Putin fumes at BBC reporter for second time: Ranting president says he has ‘pulled Russia back from the abyss’ and mocks Britain’s shrinking economy as he is grilled during annual conference

Vladimir Putin has raged at a BBC editor for the second year in a row, this time mocking Britain’s shrinking economy and claiming he has “pulled Russia back from the abyss.”

During his annual year-end conference with Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russian editor, Putin claimed his country’s economy was “way ahead of Britain’s.”

Rosenberg asked the despot, referring to Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s former president from 1991 to 1999: “Exactly 25 years ago, Boris Yeltsin resigned, gave you power and told you to take care of Russia.” Some 25 years later, do you think you have taken good care of Russia?

‘Because when we look inside, what do we see? We are seeing significant losses in the so-called ‘special military operation’ that you have declared.

“We see Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region. You criticize the expansion of NATO, but there is now more NATO on Russia’s borders: Sweden and Finland.

‘Sanctions, high inflation, demographic problems. Do you think you have taken good care of your country?’

Putin replied: “Yes, and I think I not only made it happen, I think we pulled back from the brink of the abyss, because with everything that happened before with Russia, we were moving towards a complete , total loss of our sovereignty.

‘Without sovereignty, Russia cannot exist as an independent state. Let me draw your attention to what you said about Boris Yeltsin.

Putin (pictured) claimed his country’s economy was ‘far ahead of Britain’s’

“I think we have pulled back from the brink of the abyss,” Putin said

‘[The West] patted him condescendingly on the shoulder. They turned a blind eye as he drank. He was welcome in all Western circles.

Referring to Yeltstin’s criticism of NATO attacks on Yugoslavia in the 1990s, amid the Kosovo conflict, Putin added: “The second time he raised his voice in support of Yugoslavia, at the time when he said it was contrary to international law and the UN Charter, as soon as he said that it was unacceptable in modern Europe to attack Belgrade, a European capital, without the sanction of the UN Security Council, they immediately started cursing him, calling him names and saying he was a drunkard. and so forth.

‘You don’t remember that? I have done everything to ensure that Russia can be an independent sovereign state capable of making decisions based on its own interests, and not in the interests of the countries that attracted Russia to them, and you pat you on the back so they can use you for their own interests. purposes.

‘I could stop there. I know you’ve come up with a series of things that seem to strengthen your arguments. You said about inflation: yes, there is inflation, we are going to fight it.

‘But we have economic growth. We rank fourth in the world in purchasing power parity (PPP).

“Please tell that to your readers. First place in Europe, far ahead of Great Britain. I don’t think Britain is even in the top five.

‘We are willing to work with Britain if Britain wants to work with us.

“But if it doesn’t happen, we will have to do it without our former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition.”

“How does this all fit in with your actions over the past two and a half years? The invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine – where are the justice, stability and security?’ Rosenberg asked

Rosenberg calmly explained to Putin that his brutal war in Ukraine was completely at odds with the principles underlying BRICS – those of justice, regional stability and security, and a fair world.

According to the International Monetary Fund, Russia’s gross PPP makes it the fourth largest in the world, while Britain ranks tenth.

But on a per capita basis, Britain has the 28th largest economy in the world, according to IMF and World Bank estimates, while Russia lags far behind at 43rd.

Putin’s response this year is in stark contrast to the more aggressive tone he struck last year, in which he railed against the West’s “perverse methods” to maintain global control, accusing Western powers of suppressing the growth of emerging economies, manipulating stock markets and ‘manipulating the economy’. exacerbating old disagreements’

‘Is it fair that our (Western) partners have ignored our continued calls for years not to expand NATO to the east? To lie to our faces and violate all their obligations… to enter Ukraine and build military bases?’ he frowned.

He then accused the US of orchestrating and financing a 2014 coup in Ukraine – a theme central to the Kremlin’s narrative of opposing the White House’s declaration that the 2014 annexation of Crimea and subsequent invasion of Ukraine were solely due to Russian aggression. .

As the conference drew to a close, Rosenberg asked a second question, referring to claims by Britain’s MI5 that Russian agents were “creating chaos” on the streets of Britain.

That seemed to be the final straw for Putin, who laughed audibly, thanked Rosenberg for the question and immediately dismissed it as “complete nonsense.”