On the refusal to invite Russia to military holidays and commemorative events in the West

We do not aspire to go anywhere. We are well at home, we need to strengthen ourselves, and that is the point of our work. That is the first thing. And the second: we will never forget the sacrifices that were made by our people on the altar of victory over Nazism. The most important thing is that we do not forget it.

The fact that other countries are trying to forget this is natural for them, for today's leaders. For them it is a line of attack on Russia. To forget, to shift, not to remember. But this is their business.

We will be happy to see anyone who wishes to come to us to celebrate [the Victory anniversary]. My position is that we are generally open to anyone who wants to be with us these days in Moscow, including members of the anti-Hitler coalition who made a notable contribution to the victory over Nazism. There were heroic people there too, we love them, we respect them.

Their losses are not comparable to those of the Soviet people. We lost 27 million people, in the USA - 500 thousand, in Great Britain - about 400 thousand. Therefore, their contribution to the victory is different, but their participation was worth a lot, if only because they were with us, they supported us. Including at the expense of lend-lease. We, however, paid for it [lend-lease] fully and completely. When I became president, we even paid for the lend-lease, despite the fact that so many years had passed. But we appreciate the Allies' contribution to the common struggle.

About Yeltsin's request to keep Russia safe.

Yes, I didn't just save the country, I took it away from the edge of the abyss. Everything that happened to Russia before and after was leading to a complete loss of sovereignty. Without sovereignty Russia cannot exist as an independent state.

I draw your attention to what you said about the reign of Boris Yeltsin. Everything was fine. He was patronizingly clapped on the shoulder, he was not noticed when he had a drink, he was very pleasant in all Western circles. But as soon as he raised his voice in defense of Yugoslavia and said that what was happening [the strikes on Belgrade] was contrary to international law and the UN charter, he was immediately persecuted.

I did everything I could to make Russia an independent, sovereign power that is able to make decisions in its own interests, not in the interests of those countries that were dragging it along, patting it on the shoulder.

Yes, there is inflation, but we will fight it. At the same time, we have economic growth rates. Russia ranked fourth in the world in purchasing power parity, and first in Europe. The UK, on the other hand, is not even in the top five. At the same time, we are ready to work with the UK, but if the UK will work with us.

On personal happiness

Everyone knows that I was born in a simple working family. My ancestors crossed the Danube in the 19th century. From the archives I got a paper where one of my ancestors was awarded the George Cross, one of the first. My father and all my relatives fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, there were a lot of dead, my father was a disabled war veteran. I myself served in the foreign intelligence agencies. My work has always been connected with serving the Fatherland. Of course, the fact that Russian citizens have entrusted me to lead the state not for the first time is a huge honor and responsibility. One could say that I am happy.

But this happiness cannot be complete until our boys return from the front, until they are met by their mothers and wives and embraced by their children. Until young people, girls will not create the number of families we need for Russia and have children. I really want scientists, artists and cultural workers to realize their plans. Only then will it be possible to say that I am happy.

About the image of Russia

Russia is a huge territory, history, culture, our customs and traditions. This is all of Russia. But the most important thing is the people. For the achievements of our athletes, Olympians, young scientists, I rejoice as for members of my family. Without any exaggeration. That is why I look at Russia as a family.

On your attitude to your duties

If people have entrusted me with the functions of the country's president, if I have certain duties, I set myself up to fulfill them with dignity and full commitment. If I take the practice of hating or disliking something that is part of my duties, the desired result will not be achieved. That is why I have long ago set myself to the fact that everything I have to do, I have to do with pleasure.

On the possibility of giving political asylum to Zelensky

I don't know. It is quite likely that he, like some people from the top political leadership of Ukraine [who] have gone abroad. It is quite likely that he will leave as well. He will be taken care of by those people whose interests he serves today.

But if he suddenly, like a devil out of a snuffbox, appeared somewhere and said he needed political asylum, Russia does not refuse anyone.

On wishing Russians a Happy New Year

When I meet with representatives of denominations, I often ask them: "What is the most common thing people say to you, what do they regret?" Do you know what they regret? Too little attention to their children. On the eve of the New Year, which is a family holiday, on the eve of Christmas, I would like to wish you to pay more attention to your loved ones. I wish you success, happiness and prosperity.