Transcript of Putin's Press Conference

Naval construction

[Question] Thanks. Vladimir Vladimirovich, I represent the Pravda Severa newspaper from Archangel. I have literally just come back from Severodvinsk. As you know this is the Russian state nuclear shipbuilding centre. In better times the centre built two or three nuclear submarines a year. These days it builds one every two or three years at best. As president and supreme commander, are you happy with this state of affairs? And a second question linked to the first: do you plan to accept an invitation from Severodvinsk's shipbuilders and sailors and personally attend the handover of the new Russian nuclear cruiser Gepard to the navy?

[Putin] You said in better times. For some they were better, for others, not so good. Everything is relative. Yes, there was a time when we paid very much attention and put almost all the resources we had into armament, including the navy. I will not now give an assessment of whether this was good or bad. In any case it is a fact that conducting this arms race taking no heed for the state's real economic abilities was one of the issues – not the only one, but one of them - that undermined the economy and, as a consequence, the people's trust in the state. We all know about this from events in the early 1990s.

While I of course looked at this with regret when I returned from abroad - although I understood the mood among the people, I looked at this with regret - that is why we cannot allow a repeat of this development of events in our time.

Therefore, we must compare our demands with our economic possibilities. That is why we have drawn up a programme for the modernization of the armed forces - it also has the name of a military reform for the next ten years. The programme gives some considerable attention to the development of the navy. I can say that I am not satisfied with the current state of the navy. Nor am I satisfied with the number of combat units in the navy. I think - in fact this is not a matter of thinking, I am absolutely certain – that the navy must be given more attention than it has been the case over the past few years. More attention, even in comparison with other arms of service. But that does not mean that we must get back to the volumes of armaments and weapons produced in Soviet days. It is not just the fact that we cannot afford it but it is an unnecessary waste of resources, energy and means and a deflection of our energy and resources. We must have an army which absolutely ensures our defence capability, which is effective and compact but which is not costly or costs as little as possible, let us put it this way. As for the offer to take part in the commissioning of Gepard, the project must first be completed. After that, we will take the necessary decisions.

Generally, I must say that, while still in the presidential administration, I was appointed member of the Military Council of the navy. I have not yet been sacked from there, and therefore whenever there is an opportunity the national leadership's special attention to the navy will be guaranteed.