Putin Describes Nuclear Agreement with Iran as 'Very Close'

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, described the agreement with Tehran on the nuclear issue as 'very close' during his year-end press conference on Thursday, highlighting the 'flexibility' of the Islamic Republic in nuclear negotiations. According to Mr. Putin, Iran and the six countries of the 5+1 group, which are currently negotiating the details of the nuclear agreement, are very close to a mutually acceptable agreement. The Russian President also emphasized that reaching an agreement among these countries would benefit the economic relations between Iran and Russia. Despite the ongoing decline in the value of the ruble, Putin promised that the Russian economy would improve. Acknowledging the 'blow' that the decline in global oil and gas prices has dealt to the Russian economy, Putin assured that the current economic situation would improve 'within two years.' He made these remarks on Thursday, December 27, during his year-end speech in Moscow in front of about a thousand journalists and observers. According to Reuters, the Russian President stated that the current economic situation is 'clearly due to external factors' and promised that the central bank and government would take 'sufficient measures' to improve this situation. Putin believes that 'the current situation may last at worst for two years,' but he also mentioned that 'the correction could start in six months, a year, or by the end of next year.' Meanwhile, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported from Putin's year-end speech that the high-interest rates in the country 'will not be long-term,' and that the central bank is not solely responsible for improving the current situation; the government must also take action in this regard. A significant portion of Russia's income comes from oil and gas exports, and the nearly 50% drop in oil prices in recent months has inflicted substantial damage on the country's economy. Additionally, U.S. and EU sanctions against Moscow, which began due to the country's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, have exacerbated Russia's economic problems to the extent that the ruble's exchange rate against the dollar has decreased by about 45% over the past year. Despite the President's promise of improvement, international news agencies reported a continued decline in the ruble's exchange rate against other currencies coinciding with Vladimir Putin's speech. On Thursday, Reuters reported that the ruble fell by three percent on that day alone. In another part of his speech, the Russian President criticized the West, stating that with NATO's eastward expansion and the U.S. missile defense shield, the West is drawing 'a virtual Berlin Wall.' Putin said, 'Did they {the West} not tell us after the fall of the Berlin Wall that NATO would not expand eastward? But this happened immediately.' Regarding Ukraine, however, the Russian President expressed optimism about resolving the crisis, stating that it should happen 'as soon as possible.' According to Mr. Putin, the resolution of the crisis 'must be through political actions, not military and economic solutions.' He also called for 'respect for the people of southeastern Ukraine.'