Putin Says Economy May Take Two Years To Recover

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that recovery in Russian economy may take up to two years during his annual Q&A session in Moscow.  



The president began by speaking on Russia's recent economic crisis. He said it would take two years to recover from the current crisis, but he also added that it might take less time.  The president called the response of the central bank and the government "adequate."  



The mood changed considerably when Putin was confronted by a Ukrainian journalist wearing a shirt bearing a provocative design. The Ukrainian journalist asked the president how many Russian troops and vehicles had been sent to Ukraine, as well as how many Russians had died in the conflict between the Kiev government and pro-Russian separatists. Putin claimed that these people were "volunteers" and not "mercenaries" because they do not receive pay. 



Putin also threw out counter-accusations against the Kiev government, calling their military activities a "punitive operation" and accusing them of stalling on signing the Minsk protocol in September.  Russian president added that Russia needs to reestablish economic ties to south-east Ukraine. 



Vladimir Putin also claimed that Russia's turn to the east(China, India) etc. is not connected with politics, but rather the global economic situation.



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