After four hours and a reported three million submitted questions, Vladimir Putin’s annual marathon TV call-in show is finally over for another year.

A slickly-produced question and answer programme, this year threw up a mixture from serious queries on the Ukraine crisis and relations with the West to ridiculous inquiries about buying dogs and cloning,

Here’s what we learned.


Russia ‘has no imperialist ambitions’

Mr Putin fielded a number of questions relating to the Ukraine crisis and Russia’s relationship with neighbouring countries like Belarus or Kazakhstan, nations which dance to the federation’s tune.

Mr Putin said his only interest was ensuring that people of Russian origin living in these countries were treated well, and said that like the rest of the world he wants to improve integration with bordering states.

Referencing relations between the US and Canada, Latin American states and the EU, he took issue with the fact that when Russia tries this, it gets accused of building an empire.

Mr Putin blames the US for the rise of Isis

Asked about the issue of Russian nationals going to fight for the so-called Islamic State, the President insisted that there was no “direct threat” of them returning to attack Russia at this time.

He also took the opportunity to have a swing at Washington, saying that US foreign policy – in particular the decision to overthrow Saddam Hussein – had led to a rise in extremism in Iraq where “there had been none before”.

Mr Putin is a terrible marriage counsellor

Things turned a bit silly when one caller said she and some other women wanted to buy one of their friends a pet dog for her 40th birthday, but that her strict former-military husband did not like the idea.

In a slightly sexist intervention that’s unlikely to help anyone, Mr Putin appealed to the retired colonel: “Boris, please, let your wife get a dog. It’s a good deed and will strengthen your family.”

Mr Putin thinks Russia doesn’t need any allies

In another question about Russia’s position in the world, one caller asked who exactly were the nation’s allies.

To this, Mr Putin said he agreed with a quotation from the 19th century Russian emperor Alexander III, who said: “Russia has just two allies, its army and its navy.”

The President’s shortest response to a question came following a rather fawning reference to his extraordinary personal popularity ratings, which top 80 per cent despite the country being in recession.

Q: “Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! Have you ever thought about cloning yourself? There are no other officials who the nation trusts!”

Mr Putin: “No.”

Russia may never find who ordered the killing of Boris Nemtsov

Asked about the assassination of the prominent opposition leader just a few hundred yards from the Kremlin itself, Mr Putin described the incident as “tragic and shameful”.

The President said he would intervene with the Moscow Mayor over suggestions that flowers left in memory of Mr Nemtsov were being bagged up and removed by officials.

But he said that, despite the fact five Chechens have been arrested over the shooting, investigators may never know who masterminded the killing. When asked a second time about this point, Mr Putin declined to comment further

Russia’s economy could return to growth in two years

Despite official estimates that the Russian economy will shrink by between 3 and 5 per cent this year, Mr Putin remained upbeat on the nation’s prospects.

He admitted that he saw no immediate end to Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine crisis, but pointed to the Ruble’s recovery as a sign of investor confidence and said Russia could be back growing again within two years.

Russia ‘has no military forces in Ukraine’

Since the start of the Ukraine crisis, Moscow has repeatedly denied charges from the West that it is directly arming and reinforcing the separatist rebels.

Despite Nato and rights groups reporting otherwise, Mr Putin said today: “I will tell you openly and straightly. There are no Russian troops in Ukraine.”

Russia is not worried about war with Ukraine

One question sent via a reporter in the field came from a hotel-owner in western Russia, whose business lies near the border with crisis-stricken eastern Ukraine.

She said she and her family were “terrified” about violence spilling over into Russian territory – but an almost-smiling Mr Putin shrugged off her fears.

“There will be no war,” he said, adding that the “few shells” that had fallen on Russian soil since the conflict began were “accidents” and nothing to worry about.

There was nothing wrong with lifting the missile-delivery embargo on Iran

Mr Putin defended the decision, made this week, to lift a ban on selling defensive missiles to Iran.

