The first direct line with Vladimir Putin since the beginning of the pandemic. The main thing

In 2020, due to the outbreak of the pandemic, the direct line with Vladimir Putin was canceled. This year it lasted almost four hours and, despite the pause, became one of the shortest ones Vladimir Putin

About compulsory vaccination

“I do not support mandatory vaccination. We need to look at the law, in my opinion, of 1998, which refers to the immune protection of the population. There are two main components, [in particular] this is a nationwide vaccination schedule, and this mandatory vaccination. There were proposals to transfer vaccination against CORONAVIRUS to this section of national vaccinations. But the State Duma deputies did not support [them], so vaccination against covid did not get there and is not mandatory in the national plan.

The second component of this law says that in the event of an increase in the incidence, on the recommendation of the chief sanitary doctors, the heads of the regions have the right to introduce mandatory vaccination for certain categories of citizens, especially from risk groups. It was this provision of the law in ten subjects of the Russian Federation that the leaders took advantage of and introduced mandatory vaccination for certain categories of the so-called, I repeat, risk groups. <...> There is no confusion here in RUSSIA. Everything operates within the framework of the law <...>. If there is a medical exemption, a medical exemption, no one has the right to demand vaccination.”

On the likelihood of a lockdown in Russia

“The actions of our colleagues in ten separate regions are precisely aimed at preventing the need to introduce a lockdown, when entire enterprises are closed, people find themselves without work, without wages, when small and medium-sized businesses go bankrupt and household incomes fall. In order to prevent this from happening, in certain regions and for certain categories of citizens, such mandatory norms related to vaccination are being introduced.

What vaccine did Putin get?

“I was asked not to say what I am vaccinated with, so as not to create competitive advantages of one vaccine over another <...>. When I did, we actually had two in civil circulation - "EpiVakKorona" of the Novosibirsk center "Vector" and "Sputnik V". They are both good... The "Vector" vaccine is synthetic, as they say, it is advanced. As it seemed to me from my friends ... after all, it acts less in time, although it has its advantages: after it there are no side effects at all, including even a rise in temperature, there are no other side factors. But I still proceeded from the fact that I need to be protected as long as possible, and I decided for myself to inoculate with Sputnik V, especially since the Armed Forces are inoculated with Sputnik V, and I am still the Supreme Commander < ...>.

Half of those vaccinated with "EpiVacCorona" did not find antibodies after 9 months Society

About the video [vaccination]. I don't think it's that important to show the video. And if they were vaccinated not in the hand, but in another place, would it also have to be shown? <...> I hope that most of the citizens understand that if I said that I had been vaccinated, then it is so. At that level, I don't think people are doing petty scams."

Why get vaccinated

“People experience infection even after vaccinations – about 10% also get sick. But the disease passes easily and without consequences - that's what is important. Because if a person without vaccination gets sick, then the long-term consequences can be very serious <...>. Some of my relatives were also vaccinated, unfortunately, they fell ill, too, everything passed quickly enough, and they were not even treated with any such heavy special preparations. So vaccination makes sense.

During the broadcast, Putin was given a message from Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. She reported that after vaccination against covid-19, only 2.5% get sick. Putin thanked Golikova for the clarification and added that she knew what she was talking about.

There have always been people who generally believe that there is no need to do any vaccinations. And not only vaccine dissidents, there are a lot of them both in our country and abroad. When vaccination goes on a wide front, everything seems to be normal, and there is no need, people think, to be vaccinated. As soon as it starts to decrease to a certain threshold, bam, and flashes appear out of nowhere. Then everyone is already running faster to get vaccinated. We must listen not to people who understand little about this and use some kind of rumors, but to specialists.”

On rising food prices

“Today, global food indices are at their highest level in a decade. Unfortunately, this is a global trend - rising food prices, it happens everywhere ... We had the largest increase in food last year, at the beginning of this. SUGAR increased the most - 41%, then sunflower oil <...>.

