Putin talks arms race, US election & Syria ceasefire in year-end Q&A

This year was Putin’s 15th question and answer session with journalists from Russia and leading international outlets. As in the past, it focused on domestic economic and political problems, but journalists also asked about Russia’s role in global affairs.

‘In which country?’ Putin jokes about elections amid US interference claims (VIDEO)

Democrats should learn to lose with grace

Putin reiterated his denial of interfering with the US presidential election, saying that the Democratic Party just wanted to blame all their failures on somebody else.

“The Democratic Party lost not only the presidential election, but also elections in the Congress, where the Republicans now have a majority. Was that my doing too?” the Russian president asked. “Everything points to systematic problems in the current administration.”

AS IT HAPPENED: Putin’s Q&A with media 2016 

He added that the party’s latest defeat came during the vote by the Electoral College this week. Two of the electors turned their back on Trump while five broke the Democrat ranks and refused to vote for Clinton.

“They are losing on all fronts and look for someone else to blame. I believe, this is, how should I say, humiliating. One should know how to lose with grace,” he said.

Putin rejected the notion that the rising support of Russia among Republican voters was due to his personal appeal to them.

“I believe that means that a significant part of the American people has a viewpoint coinciding [with Russia’s] on how the world should work, what we should be doing and where common threats and problems are,” he said, adding this could be the foundation for good relations between the US and Russia.

If we are in an arms race, the US started it

Putin said Russia was forced to improve its nuclear weapons after the US pulled out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002. Therefore, if the two countries were in a nuclear arms race, it was initiated by Washington, Putin said.

“When one party unilaterally withdrew from the treaty and said it was going to create an anti-nuclear umbrella, the other party has to either create a similar umbrella – the necessity of which we are not sure about, considering its questionable efficiency – or create effective ways to overcome this anti-ballistic missile system and improve its strike capabilities,” the Russian president told journalists.

READ MORE: If we are in arms race, US started it by pulling out of ABM treaty – Putin

He added that the US too was upgrading its nuclear arsenal, including tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Europe.

Read More (...)