“Where I was born, I came in handy there”: Putin’s main statements at SPIEF-2023

At the SPIEF 2023 plenary session, Vladimir Putin summed up the economic results of the year, assessed the Ukrainian counteroffensive and mentioned the “ugly neo-colonial system.” The main statements are in the material of RBC Vladimir Putin On the results of the year for the economy and the oil needle “The second quarter of last year was the most difficult for our economy, for domestic business, when circumstances, the usual order of the whole fabric of business and economic life was redrawn. Today we can confidently say: the strategy chosen then by both the state and Russian business worked.” Growth in non-oil and gas revenues amounted to 9.1% in January-May, which is "significantly higher than forecasts." “We have always said when we will get off the oil and gas needle. Well, this trend is gradually gaining momentum.

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“Today, our public finances are generally balanced. There is a small current federal budget deficit, but it is largely due to the postponement of planned spending to an earlier date, or, as we say, to the left according to the schedule. We took this step consciously in order to increase the pace of implementation of state and regional programs. Naturally, additional funds were also needed to strengthen defense and security, and to purchase weapons. We must do this to protect the sovereignty of our country. I must say that on the whole it justifies itself, including from an economic point of view.”

Broadcast of Vladimir Putin's speech at the SPIEF site (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

“We provide targeted support to the least well-to-do citizens, and if you look at this category of our people, at their incomes , their incomes have grown by about 30% over the year. In 2022, 1.7 million people were lifted out of poverty, and the poverty rate was below the double-digit mark, amounting to 9.8%.

Rosstat reported in May that 14.3 million Russians were below the poverty line in 2022. The share of the poor fell below 10% of the population for the first time in the history of the Russian Federation. The poverty line for 2022 was 13,545 rubles.

The expansion of the economic potential of RUSSIA is an increase in the incomes of citizens, it is necessary to ensure their outstripping growth, and the Russian economy must become an economy of high wages, Putin said.

Putin called the course towards the openness of the economy one of the most important principles. “Despite all the difficulties of the past year, we have not turned onto the path of self-isolation.”

On technological sovereignty “Technological sovereignty does not mean the own production of all goods and services, this is impossible for any country in the world, and it is not necessary, we are not striving for this. It's about having your own decisions in critical areas. At the same time, it is necessary to build reliable cooperation chains, technological partnerships, here we are counting on cooperation with colleagues from friendly countries.”

Broadcast of Vladimir Putin's speech at the SPIEF site (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

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“In the course of communication with business representatives, a request is increasingly heard not to let wandering foreign companies back. <...> If foreign manufacturers want to return, we do not close the doors for anyone. But we will certainly take into account the specifics of the behavior of some of these partners for the future. Those who have stayed with us, are working and are going to work, we consider domestic producers and will treat them the same way as our own.”

On the world economy and the “neo-colonial system” “With some such states, whose leaders often do not succumb to boorish pressure, but are guided not by foreign, but by their own national interests, the volume of our mutual trade has grown not even by some tens of percent, but by several times are now continuing to grow. And this is another proof that common sense, the energy of business, objective market laws work stronger than the current political situation. This suggests that the inherently ugly neo-colonial international system has ceased to exist.”

“Of course, in these markets, Russia has not only partners and friends, there are also ill-wishers, to put it bluntly. They are used to extracting super profits from their dominance and monopoly, including political ones, and simply do not want other countries of the world to have an alternative to their aircraft, ships, medicines, banking systems, technologies and other goods and services. Such market participants do not need competitors, so they put a spoke in the wheel, try to restrain new centers of development - as they say now, to cancel them. However, such attempts only lead to the fact that Western countries cancel only their own business reputation.

Broadcast of Vladimir Putin's speech at the SPIEF site (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

“Today, about 90% of settlements with the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union are in rubles, more than 80% of settlements with CHINA are in rubles and yuan. We are actively developing trade in national currencies and with other states, the priority is the closest neighbors and the BRICS and SCO countries.” “We have never had and do not have the goal of de-dollarization of the Russian economy. <...> The influence of a particular currency is directly related to the economic potential of the issuing country. usa _ a great economy is the merit of the American people. The current political leadership is abusing the trust of its people.” “The growth rate of trade between, say, China and the countries of the Eurozone is even greater than the growth rate of our trade relations with China. When I hear that “here, you will become dependent on China,” and you? Don't get in? You've been in for a long time. You understand what's the matter. Got it a long time ago. And nothing".

On the return of assets to the country “Our people have an apt saying: where you were born, you came in handy there. <...> I ask the government , in contact with the business community, to expedite the return of assets in key industries to Russian jurisdiction, including simplifying the procedure for moving businesses to Russia and registering in special administrative regions in cases where such a move, figuratively speaking, is blocked by a foreign party or is not provided for in their legislation.

