“Our partners didn't stop, they saw themselves as victors, like an empire. All others are vassals who must be subdued." The Russian president said this morning, Vladimir Putinduring the annual conference. “They want the Russian bear to sit quietly and eat honey – he added -, but they try to put him in chains, remove his teeth and claws and stuff him. The crisis in Ukraine should make our partners understand that it is time to stop building walls”.
As for the Russian crisis, according to Putin "it will last a maximum of two years: in the worst case the economy will start growing again in 2017, but the situation could improve even earlier, at the end of next year". The Kremlin's latest estimates on GDP trends speak of a 2014% growth in 0,6.
“A further fall in the prices of the Petroleum”, added the Russian leader, specifying that “external factors have caused the current economic problems”. As for the storm that broke out on the ruble, according to the Russian President, the Central Bank "must not burn its reserves senselessly" or "give up gold reserves". On the other hand, Putin believes that Elvira Nabjullina, head of the institution, should not be criticized because she behaved in an "adequate" manner when faced with the roller coaster of the ruble.
After the latest moves by the Central Bank – the discount rate hike, sale of part of its foreign exchange reserves and the promise that in 2015 he will work with the Government to recapitalize some institutions – yesterday the ruble started to rise after the historic collapse recorded in the sessions on Monday and Tuesday. The rise had continued at the opening today, before Putin's words, but at the end of the morning the Russian currency returned to losing ground against the euro, at 75,87, against 75,10 at yesterday's close. The exchange rate against the dollar was also down, returning to 61,83 from 60,65 yesterday. On Tuesday, when panic prevailed in the market, the ruble was above 100 against the euro and 80 against the dollar.
Meanwhile, today the former Prime Minister Romano Prodi he will meet Putin at 17 pm Italian time. The professor, on a visit to Moscow, will have lunch with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. From Germany, however, the chancellor Angela Merkel he reiterated before the Bundestag that sanctions against Russia are "inevitable" as long as Moscow's pressure on Ukraine continues. “It depends on Russia to accept our offer of dialogue on the basis of the values of the peaceful European order – said Merkel -. Until we have achieved this objective, continuing with the sanctions is inevitable”.