He said the Middle Eastern state had shown “a desire to reach compromise”, and said that it did not undermine international sanctions on the basis that Russia’s ban, in force since 2010, was “voluntary”.

It is up to the West to normalise relations with Russia

Among the high-profile figures to be given the chance to ask questions was the editor-in-chief of the Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper, Konstantin Remchukov.

He said that he was among those in Russian society who felt the country was better off when it was working with the US rather than against it.

But Mr Putin said a normalisation of diplomatic relations would only happen if the West respected Russia’s international interests, adding: “[The US] doesn’t need allies, it only needs vassals.” He said Russia would never accept a relationship on those terms.

Source:http://nairausd..com/2015/04/12-things-we-learned-from-russian.html

Also:http://nairausd..com/

Senior man Putin. I dey feel this guy like mad. Him get enough confidence to fill up Ten Gp tanks.

Putin the non screen James Bond

i just like putin, i know why, he is no freind of the U.S

A LEADER THAT CARE FOR HIS COUNTRY....

tobtap:
A LEADER THAT CARE FOR HIS COUNTRY....

Comfirm bro.

You know.

Demburrows:
Putin the non screen James Bond

True talk. Bro. ...unl.....

My role model

Please op, beg am for me, tell am say Nija wan be ally if Buhari no gree, Biafra wan be ally abeg.

USA is a mess and with time dey will see dia end.

Wia is d weapon of mass destruction dey accused sadam Hussain of?


We'd wait to see if dia is anything like Chibok girls.


Propaganda machine makers

Mrbigman1:
My role model

Please op, beg am for me, tell am say Nija wan be ally if Buhari no gree, Biafra wan be ally abeg.

USA is a mess and with time dey will see dia end.

Wia is d weapon of mass destruction dey accused sadam Hussain of?


We'd wait to see if dia is anything like Chibok girls.


Propaganda machine makers

1 most the most SOPHISTICATED WEAPON they use this time around is the MEDIA.

Finding show that the UK didn't see any atomic bomb site.

If you follow international politics, you notice that the US &IT ALLIES NATION ARE BIG TIME HYPOCRITE.

I just don't know anything the say, do, provides, invent etc is always right, superior, best etc.

Even if they do negative thing, they always find their way out.

Remember you know. ......

The US doesn't need allies, It needs vassals. GEJ realised this early on and shunned their Imperialist moves. That's why they strategically forced a regime change in Nigeria. They suddenly became interested in Nigerian affairs and even gave Jega an award for an election that had not even been concluded. I keep saying this, GMB is going to turn Nigeria to a US vassal state. Look at today's news, US TO ASSIST NIGERIA IN ECONOMY AND SECURITY. If we look at all the countries they are involved in, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Lybia, Afghanistan one common factor remains, WAR, CIVIL WAR. Unless something happens, unless GMB is not living on past glory and still has that strength of will we know him for the west will turn him into a puppet and NIGERIA will be another vassal state to the worlds no 1 oppressors.

Aegon:
The US doesn't need allies, It needs vassals. GEJ realised this early on and shunned their Imperialist moves. That's why they strategically forced a regime change in Nigeria. They suddenly became interested in Nigerian affairs and even gave Jega an award for an election that had not even been concluded. I keep saying this, GMB is going to turn Nigeria to a US vassal state. Look at today's news, US TO ASSIST NIGERIA IN ECONOMY AND SECURITY. If we look at all the countries they are involved in, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Lybia, Afghanistan one common factor remains, WAR, CIVIL WAR. Unless something happens, unless GMB is not living on past glory and still has that strength of will we know him for the west will turn him into a puppet and NIGERIA will be another vassal state to the worlds no 1 oppressors.

True talk bro.

GEJ really fought A BIG battle.

Keep the good work to enlightened our people.

All of a sudden they began to shout COOPERATION, ASSIST, SHOW CONSIGN.

Something most be wrong somewhere in which the populace is not aware of.

You know. .....

Feeling this guy...I have always known that the western sanctions at some point will be counter productive. The US economic growth has slowed due to strong dollar

Obama be like...