World press on Russian economy and Putin's address to the Federal Assembly (December 4, 2014)"In Kremlin speech, Putin rails at West, tries to bolster economy as recession looms" is an article which appeared today in the Washington Post. " With recession looming, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the West has had his nation in the cross-hairs for “centuries,” vowing that Russia would be unbowed in its attempts to pursue an independent and muscular foreign policy," the article reads."In his speech, made in a vast gilt hall in the Kremlin, Putin said Russia’s March annexation of Ukraine’s autonomous Crimean Peninsula was a “historic event” that would not be reversed. He likened Crimea to the Temple Mount — a sacred site in Judaism, Islam and Christianity — in its foundational importance to Russian civilization. The annexation kicked off the worst stretch of relations between the West and Russia since the Cold War.""Russia’s economy is expected to go into a recession next year, the result of plummeting oil prices and sanctions that have crimped investments. The ruble has fallen significantly in recent weeks, losing more than a third of its value against the dollar since July. On Thursday, it dropped more than 2 percent.""Putin Stresses Foreign Policy and Economic Goals After ‘Difficult Year’" is another article on the subject which appeared today in the New York Times."Mr. Putin used his annual state of the nation speech both to reaffirm the Kremlin’s intention to restore Russia's great power statrus and to reassure the Russian people that he was addressing troubling economic developments," the article reads."The Russian leader used the same aggrieved, angry tone he has often adopted in his public pronouncements since the Ukrainian crisis erupted in March. The West has reacted to the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine by imposing sanctions, but Mr. Putin said those events were just a pretext.""But he also said that Russia did not want to restore the Iron Curtain, that the country was open to the world and that it would never “pursue paranoia, suspicion and looking for enemies.” This will come as a surprise to some, especially employees of nongovernmental organizations who have been labeled “foreign agents” over the past years and whose groups were shuttered or pursued to pay huge new tax bills.""Economists said the worst problem was that Russian corporate debt was enormous at around $650 billion as sanctions have blocked companies from Western credit markets," the article concludes.
"In Kremlin speech, Putin rails at West, tries to bolster economy as recession looms" is an article which appeared today in the Washington Post.
" With recession looming, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the West has had his nation in the cross-hairs for “centuries,” vowing that Russia would be unbowed in its attempts to pursue an independent and muscular foreign policy," the article reads.
"In his speech, made in a vast gilt hall in the Kremlin, Putin said Russia’s March annexation of Ukraine’s autonomous Crimean Peninsula was a “historic event” that would not be reversed. He likened Crimea to the Temple Mount — a sacred site in Judaism, Islam and Christianity — in its foundational importance to Russian civilization. The annexation kicked off the worst stretch of relations between the West and Russia since the Cold War."
"Russia’s economy is expected to go into a recession next year, the result of plummeting oil prices and sanctions that have crimped investments. The ruble has fallen significantly in recent weeks, losing more than a third of its value against the dollar since July. On Thursday, it dropped more than 2 percent."
"Putin Stresses Foreign Policy and Economic Goals After ‘Difficult Year’" is another article on the subject which appeared today in the New York Times.
"Mr. Putin used his annual state of the nation speech both to reaffirm the Kremlin’s intention to restore Russia's great power statrus and to reassure the Russian people that he was addressing troubling economic developments," the article reads.
"The Russian leader used the same aggrieved, angry tone he has often adopted in his public pronouncements since the Ukrainian crisis erupted in March. The West has reacted to the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine by imposing sanctions, but Mr. Putin said those events were just a pretext."
"But he also said that Russia did not want to restore the Iron Curtain, that the country was open to the world and that it would never “pursue paranoia, suspicion and looking for enemies.” This will come as a surprise to some, especially employees of nongovernmental organizations who have been labeled “foreign agents” over the past years and whose groups were shuttered or pursued to pay huge new tax bills."
"Economists said the worst problem was that Russian corporate debt was enormous at around $650 billion as sanctions have blocked companies from Western credit markets," the article concludes.
