Economic recovery, Russian-Chinese cooperation, Russia-Spain tension - putin's annual press conference three key words

MOSCOW, 23 Dec (Xinhua) -- Economic recovery, Russian-Chinese cooperation, and Russia-Spain tensions – the three key words of Putin's annual press conference

Xinhua News Agency reporter Geng Pengyu

Russian President Vladimir Putin held an annual large-scale press conference in Moscow on the 23rd, answering 55 questions in the past 4 hours, covering issues such as Russian economic development, the new crown epidemic, Russian-Chinese relations, and Relations between Russia and the West.

Analysts pointed out that in terms of internal affairs, revitalizing the economy is still the focus of the future Russian government; in foreign affairs, Putin stressed that strengthening Russian-Chinese cooperation is conducive to world stability; on the issue of Russia-West relations that have become tighter in recent times, Putin reiterated that he would never allow NATO to expand eastward, and at the same time expressed his willingness to dialogue. However, due to the deep contradictions between Russia and European and American countries on Issues such as Ukraine, it is unlikely that there will be a significant turnaround in bilateral relations in the near future.

The country's economy is improving

Putin said that the Russian economy is better prepared for the impact of the new crown epidemic than many other countries. The work of the Russian government and the central bank in 2021 was generally satisfactory and achieved certain results, and the Russian economy began to recover this year after experiencing a recession in 2020.

The Russian Ministry of Economic Development expects Russia's GDP to grow by 4.5 percent this year, industrial production by 5 percent, real incomes of the population to increase by an average of 3.5 percent, and unemployment to 4.4 percent from 4.7 percent before the epidemic. In the next three years, the Russian government budget will be oriented to social and people's livelihood, and the social expenditure of the 2022 federal budget will exceed 4 trillion rubles (about 347 billion yuan).

Russian political scientist Konstantin Karachev believes that Putin's statement on domestic social and economic issues reflects his positive optimism about the overall development of the country. Although the Russian economy has encountered some problems, it is gradually recovering, infrastructure construction is improving day by day, and the whole country is rising.

Attach importance to Russian-Chinese cooperation

Analysts believe that Putin's press conference reflects the importance attached to Russian-Chinese relations. In response to a question from a Xinhua reporter, Putin said that Russian-Chinese relations are "a model of cooperation between states in the 21 st century" and an important stabilizing factor on the international stage.

Putin affirmed the achievements of cooperation between Russia and China in trade, security and other fields. Regarding the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, Putin said that the United States and other countries have declared that they will not send officials to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics in a vain attempt to curb China's development. This decision is wrong, in an attempt to use sport to solve temporary political problems. They should finally realize that China's development is unstoppable.

Guo Jinfeng, an expert on the Russian issue at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the "Sino-Russian Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation," and the two sides have achieved positive results in cooperation in various fields, and Sino-Russian relations have entered a new stage. The stability of Sino-Russian relations is of positive significance to the world and is a stabilizer of the international pattern and international relations.

Alexander Koonkov, an associate professor at the School of Public Administration of Moscow State University in Russia, said that when Western politicians try to stir up Russian-Chinese relations and even take various measures to prevent Russia and China from getting too close, Putin has repeatedly stressed the great significance of developing relations with China. At present, Russia-China relations are in the best period in unprecedented history, and Russia-China all-round pragmatic cooperation has shown great political advantages and opportunities.

Vasily Kashen, an expert at the Center for Integrated European and International Studies at the Russian Higher School of Economics, said that in recent years, Russia and China have continuously strengthened cooperation in the political, military, and economic fields. In the face of a complex and tense international situation, bilateral relations are very important for maintaining security on both sides and even world stability.

Russia and Spain are expected to have a dialogue

Recently, relations between Russia and Western countries have continued to be tense over the Ukraine issue. The United States and Ukraine said that Russia's heavy troops in the Russian-Ukrainian border area may "invade" Ukraine. The Russian side stressed that NATO's military deployment further threatens Russia's border security, and russia has the right to mobilize troops within its territory to defend its territory and has no intention of threatening or attacking other countries. At present, the Russian side has submitted a draft treaty on security guarantees to the United States, demanding that NATO stop eastward expansion. According to the Russian side's statement, Russia and the United States may begin to discuss this issue early next year.

Putin especially made a tough stance on NATO's eastward expansion, warning that NATO's continued eastward expansion is absolutely unacceptable, but at the same time expressed his willingness to dialogue. He said that Russia intends to discuss issues related to the security system with Western countries under the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Andrei Bestritsky, chairman of the board of directors of the Development Foundation of the Valdai International Debate Club, a Russian think tank, believes that Putin has emphasized his concerns about Russia's own security problems, but when talking about the situation in Ukraine, he still expressed his desire to peacefully resolve the problems in the region and sent a signal that Russia is willing to engage in dialogue on security issues on an equal footing with the West.

Andrei Kortunov, director of Russia's Council on International Affairs, pointed out that Putin has a tough attitude on the issue of asking Western countries to provide security guarantees, but this does not mean that the two sides do not have room for negotiation. In developing relations with Western countries, Russia will proceed from national interests and will not abandon other options, including military measures, in maintaining its own security.

Guo Jinfeng said that Russia's dialogue with the United States and other Western countries will help avoid direct conflict, but there are fundamental differences in the positions of the two sides. The Russian side believes that NATO's eastward expansion is to bring Ukraine into the sphere of influence, which is impossible for Russia to accept. (Participating reporters: Leo and Hua Di) (End)