The government has taken a number of decisions in this regard to curb food prices. We signed an agreement between manufacturers and retail chains - the first measure. Second, they gave subsidies to producers of final products for the purchase of raw materials at high prices. Then they introduced increased EXPORT customs duties in the sphere of foreign trade. The question is about other regulatory measures.

Putin answered why bananas from Ecuador are cheaper than Russian carrots Economics

[Why bananas are cheaper than carrots], I’ll tell you now. Not only carrots, but also potatoes. Because we didn't have enough of our products. Last year we produced potatoes, for example, more than 19 million tons. This year there will be about 22 million - I hope we will have more than enough. That million just wasn't enough. Therefore, as a rule, they are imported not from the neighboring region, but, as a rule, from abroad, from the same Belarus or from Turkey, where it is warmer, they are brought from there. Of course, in this sense, you need to look at logistics issues, how much it costs, taking into account delivery, and so on ... Soon there will be a harvest of vegetables, and I hope that this will also affect prices. One of the issues in the development of agriculture is vegetables and fruits, and we still produce them in insufficient quantities for domestic consumption.”

About scammers extorting money from pensioners

“It's just scum... Of course, we need to fight it. Unfortunately, the growth of crimes of this kind is significant. If we have a satisfactory situation in the fight against such serious socially dangerous criminal acts, there is even a slight decrease, then there is an increase in crimes in this area, and a significant increase - 25%.

What is it connected with? In my opinion, the first thing that creates an unfavorable background and contributes to the growth of crimes of this kind is the illegal circulation of personal data, personal data. The state, of course, and law enforcement agencies should work in this direction in the most serious way <...>. This is largely the competence of the Central Bank.

The Central Bank has the right, if it sees any questionable transactions, to proactively apply to law enforcement agencies. But if the Central Bank has such a right, then the operational services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, other law enforcement agencies or special services can contact the Central Bank. The central bank has the ability to check. If [he] believes that these transactions are indeed questionable, he provides information. And to establish this process with the help of modern means of communication can be done quite easily and quickly. This is the path, I think, at first, and you need to go.

video

About blocking foreign social networks

“We are not going to block anyone. We are going to work with them. But there are problems, which consist in the fact that they send us away when they do not comply with our requirements and Russian laws <...>.

When they tell us: you know, we will work for you, and if you don’t like something, we will give you beads - and be glad that we gave you something that glitters well - this humiliates our you dignity. If they work in our country, earn decent money, they must obey our laws. We do not require anything special from them.

At the first stage, I hope that everything will be limited to this first stage, we insist and demand that these various international platforms open their full-fledged representative offices here <...> We seem to understand that we are being heard and some colleagues are going to do this. .. If they do not do this, or if the open representative offices do not listen to our demands, to the requirements of the law, then there are various technical methods, including slowing down the speed. But I repeat once again: we have no plans to close anyone. <...> In my opinion, we also agreed with TELEGRAM, it’s already working, everything is fine.”

On the high cost of holidays in Russian resorts

“Unfortunately, we have been investing little money in the development of tourism opportunities for a very long time. People preferred to travel abroad as soon as the opportunity arose. We are a country with a very large volume of tourism exports. In 2019 alone, our tourists left $36 billion abroad or spent it on holidays abroad.

Yes, the prices [in Russian resorts] are too high, but this is due to the fact that many countries are closed. People are afraid to go abroad and they do it right, because the rules change there. This leads to an overload of our infrastructure in the Krasnodar Territory, in the Crimea, and when supply fails to cope with demand, prices go up.”

On relations with Ukraine and the meeting with Zelensky

“Why is Ukraine not included in the list of unfriendly countries? Because I do not think that the Ukrainian people are an unfriendly people to us. I have already spoken about this many times, I can repeat it again: I believe that Ukrainians and Russians are generally one people <...>.

How did we treat the ethnic component before? There were Great Russians, Belarusians and Little Russians. Then, under the influence of external factors, and then the Bolsheviks made their contribution, we began, as it were, to divide the united Russian people.

