01:39Russia: Sanctions a political move aimed at restricting our growth - Putin
Sanctions need to be used to Russia's advantage, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Moscow on Thursday, noting that relief from sanctions cannot be expected any time soon. He also said sanctions now represented a political move aimed at restricting Russian economic growth, rather than an attempt by the West to change the situation in Ukraine.
Speaking at an annual live question-and-answer session at the Gostiny Dvor (Merchant Yard), Putin also said that regardless of sanctions, an exchange-rate correction was inevitable earlier this year.
The Russian President will answer some of the nearly 2.5 million questions from the public collected since April 9. Putin is also expected to answer questions via live link-ups from across the country.
The QA session, Vladimir Putin's 13th in a row, will be broadcast by Russia’s major TV channels and radio stations. The 2014 "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin" lasted 3 hours and 55 minutes. Putin answered 81 questions out of 2.4 million put forward, 35 of which concerned Crimea and Ukraine.
01:39Sanctions need to be used to Russia's advantage, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Moscow on Thursday, noting that relief from sanctions cannot be expected any time soon. He also said sanctions now represented a political move aimed at restricting Russian economic growth, rather than an attempt by the West to change the situation in Ukraine.
Speaking at an annual live question-and-answer session at the Gostiny Dvor (Merchant Yard), Putin also said that regardless of sanctions, an exchange-rate correction was inevitable earlier this year.
The Russian President will answer some of the nearly 2.5 million questions from the public collected since April 9. Putin is also expected to answer questions via live link-ups from across the country.
The QA session, Vladimir Putin's 13th in a row, will be broadcast by Russia’s major TV channels and radio stations. The 2014 "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin" lasted 3 hours and 55 minutes. Putin answered 81 questions out of 2.4 million put forward, 35 of which concerned Crimea and Ukraine.