Russian President Putin Holds His Annual Press Conference In Moscow (News Roundup)

© Sputnik/ Ilya Pitalev

Putin Says Economy To Rebound, Wants End To Ukraine Crisis -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual end-of-year news conference on Thursday. Below are some of his comments.

UKRAINE

"We think the crisis should be solved, the sooner the better."

"It should be solved through political measures, not with the pressure ... of an economic blockade or the use of armed forces."

"We assume a general political space will be re-established. It's hard to say now what it would be. But it seems this is what we should aim at. Both sides (of the conflict) should aim at that - both."

"People living in southeast Ukraine should be respected."

"In our view, this really is a punitive operation carried out by Kiev (in east Ukraine)."

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Russian President Putin Holds His Annual Press Conference In Moscow (News Roundup)

Putin's 2014 Q&A marathon LIVE UPDATES -- RT
Live Report: Putin’s Annual Big Press Conference -- Sputnik
Vladimir Putin's annual press conference: live -- The Telegraph

President Putin's Press Conference 2014 (Compelte Coverage) -- Sputnik
Vladimir Putin's annual press conference (Complete Coverage) -- ITAR-TASS

Highlights of Putin's Big Annual Press Conference 2014 -- Sputnik
Key topics of Vladimir Putin's tenth annual press conference -- ITAR-TASS

Putin seeks to ease fears over Russian economic crisis -- BBC
Putin discusses Russian economy, relations with West during news conference -- CSM
Putin: I feel no responsibility for collapse of rouble -- The Guardian
Russia not attacking west, just defending its interests - Putin -- RT
Western nations want to chain 'the Russian bear' - Putin -- RT
Putin: West Is Trying to 'Defang' the Russian Bear -- New York Times
Putin: West wants to put Russian bear 'on a chain' -- USA Today
Putin Paints a Besieged Russia, Says U.S. Wants to 'Rip Out Its Teeth and Claws' -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Putin signals he will not back down over Ukraine -- The Telegraph
Putin: 'We're not attacking anyone, we're not warmongers' -- CNN
Ukraine wouldn’t have civil war if not for West - Putin -- RT
Putin warns West over new sanctions -- Press Association
Putin: External factors behind Russian economic slump -- UPI
Putin: Russian economy will inevitably bounce back, 2 years in worst case scenario -- RT
Putin says Russia economy will be cured but offers no remedy -- Reuters
Putin press conference: 'economy will rebound within two years' -- The Guardian
Putin Says Russian Economy Should Be Ready for $40-a-Barrel Oil -- Bloomberg
Putin Says Too Early To Plan For 2018 Election -- Radio Free Europe
Khodorkovsky has right to enter politics, no regrets over pardon – Putin -- RT
Putin says his private life is ‘all right’ -- ITAR-TASS
Putin Shows Stick to West, Carrot to Oligarchs, and Heart to ’Someone’ -- Time
Ruble Weakens Against U.S. Dollar as Traders Unconvinced by Putin Speech -- Moscow Times/Reuters