USA TODAY: Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed his nation Thursday amid the worst economic crisis of his 15-year reign. He blamed “external factors” for the current woes and said recovery is about two years away…
Putin rejected the idea that Russian firms would be forced to sell their foreign currency reserves to help prop up the ruble and said Russia’s central bank had sufficient reserves — $419 billion — to keep the economy stable…
Speaking about Ukraine, Putin said that country must remain one political entity. He urged Ukrainian President Petro’s government to grant amnesty to pro-Russian rebels operating in eastern Ukraine. He accused the West of trying to infringe on Russia’s sovereignty, adding that the Ukrainian crisis was just a pretext for Western action… (more)
