MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the West was trying to hold back an increasingly powerful Russia, during an end-of-year press conference that took aim at sanctions and “made-up” spy scandals.Domestic concerns also loomed large at the annual event, after Putin’s approval ratings took a beating in recent months over unpopular pension reforms.Asked about Western sanctions against Moscow, Putin said these were “connected with the growth of Russia’s power.”“A powerful player appears who needs to be reckoned with. Until recently it was thought there was no longer such a country,“ he said from behind a large wooden desk to …read more
Source: theSun
