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Vladimir Putin Slams Turkey for Downing Russian Jet During Press Conference

Putin admitted that Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP), incomes, and investment were falling while inflation stands as high as 12.3 percent since the start of the year. Erdogan attempted to call Putin on the day of the incident, but the Kremlin ignored his request to speak to the Russian leader.

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The country has been hard hit as the price for oil, which accounts for around half of revenues, has fallen well below $50 per barrel. No, Russia is not that country. The unemployment rate of 5.6% is an achievement, including of the Russian government, Putin said.

“It’s not up to us to judge his virtue, that is up to USA voters, but he is the absolute leader of the presidential race”, Putin added. He said Russian Federation and the US agree on the need to ensure the drafting of a new constitution for Syria and create mechanisms of control over future elections, in which Syrians themselves will determine their leadership.

He added that the ban on direct flights to Egypt, imposed after Russian Federation concluded that a bomb had blown one of its passenger planes out of the sky above Sinai on October 31, did not mean Moscow lacked trust in the Egyptian government.

However, Russia maintains the Sukhoi Su-24 never encroached Turkish airspace and was downed over Syria.

“He says that he wants a different level of relations, tighter and deeper relations with Russian Federation, how can we not welcome that?” “Turkey’s downing of a Russian plane was motivated by a desire to defend the oil supply”, he added.

“Ever since President Obama told Bashar al-Assad to step aside in August 2011 the American objective has been to see a murderous Assad regime replaced by something inclusive and civilized”, Hof told Defense News.

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia’s overseas military commitments, including its massive air strikes in Syria, were not a serious burden on the state budget.

Mr Putin described the shooting down of the jet as “an act of enmity” and said he did not understand why it happened.

On Wednesday, Putin signed a decree suspending Russia’s free-trade agreement with Ukraine as of January 1, the same day Kyiv is set to enter a similar trade deal with the European Union. “Of course we welcome it”. “So the sooner we do this, the sooner we settle the conflict, the better”. He insisted this was not the same as regular Russian troops.

In the past, Russian officials have said any Russians fighting in eastern Ukraine were there of their own accord.

He said Russian Federation wants the conflict settled and is ready to use its influence with the rebels in eastern Ukraine to reach a compromise.

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Putin spoke to ABC News after his annual marathon news conference today, where he took questions from among hundreds of journalists for hours on issues ranging from his favorite historical figure to his plans for Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual end-of-year news conference in Moscow Russia