Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised his country’s economic strength despite the imposition of tough international sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine, called Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “disgrace” to the Jewish people and said Kyiv had no chance of winning the war.
Speaking at the premier St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin also asked the audience to hold a minute’s silence in honour of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who died on Monday.
Here’s a summary of what Putin said:
Russia’s economy
The country’s macroeconomic trends were looking positive while “gaining momentum and strength”.
“In April of this year, gross domestic product grew by 3.3 percent in annual terms, and by the end of the year it will add more than a percent,” Putin said.
His government’s responsible budgetary and monetary policy had ensured that Russia had reached historically low levels of unemployment, which currently stood at 3.3 percent, he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan tour the UAE pavilion at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum [Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP]
Fighting in Ukraine
Ukraine’s counteroffensive would fail as Kyiv’s troops sought to advance in several directions, Putin said, including in the southeastern region of Zaporizhia.
“I think that Ukraine’s armed forces stand no chance here, as well as in other directions … I have no doubt about that.”
The 70-year-old leader said Ukraine had almost depleted all of its own weapons and armoury, and will soon be reliant on supplies solely from its allies.
“Soon Ukraine will stop using its own equipment altogether. Nothing remains of it. Everything with which they fight and everything that they use is brought in from the outside. You can’t fight for long like that.”
Danger for NATO
“[Western] tanks are burning. Several tanks have been destroyed, including Leopards… F-16s will also burn, there is no doubt. But if they are located outside Ukraine and are used in hostilities, we will have to look at how and where we can hit those weapons used in hostilities against us.”
“There is a serious danger of NATO being further drawn into this armed conflict,” he warned of the military alliance.
“We have never closed the door [on the idea of Ukraine peace talks].”
Nuclear warheads in Belarus
Putin confirmed Moscow had sent nuclear arms to its ally Belarus, which borders Ukraine.
“The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus … This is the first part,” Putin said.
He had announced plans to send tactical nuclear weapons – less powerful than strategic weapons – in March.
“By the end of summer, the end of the year, we will complete the process,” of transferring tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Putin added.
He also said that the “use of nuclear weapons is certainly theoretically possible. For Russia, this is possible if a threat is created to our territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty, the existence of the Russian state.”
Attacks on Russian territory
“As for [attacks] on these [Russian] border territories, well, this is an attempt to distract us … to force us to transfer some units deployed on other parts of the front line.”
Zelenskky’s heritage
Putin criticised Zelenskyy and called him a “disgrace”.
“I have many Jewish friends. They say Zelenskyy is not a Jew, he is a disgrace to the Jewish people.”
The Russian leader has frequently described Ukraine as a Nazi state and used the false claim to justify his invasion, citing a goal of “denazification”.
Defence spending
While the country’s public finances were “generally balanced”, Putin said a small current federal budget deficit existed and additional funds were needed to strengthen Russia’s defence capabilities.
“We are obliged to do this to protect the sovereignty of our country.”
US-Russia relationship
“We practically have no contacts, and it wasn’t us that rejected them,” he said regarding the tumultuous relationship that broke down further after Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
“If there was a desire to conduct some kind of dialogue with us … they simply transferred this dialogue to the sphere of arms supplies.”
On US President Joe Biden
“President Biden is a grown man and a seasoned politician. It’s not for me to tell him what to do. Let him do as he sees fit, and we will do what we believe is in the interests of the Russian Federation and the people of Russia. And everyone will have to reckon with this.”
Climate policy
Putin criticised Europe for restarting coal-fired power plants while he praised the Kremlin’s climate policy.
“Unlike many other states, we are fulfilling all the commitments we have taken on in this sphere. Even ahead of schedule,” he said.
Some states have recently increased their electricity generation from coal, despite declarations to the contrary, he added.
Freezing of Russian assets
The president said the depositing of funds earned in Russia into foreign accounts carried “unacceptable risks” not only for the government, but Russian businesses, too.
“Many of our businessmen were convinced of this by their own example when they saw and were surprised to find that their accounts and assets were frozen in the West,” he added.
Foreign businesses in Russia
“I will say that if foreign manufacturers want to return again, come to our market, and we hear such conversations more and more often, we are not closing the doors to anyone.
“You know very well that we have never driven anyone from our market or our economy.”
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 250 points in late-morning trading, led by strength in the base metal and technology sectors, while U.S. stock markets also charged higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 254.62 points at 23,847.22.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 432.77 points at 41,935.87. The S&P 500 index was up 96.38 points at 5,714.64, while the Nasdaq composite was up 486.12 points at 18,059.42.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.68 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was up 89 cents at US$70.77 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down a penny at US2.27 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$9.40 at US$2,608.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.33 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Supervised injection sites are saving the lives of drug users everyday, but the same support is not being offered to people who inhale illicit drugs, the head of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS says.
Dr. Julio Montaner said the construction of Vancouver’s first indoor supervised site for people who inhale drugs comes as the percentage of people who die from smoking drugs continues to climb.
