MOSCOW — Russia has weathered the worst of its economic troubles and is on the road to recovery, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday during a marathon call-in TV show, offering to normalize ties with the West if it treats Moscow as an equal partner and not a “vassal.”
MOSCOW — Russia has weathered the worst of its economic troubles and is on the road to recovery, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday during a marathon call-in TV show, offering to normalize ties with the West if it treats Moscow as an equal partner and not a “vassal.”
He also defended the delivery of a long-range air defense missile system to Iran, casting it as a reward for Tehran’s flexibility in nuclear talks and vowing to continue working with global partners to reach a definitive solution to the country’s contested nuclear program.
Putin mixed promises with stern warnings and some humor during the carefully choreographed four-hour national broadcast, an annual affair intended to burnish his father-of-the nation image and secure his control over the Russian political scene.
His main message was that the gravest challenges are over and the slumping economy will be back on track soon.
He also made it clear that Russia wants an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine and is interested in rebuilding damaged ties with the United States and other Western nations. The U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and accusations of supporting separatists in Ukraine.
At the same time, he reaffirmed his long-held criticism of what he sees as U.S. aspirations of global domination, saying Washington must learn to treat Russia as an equal partner.
“The main condition for restoring normal relations is to have respect for Russia and its interests,” Putin said, adding that the United States “doesn’t need allies; they need vassals.”
While Putin sounded confident and looked relaxed while discussing the economy and global crises, he appeared uneasy and tense while responding to questions about the killing of top opposition leader Boris Nemtsov just outside the Kremlin on Feb. 27.
Putin described the shooting death as “tragic and shameful” and commended police for quickly tracking down the suspects, but said he wasn’t certain if law enforcement agencies would be able to find those who organized it.
Pressed again about claims of a Russian military presence in Ukraine, he said: “There are no Russian troops in Ukraine.”