Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks that Russia has tackled the COVID-19 pandemic well, perhaps better than other states, he said during the annual press conference on Thursday.
"Considering the huge amount of issues that we have faced, and there is a whole sea of troubles <…> a whole ocean that splashed out all over the world, we can say with confidence that we have tackled these issues well, and perhaps in some ways even better than other countries in the world that have the right to be proud of their economic stability and the development of their social and healthcare services," the Russian leader said.
Speaking at his annual press conference, Putin said Russia's vaccine was safe and effective and noted he will receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the earliest opportunity.
He confessed that nothing is more valuable to him than a direct communication with the Russian citizens, which allows him to hear their opinion on important issues.
"Even despite I have a huge flow of information about what happens in the country, coming to me via various channels, there is nothing more valuable than a direct communication with our people, citizens of the Russian Federation. Nothing is more valuable than to hear their opinion about what and how we live and, I reiterate, what must be done to live better," the Russian president said.
Putin also said real incomes in Russia would fall around 3% in 2020, a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, but that the banking sector was in a satisfactory condition.He lamented the fall in incomes, but said banks were on course to make 1.3 trillion roubles ($17.9 billion) in profit this year.
He said unemployment in Russia has risen to 6.3% from 4.7% at the beginning of the year.
This time, amid the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, Putin's year-end news conferenceis being held online. Also, it incorporates some features of the question-and-answer program called Direct Line with Vladimir Putin, in which the head of state is asked questions from audiences across the nation.
Russia’s main TV channels have reserved three hours of airtime on their schedules, but the real duration of the news conference is impossible to forecast.
