About the oil price ceiling
Russia’s reaction to the oil price ceiling by Western countries will be announced in the form of a presidential decree in the coming days – this document is currently being finalized. Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, said this was during a daily briefing.
“I would like to remind you that the President said that they will discuss the relevant decree in Bishkek, and that there are also some issues that were discussed. “In the coming days, this debate will come to an end and it will be institutionalized in the form of a Presidential decree,” Peskov said.
Limit prices for Russian oil were approved by the EU, G7 and Australia on December 5 at $60 a barrel. Prior to this, Moscow has repeatedly stated that it will not supply raw materials to countries that support the introduction of price ceilings.
About the Kremlin events in December
The presidential press secretary said that this year there will be no New Year’s reception in the Kremlin. It is usually held in the last days of December at the State Kremlin Palace, where the head of state speaks at the meeting attended by the regional heads.
As for the message that Putin should deliver to the Bundestag before the end of 2022, Peskov promised guidance on this later.
“We will still guide you according to the message,” said Peskov.
According to Peskov, there will not be a big press conference by Putin this year. Earlier, the Kremlin had said that it would be appointed after deciding the date when the message would be sent to the Bundestag. At the same time, the press secretary promised that the president would have the opportunity to speak with journalists.
The Kremlin spokesman also noted that the traditional December summit between Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not scheduled this year.
“Actually, no meetings are planned until the end of the year. There, as I understand it, it turned out … by the end of the year, and no one denied anything, since there were no planned contacts. “Next year the program will be coordinated,” Peskov said.
About Victor Bout
Responding to the question of whether Putin had spoken to the released Russian businessman Viktor Bout in person or on the phone, Peskov said that it was definitely not a personal meeting and he did not know about a possible phone call.
Bout’s entry into the Liberal Democratic Party, known on December 12, was called Russia’s personal affair by the presidential press secretary.
“In that case, it’s not our problem. Booth’s personal preference. So, if he sees such party prospects for himself, it’s his personal business,” Peskov explained.
At the same time, he emphasized that the procedure for the release of Brittney Griner, an American who was traded for Bout, was carried out in accordance with the law.
About Serbia and Kosovo
The Kremlin unconditionally supports the full realization of the rights of Serbs in Kosovo – revolts broke out the previous day on the border of the partially recognized republic with Serbia.
“We are, of course, in favor of securing all rights of Kosovo Serbs and fulfilling all obligations. So the most important thing for us is to ensure the interests of the Serbs, and of course we are there for the parties to make efforts of a peaceful nature and to resolve this situation through diplomatic means, ”Peskov emphasized.
According to him, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić did not seek help from his Russian counterpart to de-escalate tensions in the region.
“No, there was no such application. But you know, in any case, we value our fraternal relations with the Serbs, and of course we wholeheartedly take root for this tension to subside as soon as possible, ”added Putin’s spokesman.