Next question is from Yekaterinburg. Asks how the economy is going to recover from the pandemic and when will Russia return to what it was before the lockdowns.
Putin says transportation (rail and air), retail sales, and services (restaurants, gyms, etc.) have been most badly hit. Federal and local governments have worked out programs to help these sectors -- a tax holiday, direct grants, interest-free loans, low-interest loans for businesses that don't lay off workers, subsidies for renting state-owned property, etc.
Then mentions programs to help large-scale production (cars, ships, airplanes, etc.) and agrobusiness. Says government spent 4.6 trillion rubles on supporting the economy during the pandemic, which is "unprecedented for the country." Says this money was "effectively used."
As for the question when will the country emerge from the crisis -- this depends on how quickly mass vaccination is carried out. "We all need to work actively," Putin says.
Putin says Russia is overall in favor of withdrawing its forces from Transdniester, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Moldova, but only once there is a “normal dialogue” between Transdniester and Moldova. Moldovan President-elect Maia Sandu has stated that she wants Russian troops out of the country – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this month that such a withdrawal would “hardly help resolve the issue” and called the demand “irresponsible.”
Putin says Russia was close to agreeing to withdraw its forces and blamed the EU for the lack of such an agreement, without going into details.
Next question is about problems within the CIS -- Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Moldova. "Will Russia lose some of its allies?"
Putin notes that the events in Kyrgyzstan are not new and such crises happen there all the time. Says that problems in the region are because these countries are new to democracy. Not like France, where institutions developed over centuries, he said.
Putin praises Moldovan President-elect Maia Sandu, but says that she is a "citizen of Romania." Says Russia is working for a peaceful settlement to the Transdniester conflict in Moldova, says they were close to a settlement under President Dodon, but the U.S. interfered "for some reason."
As for Belarus, Putin supports Lukashenka's calls for constitutional changes and a peaceful resolution of the crisis there without outside interference. Says there is currently "informational and financial" support coming from outside the country to destabilize Belarus.
- By Mike Eckel
The Khabarovsk protests, sparked by the arrest of the popular Governor Sergei Furgal, have continued almost daily -- an unusually stubborn and persistent political expression of discontent.
Furgal continues to be hugely popular in Khabarovsk, and his supporters have been intensely critical of the Kremlin for its handling of his case. (Among other things, they're asking why are prosecutors just now getting around to filing these charges.)
It's unclear why exactly the Kremlin hasn't moved more aggressively to squelch the protests: By one theory, it's because Khabarovsk is VERY far away from Moscow (8 time zones away, on the Pacific coast) so the protests are unlikely to metastasize in other regions; by another, nonmutually exclusive theory, the Kremlin is happy to let the protests run their course as a political pressure valve, and to try and show the world that the Kremlin does allow for free political speech and assembly.
"The charges against Furgal are very serious. We are talking about murders. Investigations are under way. I understand people who were frustrated about Furgal's arrest. But it is not a political persecution. There were many similar cases against members of other political parties. Investigators and courts must be impartial."
State-funded RT focuses on Putin's remark that "betrayal is the biggest sin of all."
Next question is from the Vladivostok media center. Journalist asks about the protests in Khabarovsk Krai and across the region in support of arrested former Governor Furgal. Asks Putin if there has been any new information on the Furgal investigation (he is accused of involvement in several murders in the early 2000s).
Putin notes that Furgal's party, LDPR, still supports him. Putin says that he never had any problems personally with Furgal and praises his work. "But the accusations against him are very serious," Putin says. He is accused of being a member of an organized crime group and of organizing murders for commercial reasons.
Putin says the investigation is ongoing and he is not checking in with them. He says he understands that people are upset that Furgal was arrested, but what could be done?
"This is not political persecution, but a criminal matter," he says.
Notes that some members of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party have also been tried and convicted.
"Should we make exceptions for some particular party?" he asks. Claims the law treats everyone equally, including Furgal.
- By Mike Eckel
Andrei Kolesnikov, a well-known correspondent for Kommersant (and a quintessential Kremlin insider) appears to give a gentle scolding of Putin for the constitutional changes that give Putin the option to stay in power for another decade:
"Are you ready to become president again after 2024? What is this amendment about anyway?"
Putin responds: "I haven't made such a decision for myself, whether or not to stand for election in 2024."
Next question is about the amendment to the constitution that "nullified" Putin's first four terms as president and enables him to seek two more terms. Asks whether Putin plans to run for more terms. Same journalist asks about the case of military journalist Ivan Safronov, who is charged with treason.
As for the first question, Putin says he hasn't decided yet on more terms. Everything depends, he says, on what is good for Russia.
As for the Safronov case, Putin says the prosecutors must determine whether he divulged secrets or got his information from open sources. Putin says the case is not about Safronov's journalistic activity.