Warm and fuzzy Russia The highlights from Putin’s annual press conference, in a nutshell
On Thursday, December 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin held his sixteenth annual marathon press conference — albeit via video link. He answered questions from journalists for nearly five hours straight, covering everything from Russia’s “Sputnik V” coronavirus vaccine, to the latest allegations about opposition figure Alexey Navalny’s poisoning, and New Year’s benefits for families. Here are the highlights, in a nutshell.
What do you mean it was a bad year? There were pluses and minuses. A sea of problems. And the sea is an ocean! But we met these problems with dignity. No country in the world was ready for the pandemic, but our healthcare system and economy coped, and we already have a vaccine — a reliable, safe one, not a single case of side effects. I didn’t get vaccinated, because I’m not in the right age group, the vaccine hasn’t reached those like me yet. There will definitely be foreign interference in the [2021 State Duma] elections, but this isn’t important. In general, [former governor Sergey] Furgal worked quite well and did his best, but the charges are very serious. The investigation on Navalny’s poisoning, is a legalization of materials from the American intelligence services. But this in no way means that it’s necessary to poison him, who needs that? If they’d wanted to [poison Navalny], they would have finished [the job]. But our intelligence services ought to keep an eye on him. We will open the borders as soon as possible. I haven’t yet decided if I will run in the 2024 [presidential] elections or not. Compared to Western countries, we’re warm and fuzzy. We will pay 5,000 rubles [about $69] for each child under seven years old by New Year’s. The secret to family happiness is love. But that’s no secret. For me, my friends, and my family the main toast is always the same: “For Russia!”
Cover photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / ТАСС / Scanpix / LETA
Who’s getting vaccinated?
During the first stage of the coronavirus vaccine rollout, “Sputnik V” is available (in accordance with a number of restrictions) to people between the ages of 18 and 60. Putin is 68 years old.
The Furgal case
Sergey Furgal, now ex-governor of the Khabarovsk Krai, was arrested on July 9, 2020, on charges of organizing multiple murders in the early 2000s. He was jailed in Moscow and dismissed from his post not long afterwards. Furgal’s arrest sparked mass protests in Khabarovsk beginning in July. Regular protests continued for four months straight — the most recent one took place on November 21.
Navalny’s poisoning
Alexey Navalny was on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow when he fell violently ill on August 20. He was hospitalized in a coma in Omsk following an emergency landing and two days later he was transferred to Germany for treatment. German officials later confirmed that Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok-type nerve agent. Russia has repeatedly denied not only any involvement in the poisoning, but also the very fact that Navalny was poisoned. On December 14, Bellingcat, The Insider, CNN, and Der Spiegel published an investigation linking Navalny’s poisoning to operatives from a special FSB sub-unit.
Why under seven?
During the press conference Putin specifically referred to children under the age of seven, but the decree on the payments refers to “children under the age of eight who have Russian citizenship.” The Telegram channel Gosuslugi: For Parents clarifies that families with children born between December 18, 2012 and March 31, 2021 will receive a one-time payment for each child who falls into this category. Families whose children turn eight between December 18, 2020 and March 31, 2021 will also be eligible for said payment.