At the close of a four-hour meeting on Tuesday with the All-Russian People's Front (ONF), which he established in 2011, Russia's President Vladimir Putin remained comfortable with the cocksure tone that defined his presence throughout the session. Fresh from the G20 summit that was held in Brisbane, Australia last week, where he was able to meet with United States leader President Barack Obama, Putin first alleged that the U.S. wants to solve its problems at Russia's expense, and then proclaimed to the Front's members: "No one in history ever managed to achieve this with Russia, and no one ever will."
Since the events of early 2014, which led to sanctions from both the European Union and the U.S. in March, Putin has been at the center of an ongoing, cross-country negotiation to achieve a peaceful resolution in the region. However, even though Putin said to the media before he left Brisbane that he believes that the situation has "good chances for resolution", he seemed unconcerned at the conclusion of Tuesday's meeting.
The strained relationship between Moscow and Washington did not make significant progress during the G20 gathering, as Obama did not announce any shift in the U.S.' position on Russia. Obama explained that, while he would prefer to see Russia fully integrated with the global economic community, the U.S. also needs to uphold important international principles in relation to Ukraine. Meanwhile, speaking before his fellow G20 representatives, Putin asserted that the Western sanctions on his nation must be removed.
Putin's G20 sentiments were extended at the ONF meeting, in which he persistently urged Russian businesses to increase domestic sales to counter the effects of the sanctions. Additionally, the Russian leader emphasized that he is also committed to implementing measures that will support the Russian economy during the sanction era.