The location in the Downtown Eastside at the Hope to Health Research and Innovation Centre was unveiled Wednesday after construction was complete, and Montaner said people could start using the specialized rooms in a matter of weeks after final approvals from the city and federal government.
“If we don’t create mechanisms for these individuals to be able to use safely and engage with the medical system, and generate points of entry into the medical system, we will never be able to solve the problem,” he said.
“Now, I’m not here to tell you that we will fix it tomorrow, but denying it or ignoring it, or throw it under the bus, or under the carpet is no way to fix it, so we need to take proactive action.”
Nearly two-thirds of overdose deaths in British Columbia in 2023 came after smoking illicit drugs, yet only 40 per cent of supervised consumption sites in the province offer a safe place to smoke, often outdoors, in a tent.
The centre has been running a supervised injection site for years which sees more than a thousand people monthly and last month resuscitated five people who were overdosing.
The new facilities offer indoor, individual, negative-pressure rooms that allow fresh air to circulate and can clear out smoke in 30 to 60 seconds while users are monitored by trained nurses.
Advocates calling for more supervised inhalation sites have previously said the rules for setting up sites are overly complicated at a time when the province is facing an overdose crisis.
More than 15,000 people have died of overdoses since the public health emergency was declared in B.C. in April 2016.
Kate Salters, a senior researcher at the centre, said they worked with mechanical and chemical engineers to make sure the site is up to code and abidies by the highest standard of occupational health and safety.
“This is just another tool in our tool box to make sure that we’re offering life-saving services to those who are using drugs,” she said.
Montaner acknowledged the process to get the site up and running took “an inordinate amount of time,” but said the centre worked hard to follow all regulations.
“We feel that doing this right, with appropriate scientific background, in a medically supervised environment, etc, etc, allows us to derive the data that ultimately will be sufficiently convincing for not just our leaders, but also the leaders across the country and across the world, to embrace the strategies that we are trying to develop.” he said.
Montaner said building the facility was possible thanks to a single $4-million donation from a longtime supporter.
Construction finished with less than a week before the launch of the next provincial election campaign and within a year of the next federal election.
Montaner said he is concerned about “some of the things that have been said publicly by some of the political leaders in the province and in the country.”
“We want to bring awareness to the people that this is a serious undertaking. This is a very massive investment, and we need to protect it for the benefit of people who are unfortunately drug dependent.” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
FREDERICTON – The six chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick distributed a survey on Indigenous issues to political parties ahead of the provincial election, which is scheduled to kick off Thursday. Here are some of the answers from the Progressive Conservative, Liberal and Green parties.
Q: How does your party plan to demonstrate a renewed commitment to recognizing our joint treaty responsibilities and acknowledging that the lands and waters of this territory remain unceded?
Progressive Conservative: The party respectfully disagrees with the assertion that land title has been unceded. This is a legal question that has not been determined by the courts.
Liberal: When we form government, the first conversations the premier-designate will have is with First Nations leaders. We will publicly and explicitly acknowledge your treaty rights, and our joint responsibility as treaty people.
Green: The Green Party acknowledges that New Brunswick is situated on the unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Wolastoqiyik, Mi’kmaq and Peskotomuhkati peoples, covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship. Our party is committed to establishing true nation-to-nation relationships with First Nations, grounded in mutual respect and co-operation as the treaties intended.
Q: How does your party propose to approach the issue of provincial tax agreements with First Nations?
Progressive Conservative: The government of New Brunswick operates in a balanced and fair manner with all organizations, institutions and local governments that represent the citizens of this province, including First Nations. Therefore, we cannot offer tax agreements that do not demonstrate a benefit to all citizens.
Liberal: Recent discussions with First Nations chiefs shed light on the gaps that existed in the previous provincial tax agreements with First Nations. Our party is committed to negotiating and establishing new tax agreements with First Nations that address the local needs and priorities and ensure all parties have a fair deal.
Green: The Green Party is committed to fostering a respectful relationship with First Nations in New Brunswick and strongly opposes Premier Blaine Higgs’s decision to end tax-sharing agreements. We believe reinstating these agreements is crucial for supporting the economic development and job creation in First Nation communities.
Q: How will your party ensure more meaningful participation of Indigenous communities in provincial land use and resource management decision-making?
Progressive Conservative: The government of New Brunswick has invested significant resources in developing a robust duty to consult and engagement process. We are interested in fully involving First Nations in the development of natural resources, including natural gas development. We believe that the development of natural gas is better for the environment — because it allows for the shutdown of coal-fired power plants all over the globe — and it allows for a meaningful step along the path to reconciliation.
Liberal: Our party is focused on building strong relations with First Nations and their representatives based on mutual respect and a nation-to-nation relationship, with a shared understanding of treaty obligations and a recognition of your rights. This includes having First Nations at the table and engaged on all files, including land-use and resource management.
Green: We will develop a new Crown lands management framework with First Nations, focusing on shared management that respects the Peace and Friendship Treaties. We will enhance consultation by developing parameters for meaningful consultation with First Nations that will include a dispute resolution mechanism, so the courts become the last resort, not the default in the face of disagreements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
