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Russian President Vladimir Putin's 12th annual press conference was staged in front of around 1,500 selected journalists in Moscow, many of whom wave signs to try to get their questions addressed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's 12th annual press conference was staged in front of around 1,500 selected journalists in Moscow, many of whom wave signs to try to get their questions addressed.

Live Blog: Putin's Annual Press Conference

The Russian president fields selected questions on domestic and international affairs, with the country showing signs it might pull out of recession in 2017 and Russia's military supporting Assad in Syria and separatists in eastern Ukraine.

-- At his press conference with selected journalists on December 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin downplayed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's tweet on nuclear capabilities as "nothing new" but warned of the threat of a new arms race with the United States if any side develops antimissile systems.

-- Putin also paraphrased Trump on the election-hacking question, saying, "How would we know it was Russia ...[and not] someone lying on a sofa who did it?"

-- He vowed that the assassination this week of Russia's ambassador to Ankara, Andrei Karlov, would not damage Russia-Turkey ties.

-- Putin downplayed the possibility of an early Russian presidential election in 2017, saying, "It is possible, but inexpedient." He left open whether he would run for a fourth term.

-- Putin cited "reasons for optimism" on Russia's economy and an "overall positive dynamic" based on 0.6 percent economic contraction in 2016.

-- On doping in sports, Putin called it "unthinkable" that Russia had any state program for doping (despite mounting evidence in multiple reports from international athletic groups, including another damning announcement today).

* NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Moscow (GMT/UTC +3)

09:31 23.12.2016

Putin says he is following closely all major cases, including the Nemtsov case. He mentions the recent killing of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karpov. Says "as a rule" investigators completely resolve these cases.

09:31 23.12.2016
09:32 23.12.2016

Putin says he has not spoken to former Economic Development Minister Ulyukayev and is following the case closely. (Here's the background on Ulyukayev)

09:32 23.12.2016
09:34 23.12.2016
09:34 23.12.2016

Next question is about whether the government is selling stakes in state companies in order to cover the budget. Mentions recent sale of Rosneft stake "to foreigners."

09:36 23.12.2016

Putin says government budget plans are being met fully and notes that there have been significant increases in spending on national defense.

09:37 23.12.2016

“Interesting question. I am not going to answer it, of course.”

09:37 23.12.2016

Putin said privatization of state enterprises is not being done to cover the budget but to restructure the economy and bring in new investors/owners.

09:38 23.12.2016

We're 30 minutes into this. So far, he's discussed the economy, agriculture, investment into high-tech, the central bank, criminal investigations including of ousted Economy Minister Ulyukayev and into Nemtsov's slaying, and privatization.

As Shaun Walker noted, there are no follow-up questions in this format.

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