Panama leaks a provocation, warns Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the Syrian Army is able to carry out “serious offensive operations” despite a drawdown of Russian forces.

Speaking in an annual televised phone-in, Mr Putin said, “The point is not that we left and dropped everything... We withdrew a significant part or our contingent, but after the withdrawal we left the Syrian Army in a position where, with the support of the part of the contingent that was left there, it can carry out serious offensive operations. Already after our withdrawal it has taken some important targets.”

He said Syrian people must engage in political talks. “The Syrian people must sit down for political talks and adopt a new Constitution for their country, Mr Putin said.

The Russian President on Thursday acknowledged the accuracy of the Panama Papers revelations, but claimed funds had been spent on musical instruments as he blamed the leak on the United States.

The President said media reports about offshore accounts in Panama are a “provocation”, blaming US officials and US bank Goldman Sachs for attempts to influence Russian elections.

He said that German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, which he said had been first to publish the Panama documents, belonged to a leading US Bank.

The files, which contained the details of clients around the world, prompted Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, the Prime Minister of Iceland, to quit and sparked calls in Ukraine to investigate President Petro Poroshenko.

The President assured ordinary Russians that he was trying to relieve the hardships they face, with the economy in recession and consumer prices pushed up as a consequence of the Kremlin’s standoff with the West. “Prices will stabilise,” he said.

He said that Russia views Turkey as a friend but has problems with some Turkish politicians. “We consider Turkey our friend,” Mr Putin said. “We have problems with a few politicians whose behaviour we consider inadequate.”

Mr Putin, who is divorced, dodged a question about whether he was going to remarry.

He said he thought people were interested in his performance as President rather than his personal life.