Vladimir Putin, serene but incisive face more than a thousand journalists

"Westerners create a new wall in Europe and behave empire that wants to march in his vassals"

At its annual press conference on Thursday, Vladimir Putin, as is tradition, took stock of the year by giving figures on unemployment and taking stock including the agricultural sector and that of the army.

He continued the exercise in juggling nearly 1,300 Russian and foreign journalists present at the event organized at the Moscow International Business Centre.

Silent since the beginning of the monetary crisis in full whips Russia, Vladimir Putin was very expected on the subject. The Russian president said that Russia, which is experiencing its most severe monetary crisis since 1998, with the growth of revival "in two years in the worst case." A crisis is "inevitable," he has said, "primarily because the global economy continues to grow." And Vladimir Putin added that the measures taken by the government and the central bank to the crisis were "adequate".

Another hot topic, Ukraine. Putin did not disassembled. He denounced the punitive operation "launched, he said, by Kiev against pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. "After the coup led to Kiev by armed force, the new Ukrainian authorities did not wish to enter into a dialogue with the East pro-Russian, but sent the police and the army, it has not enough and now they have established an economic blockade, "argued the Russian president.

Finally Vladimir Putin accused the West to create a new "wall" in Europe and to act as "empire" which means "to march in his vassals." "This is a virtual wall, but it is already beginning to be built," said the head of the Russian state questioned the climate of confrontation between Russians and Westerners.