Putin congratulates his cabinet on overcoming a year of ‘external constraints’

Vladimir Putin says “external constraints” are partly to blame for Russia’s growing number of people living in poverty.

Meeting with members of his cabinet, the president congratulated his team on doing “everything possible and more” to weather the storm of economic crisis, declining oil prices, and “certain external constraints.” Putin credited his government with “solving all issues facing the country’s economy.” Specifically, the president said the government has managed to cut the federal budget’s dependence on oil revenue and reduce the economy’s vulnerability to external shocks through “import substitution” and state support for Russian exports.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told Putin that the cabinet has done everything it could to facilitate a smooth presidential race, and wished Putin luck in his reelection campaign.