Putin announced plans to write an article about the history of Russia and Ukraine Politics

I do not think that the Ukrainian people are unfriendly... Here is the leadership of Ukraine, the current leadership of today's Ukraine is clearly unfriendly to us... Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain the draft law that the President has now submitted to the Rada, namely people are declared non-indigenous in this territory. From time immemorial, Russian people lived here, and now they are declared non-indigenous there <...>. This will lead to a reduction in the total number of Russians. You know, in terms of its negative consequences, this is comparable to the use of some kind of weapon of mass destruction <...>

What to meet with Zelensky if he gave his country under complete external control? The key issues of Ukraine's life are resolved not in Kyiv, but in Washington, partly in Berlin and Paris. Well, what to talk about? Nevertheless, I do not refuse meetings of this kind, you just need to understand what to talk about.

About the British destroyer in the Crimea

“This is, of course, a provocation. Firstly, it was complex and was carried out not only by the British, but also by the Americans, because the British entered our territorial waters during the day, and early in the morning, at 7:30, from one of the military NATO airfields in Greece, from Crete, - To my mind, an American reconnaissance strategic aircraft took off. <...> It was obvious that the destroyer went in and, firstly, pursuing military goals, trying with the help of a reconnaissance aircraft to reveal the actions of our Armed Forces to suppress such provocations, looked at what, where it turns on, how it works, where is what. <...>

This is the political component. We just had a meeting in Geneva a few days before. The question is, why was it necessary to commit such a provocation? <...> In order to emphasize that these people have no respect for the choice of the Crimeans to join the Russian Federation? Are they not recognizing something? Okay, don't admit it anymore."

Putin rejected the scenario of a third world war in the sinking of a British destroyer Politics

On the meeting with Biden and sanctions for the West

“A lot depends on the President of the United States [America]. Although it has its own political system, there are certain costs and balances, but a lot depends on it. But what you drew attention to [why meet with Biden if little depends on him] is an important question.

In the States, they give recommendations to their political leadership, to the political class that is in power. The period of the unipolar world has passed, the world is changing rapidly. No matter what sanctions are applied to Russia, Russia is still developing, its defense capability has reached a high level, in some respects it has surpassed other countries, including the United States .

The world is changing radically. And our partners in the same States, on the one hand, understand this, and therefore the meeting in Geneva. And on the other hand, they are trying to maintain their monopoly position at all costs, and from here, please, here are threats and further destructive behavior for you - both with these teachings, provocations, and with sanctions <...>.

Our economy has adapted to this sanctions pressure. In a way, it did us good. These so-called import substitution programs, the replacement of imported equipment and technologies with our own, have created a good impetus for the development of high-tech industries. <...> I'm not talking about agriculture, which has made such a breakthrough that we could not even imagine in previous years <...>. We are not going to and will not take retaliatory steps that harm us ourselves.”

About successor

“A holy place is never empty, and there are no irreplaceable people. My responsibility is to give recommendations to those people who will apply for the presidency. And this happens in all countries of the world. I don't know of any exceptions. And, of course, the time will come, and I hope I will be able to say that such and such a person, in my opinion, deserves to lead such a wonderful country as our homeland Russia.

Video for this news

The reaction of regional authorities to the appeals of Russians to the president

Almost two hours after the start of the direct line, the Omsk department of the Investigative Committee announced an audit at the request of a pensioner who complained about the deprivation of the title of Veteran of Labor. The press secretary of the governor of the region, Alina Atamanenko, said that no one had deprived him of the title of pensioner, and he stopped receiving payments due to the indexation of pensions.

Approximately half an hour after the first reaction of officials, the governor of the Sverdlovsk region instructed to deal with the situation of a resident of the city of Krasnoturinsk, whose house was not supplied with gas, although the nearby housing of the mayor of the city, according to her, was gasified. They promised to start construction of the metro in Chelyabinsk in 2022, they are going to build it in three years. After a direct line with Putin, about a dozen checks began in the regions related to citizens' appeals. And after a question from a pensioner from Krasnoyarsk, who asked the president for protection from telephone scammers, law enforcement agencies opened a criminal case.