Putin said he’ll run as an independent candidate in the election and that it’s not his job to develop opposition contenders. He criticized activists for simply condemning the authorities rather than offering a genuine alternative He refused to mention opposition leader Alexey Navalny by name when challenged by declared presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak on why the anti-corruption activist is barred from contesting the election Putin said he’ll ensure Russia’s security without provoking an arms race He suggested the FBI was drugging a Russian whistle-blower who disclosed a massive state-run doping program that led to Russia being barred from the 2018 Winter Olympics, in order to manipulate him Putin warned the U.S. against resorting to a “catastrophic” use of force over North Korea’s nuclear program, urging diplomacy to resolve the crisis The Russian leader answered 65 questions over three hours and forty minutes, an hour short of the record set at his 2008 press conference.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.