About those who left the country “You know, I don't see anything wrong here. <...> I am sure that this process is rather positive than negative. Because it will be an element of Russia’s additional connection with those countries with which we are already developing economic and humanitarian contacts.” “Let people live where they see fit, work. But it's one thing to live in Moscow, in one of the best cities in the world with all its infrastructure, with all the social benefits and opportunities, and another thing to live in some other city. It is one thing to live in the environment of one's native language and culture, and another thing to live apart from them. It’s one thing to live among friends, the usual circle of connections, among relatives and just acquaintances whom you want to see from time to time, and another thing is in isolation from them. “Half of those who left have already returned.”

Now the minimum wage is 16,242 rubles, after indexation next year, its size will be 19,242 rubles.

Pay child allowance regardless of family income growth: now social payments depend on income, “which means that a person does not have an incentive to look for a new job, a higher salary.” “I also propose to support citizens who care for disabled children. <...> Restrictions need to be lifted — care allowances for part-time employment of such citizens should be preserved. And so that there are no discrepancies, it is necessary to fix the concept of “partial employment” in the law.” Raise “at least twice” the damage thresholds for property crimes not related to theft, and for violation of copyright and related rights. “The same is true for the economic corpus delicti, where deprivation of liberty is not applied. I mean dodging disclosure under securities laws.” "If businessis not associated with high risks of harm to citizens or the environment, then it should not be tested at all. Neither planned nor unscheduled, preventive measures are enough.”

Broadcast of Vladimir Putin's speech at the SPIEF site (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

Putin instructed the government to work out a transitional tax regime by the end of the year for companies that have "grown" out of the category of small and medium-sized businesses and "according to formal criteria, such as employment, revenue , can no longer apply for help and state support, but are in an important stage of growth ". KPI for universities and technical schools: “The first is to set key performance indicators for educational institutions. Chief among them is the quality of employment of graduates. On the basis of this approach, I propose to form ratings of educational institutions of vocational education. And secondly, I propose to annually prepare a five-year forecast of the need for personnel at the level of the entire economy.” About the military operation, the Ukrainian counter-offensive and Zelensky Ukrainein the counteroffensive it uses strategic reserves, it has not reached its goals in any of the sectors, its losses are heavy. “The battle is going on at this moment in time,” Putin said. “The armed forces of Ukraine have no chance here,” he assured. “As for demilitarization. Soon Ukraine will stop using its own equipment altogether. Nothing will be left. Everything they use is brought in from outside. But you won’t win for so long.” Putin said his Jewish friends call Zelensky "the shame of the Jewish people."

“Bandera and his henchmen are the ones who are the heroes of Ukraine today. These are those whom the Ukrainian authorities are protecting today. We have to fight this. Russia  is the most affected side in the fight against Nazism. We will never forget this." “We have every right to believe that the task of denazification in Ukraine is one of the key ones.”

Broadcast of Vladimir Putin's speech at the SPIEF site (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

Vladimir Putin said that NATO was "drawn" into the conflict in Ukraine, and recalled that military equipment, including heavy equipment, is now being delivered. “Tanks are on fire, several tanks are destroyed, including Leopard, and yesterday it was the same – and yesterday there were Leopards. The F-16 will also burn, there is no doubt. But if they are located at air bases outside Ukraine and used in hostilities, we will have to look at how we can hit and where we can hit those weapons that are in hostilities against us. This is a serious danger of drawing NATO into this armed conflict,” he said.

Vladimir Putin called the attacks on Russian border territories and the Kremlin attempts to provoke Russia into retaliation. “If we destroyed five Patriot complexes near Kiev, then why should we destroy any building and structure in the center of Kyiv? There are no such restrictions,” the president said, adding that Russia does not do this “for a number of reasons.” “Everyone is just waiting for us to start pushing buttons. But there is no such need, because the enemy on the front line is not successful, ”the president concluded. “If these attacks on our adjacent territories continue further, we will consider the possibility of creating a cordon sanitaire on Ukrainian territory. They should just understand what they are all leading to.”

On nuclear weapons “We have more such [nuclear] weapons than NATO countries. They know about it and keep trying to persuade us to start talks on reductions. Fuck you, as our people say. When asked how he felt about the idea of ​​using tactical nuclear weapons as a deterrent, Putin replied: "No." “The use of extreme means is possible if there is a threat to Russian statehood, and in this case, of course, we will use all the forces and means at the disposal of the Russian state.”

Broadcast of Vladimir Putin's speech at the SPIEF site (Photo: Artyom Korenyako / RBC)

“Nuclear weapons are created to ensure our security in the broadest sense of the word and the existence of the Russian state. But we, firstly, do not have such a need, and secondly, the very fact of reasoning on this topic already lowers the possibility of lowering the threshold for the use of weapons.

“The first nuclear charges will be delivered to the territory of Belarus <...> before the end of the summer, before the end of the year we will complete this work in full. Well, it's like an element of containment. So that everyone who thinks about inflicting a strategic defeat on us should not forget about this circumstance.