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World tired of US dictates, says Putin
Published: December 16, 2011
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the United States wants to dominate other countries and that the world is tired of taking orders from Washington.
Sometimes it seems to me that America does not need allies, it needs vassals, Putin said during an annual televised call-in show.
He said that Russia would like to be an ally of the United States but that people are tired of the dictates of one country.
Vladimir Putin dismissed calls to rerun a parliamentary election in a marathon phone call-in on Thursday and ignored most of the demands of protesters complaining of electoral fraud and demanding an end to his 12-year rule.
In a 4-1/2 hour call-in question-and-answer show, the prime minister held out the prospect of slightly easing his political control but shrugged off the significance of the biggest opposition protests since he rose to power in 1999 and deflected attention by criticising the West.
Reaction on the social network Twitter suggested Putin came across as out of touch and, dressed in a suit and tie at a large desk as he took questions by phone and from a studio audience, he looked less at ease than in previous years.
From my point of view, the result of the (parliamentary) election undoubtedly reflects public opinion in the country, Putin said in the show, which was broadcast live to the nation.
As for the fact that the ruling force, United Russia, lost some ground, there is also nothing unusual about this. Listen, we have gone through a very difficult period of crisis, and look at what is happening in other countries.
The former KGB spy tried to present himself as a reasonable, even-handed national leader during the call-in, with the aim of raising his popularity from the low ebb it has been at since he announced plans on September 24 to reclaim the presidency next year.
The organisers of rallies which brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets on Saturday had hoped for a response to their calls for the December 4 poll to be rerun, the election commission head dismissed, opposition parties registered and political prisoners freed.
Putin hinted at liberalising the political system by letting regional governors be popularly elected though only after approval by the president and suggested legislation might be changed to allow small opposition parties to be registered.
We can move in this direction, he said in response to a question about a liberal opposition party whose leaders include former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov but was barred from contesting the parliamentary the election.
Putin sought to appear democratic and unconcerned about the protests by saying they were absolutely normal as long as everyone acts within the framework of the law.
I saw on people on the TV screens ... mostly young people, active and with positions that they expressed clearly, Putin said. This makes me happy, and if that is the result of the Putin regime, thats good theres nothing bad about it.
But at another point, he turned to the journalist hosting the call-in and said: Ive had enough of these questions about the elections.
Putin said that at first he thought that the white ribbons which were worn by the protesters a sign of dissent were a sign of an anti-AIDS campaign, and he had mistaken them for condoms.
He also alleged students were paid to go to the opposition demonstrations, adding: They will at least make some money.
Published: December 16, 2011
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the United States wants to dominate other countries and that the world is tired of taking orders from Washington.
Sometimes it seems to me that America does not need allies, it needs vassals, Putin said during an annual televised call-in show.
He said that Russia would like to be an ally of the United States but that people are tired of the dictates of one country.
Vladimir Putin dismissed calls to rerun a parliamentary election in a marathon phone call-in on Thursday and ignored most of the demands of protesters complaining of electoral fraud and demanding an end to his 12-year rule.
In a 4-1/2 hour call-in question-and-answer show, the prime minister held out the prospect of slightly easing his political control but shrugged off the significance of the biggest opposition protests since he rose to power in 1999 and deflected attention by criticising the West.
Reaction on the social network Twitter suggested Putin came across as out of touch and, dressed in a suit and tie at a large desk as he took questions by phone and from a studio audience, he looked less at ease than in previous years.
From my point of view, the result of the (parliamentary) election undoubtedly reflects public opinion in the country, Putin said in the show, which was broadcast live to the nation.
As for the fact that the ruling force, United Russia, lost some ground, there is also nothing unusual about this. Listen, we have gone through a very difficult period of crisis, and look at what is happening in other countries.
The former KGB spy tried to present himself as a reasonable, even-handed national leader during the call-in, with the aim of raising his popularity from the low ebb it has been at since he announced plans on September 24 to reclaim the presidency next year.
The organisers of rallies which brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets on Saturday had hoped for a response to their calls for the December 4 poll to be rerun, the election commission head dismissed, opposition parties registered and political prisoners freed.
Putin hinted at liberalising the political system by letting regional governors be popularly elected though only after approval by the president and suggested legislation might be changed to allow small opposition parties to be registered.
We can move in this direction, he said in response to a question about a liberal opposition party whose leaders include former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov but was barred from contesting the parliamentary the election.
Putin sought to appear democratic and unconcerned about the protests by saying they were absolutely normal as long as everyone acts within the framework of the law.
I saw on people on the TV screens ... mostly young people, active and with positions that they expressed clearly, Putin said. This makes me happy, and if that is the result of the Putin regime, thats good theres nothing bad about it.
But at another point, he turned to the journalist hosting the call-in and said: Ive had enough of these questions about the elections.
Putin said that at first he thought that the white ribbons which were worn by the protesters a sign of dissent were a sign of an anti-AIDS campaign, and he had mistaken them for condoms.
He also alleged students were paid to go to the opposition demonstrations, adding: They will at least make some money.
