Putin Spoke With The People In A Marathon Q&A Session On Television

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has spoken on television on Thursday about the outburst of nationalist violence in Moscow in a Q&A session that went on for four hours and a half during which time he defended the idea of centrally controlled way of leadership.

Putin chose the example of the violence happening in Moscow to prove a point: the Russian state cannot allow the law enforcement bodies to weaken.

At a certain time, a person called and said that the police were not protecting the ethnic minorities, wherefore his friends were afraid to come out of their houses.

The Prime Minister responded by warning that the police should not be criticized, because they are doing one of the most important jobs in the country.

Without police, Putin said, the “liberal intelligentsia should put on helmets themselves and protect themselves against the radical nationalist in the streets.”

Putin went on being witty, when asked about the imprisonment of Mikhail Khodorkovsky: He quoted a song of the beloved Russian singer Vladimir Vysotky, and said “A thief should sit in jail.”

Khodorkovsky is expecting a court ruling on his case as he approaches the end of the eight-year period of jail for tax evasion.

Khodorkovsky’s lawyer commented on Putin’s words, saying that they represent the highest way to apply pressure on justice.

Putin spoke for hours about economic figures and indicators without a glance at the notes.

He was relaxed and fluent, having a good time, and answering questions of more intimate nature (like “How is your dog Buffy?” – that is the dog Putin had asked the people to help him name it).

However, most questions revolved around economic matters and the outbreak of nationalist violence.

By this session of questions and answers, Putin shows that he actually rules the country in spite of the fact that he stepped down from office three years ago.

When asked who runs the country, Putin joked again, saying they (he and Medvedev) took turns sleeping.

He praised the idea that became a law in 2004 referring to abolishing direct elections of regional governor, saying that by that it was prevented the access to public jobs of criminals and thieves.

The former K.G.B. leader did not dodge the question about the unveiling of a Russian ring of sleeping spies in the West, and said that Russia will not execute he who did it, but that he was a traitor who gave away his colleagues and friends.