Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks via video call during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Dec 17, 2020. (MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL PHOTO VIA AP)
MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said a recent increase in Russia’s poverty level to more than 13 percent was too high, but said that should fall to 6.5 percent by 2030.
The pandemic coupled with low oil prices saw incomes fall 8.4 percent in the second quarter, year-on-year, in what became the deepest quarterly decline since 1999
For years, Putin has promised to raise real disposable incomes, one of Russia’s most socially sensitive issues. Yet the pandemic coupled with low oil prices saw incomes fall 8.4 percent in the second quarter, year-on-year, in what became the deepest quarterly decline since 1999.
Addressing his annual press conference, Putin said a fall in the income of private businesses was behind an expected overall contraction in real disposable incomes this year by around 3 percent.
As a result of the economic fallout from the pandemic, the poverty rate in Russia has increased to 13.5 percent, Putin added, comprising around 20 million people.
“The plan is the following - to move away from 13.5 percent to 6.5 percent by 2030. (It) is bad that 6.5 percent will remain, but we should be realists,” he said.
Right after his re-election to the fourth presidential term in 2018, Putin pledged to increase real disposable incomes by 2.4 percent and lower the poverty rate to 6.5-6.6 percent by 2024.
ALSO READ: Lawmakers clear way for Putin to run again
Putin said Russia was coping better than advanced economies in Europe and the US from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia’s economy has contracted 3.6 percent so far this year, Putin said
Russia’s economy has contracted 3.6 percent so far this year, Putin said. “That’s less than all leading countries in Europe and the European Union, less than the US,” he said.
The Russian healthcare system proved more prepared and “more effective” than other major nations in dealing with the spread of the virus, Putin added.
Putin said the banking sector was in a satisfactory condition, adding that banks were on course to make 1.3 trillion roubles (US$17.9 billion) in profit this year.
Healthcare
Meanwhile, he said that an essential goal for Russia's primary healthcare system was to ensure that citizens have 100 percent access to medical resources.
Putin said the government will focus on issues that required a "prompt solution", including the training of medical personnel, the provision of necessary medical resources and reforms in relation to the sanitary-epidemiological service so that it can function more efficiently.
Presidency run
On running for presidency, Putin said he had not yet decided whether or not he would run again when his current term in the Kremlin ends in 2024, and that it was too early to talk about it.
Putin presided over sweeping constitutional reforms this year that, among other things, allow him to run for two more six-year terms as president, potentially extending his rule until 2036.
COVID-19 vaccine
Meanwhile, Putin said he’s not ready yet to take a Russian vaccine against COVID-19 because at the age of 68, he’s too old for those that are now available.
“Experts tell us that the vaccines now available are intended for citizens in a specific age category,” Putin said. “The vaccines haven’t reached people like me. I’ll do it as soon as it becomes possible.”
Putin said he’s not ready yet to take a Russian vaccine against COVID-19 because at the age of 68, he’s too old for those that are now available. Sputnik V had officially been authorized for use only on people up to 60 years old
Sputnik V had officially been authorized for use only on people up to 60 years old. But several prominent officials above that age, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 65, and ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, 74, have been shown on national television taking the shots.
Putin said vaccine production continues to be held back by lack of necessary equipment, but pledged that output would reach millions of doses per month next year. In response to a question, he said Russia’s distribution of the vaccine to other countries wouldn’t affect availability at home.
Virus rumors
Despite rumors that have been circulating about the origin of the coronavirus, there is no evidence that can back those accusations against certain countries, Putin said.
"I think that now we need to build on other issues: not to find fault, but to unite efforts to deal with the problem," the president said.
Putin stressed that united efforts in the fight against the virus would set the right direction for international cooperation on this front.
"We should be thinking about how to help those people that have found themselves in particularly difficult situations, remove some types of trade restrictions, sanctions against those countries and fields of cooperation that are essential in overcoming the consequences of the pandemic," Putin said.
READ MORE: Putin praises China as good example of combating COVID-19
US relations
On ties with the United States, Putin said he hoped US President-elect Joe Biden would help resolve some of the difficult issues in relations between Moscow and Washington.
He also said that Russian hackers had not meddled in the 2016 US presidential vote to help Donald Trump get elected.
Putin blamed the US for starting a new arms race, saying Moscow had been forced to develop hypersonic weapons in response.
Responding to a question about the risk of a new arms race, Putin said: “It happened already, and this is obvious.”
He said he believed Biden was open to dialogue on the issue, but “we need some reaction from our American partners”.
East Ukraine
Meanwhile, Putin said Russia would ramp up its support for Ukraine’s rebel-controlled eastern Donbass region, where conflict broke out in 2014 between pro-Moscow rebels and government forces.
Russia will help the region upgrade its factories, infrastructure and help it meet the social needs of local people whom he said faced challenges, Putin said.
