Putin accepts Russia will have to raise defence spending to ensure securityHe tells the international economic forum in St Petersburg that the country's public finances are generally balanced, but this was an area that needs increasing. Speaking about Western companies leaving Russia, Vladimir Putin says the country does not want them to return.
He continues to say that"more and more" the country is hearing"positive messages from Western business", and changes his tune by saying Russia will provide"suitable conditions" for them to return. Since the war began, they say,"I've endured nightmares and anxiety to such a degree, it's made me wonder if peace will ever be achieved in Ukraine?"They inevitably result from a failure of diplomacy, reason, common sense and negotiation, and all too often are driven by the egos of autocratic leaders. Fortunately, major conflicts in Europe had appeared to be consigned to history before Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Although Russia will be unlikely to subjugate the whole of Ukraine, it might decide that it has secured Crimea and enough of the Donbas to declare victory in its"special military operation" and pursue peace. This should also serve as a powerful lesson to others considering a similar strategy, and therefore perhaps contribute to a more stable international future.Crowds of business leaders and politicians have filed into the International Economic Forum in St Petersburg to hear Vladimir Putin speak..
Major Western investors flocked to the event in the first decade of Mr Putin's rule, but the president says Russia is pivoting to China and Asian powers.The event takes place in St Petersburg, the former imperial capital built by Tsar Peter the Great 300 years ago as a"window" to Europe - but that window appears, at least for now, to have been shut.
Investigators said the dam's destruction could constitute a starvation crime and may form part of a broader crime against humanity, but the group has not yet made that determination. Vladimir Putin is at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he is set to give a speech after midday.Russia has been plagued by sanctions imposed by Western nations for months, and the president is known for using similar large public events to vent his frustration with the West.