Putin encouraged entrepreneurs: “And we will have to go for turnips”

Vladimir Putin urged Russian businessmen to think about their own place in history and stop choosing offshore as a place to store capital. A new vector, adjusted for the geopolitical wind, the president asked entrepreneurs on Thursday at the RUIE congress. Speaking to the business community at the House of Music, the head of state noted that Russia’s record trade surplus of $332 billion last year is “good music.”

Based on the statistics, Putin was clearly pleased and a bit caustic. I recalled the famous phrase of Mark Twain, paraphrasing it a little: “Rumors about the death of the Russian economy are greatly exaggerated.” Although there was a decline in GDP and its maximum fell on June 2022 and amounted to 4.7%.

“These problems, as you know, were not created by us,” the president stressed.

But in general, everything is more than good, especially since July. The hopes for the collapse of the Russian economy among the architects of the sanctions policy did not come true. On the contrary, she went up. Putin noted that behind all these achievements is the hard work of thousands of companies and the work of millions of specialists.

– What determines the state of domestic industries today, forms a new economic trend? – the head of state asked the question and answered it himself: – First, we managed to compensate for the actual closure of Western markets, to expand Russia’s foreign trade contacts with the countries of the world’s fastest growing economies. You know, even before these crises and special operations, we were gradually focusing on rapidly developing markets. But now the situation is such that it turned out that we did not do it in vain.

True, they did it at a slower pace than they should have, but that’s okay, the president reassured the businessmen. The main thing is to continue in the same spirit. Putin has no doubts about the success of what he started: the figures of trade turnover speak for themselves.

– Trade with these countries grew at a double-digit pace. In general, Russia’s foreign trade turnover for 2022 increased by 8.1%, to $850 billion. Including exports grew by almost 20%, while imports decreased by 12%. The trade balance surplus amounted to $332 billion. This is 70% more than in 2021. We are, as I understand it, in the House of Music. This is such good music.

Putin continued on a positive note and thanked those businessmen who quickly switched to new partners, predictable and reliable. He also spoke about the “left”: the mental abilities of business representatives who preferred to hide in the West, the president clearly raises doubts.

– You and I know – so, in a family way I will say – (tech. – “MK”) who gives advice to our ill-wishers, how to get more of us and where to infringe. But those who stayed and work here turned out to be smarter, more energetic, more efficient than those who left and give advice to our ill-wishers there. And the success is obvious.

How is the West in general? There is a solid “minor”: inflation is much higher than the Russian 4%. And the main changes that European leaders are proposing to their citizens are changes to the menu, which for EU residents may end up with shuttle voyages to Russia for turnips:

“Western analysts predicted a depression and a decline in the consumer sector for us. They promised empty store shelves, a massive shortage of goods, a failure of the service sector. However, life took a different course. The Western countries themselves faced the same problems in full growth. It got to the point that their leaders offer their citizens to switch to turnips instead of tomato salad. Turnip is a good product. But we will also have to go for turnips,” the president stated.

Even the weather is on our side, so the turnip harvest in Russia is better than in Europe. Of course, the vagaries of nature and drought are not the fault of the Europeans, Putin stressed. But how will they increase productivity there without Russian fertilizers?

– In any case, the Russian proverb comes to mind: “Do not dig a hole for another – you yourself will fall into it.” It looks like this is what is happening.

Not digging holes for anyone in the hope of climbing the resulting hill yourself is far from the only principle of capitalism that Russian business will have to abandon. Putin hinted transparently: stop lining your pockets and hiding capital offshore. It’s time to think about the soul – more precisely, about its own place in history. By the way, the president advised her to turn to her and learn from her great predecessors how to build hospitals and schools around their own enterprise.

“We must fight for our cause and the well-being of the country” – this is the new rule of life for business. “And the state will help,” the president assured. But it is for those who follow this rule. With regard to the rest – who did not heed the sacramental “you are tormented by the courts to swallow the dust” – Putin could not resist subtle trolling:

– I asked them why they keep money abroad. They answered: “It’s safer there.” And now? After – a ringing silence in the hall and sad, exhausted applause.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 28991 dated March 17, 2023

Newspaper headline:
“And we will have to go for turnips”