Putin Says He Tries Not to Intervene in Central Bank's Work

Putin affirms the Central Bank's independence and notes inflation below 6% with the interest rate remaining at 16%.

SUMMARY

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the independence of the Bank of Russia and his non-interference in its decisions, noting that the bank acts responsibly despite pressures, with inflation expected to be below 6% and the key interest rate remaining at 16%.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Putin affirms the independence of the Russian Central Bank and non-interference in its work.
The Central Bank acts responsibly despite pressures related to the high interest rate.
Inflation expected to be below 6% by year-end with the interest rate remaining at 16%.

CORE SUBJECT

Putin's Statements on the Independence of the Russian Central Bank

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he seeks not to interfere in the activities of the Bank of Russia, noting that the regulator is an independent state authority.

He said during a live Q&A session and the annual press conference titled "Yearly Results": "The Central Bank is under constant pressure. There are many contentious issues here related to the high key interest rate. <...> By law, the Bank of Russia operates independently. And I try not to interfere with the decisions they make. I also try to protect them from any external influence or pressure. Overall, the Central Bank does not merely cope with the situation – it acts with great responsibility."

Putin added that inflation by the end of the year will be below 6% – "5.7%, 5.8%, maybe 5.6%, while the key interest rate remains at 16%." The head of state pointed out that experts had anticipated the possibility of a one percentage point cut.

KEYWORDS

Putin Russian Central Bank inflation interest rate economic policy

MENTIONED ENTITIES 2

Vladimir Putin

👤 Person_Male

Russian President

Bank of Russia

🏛️ Organization

Russian Central Bank

NOTABLE QUOTES 1

"The Central Bank is under constant pressure. There are many contentious issues here related to the high key interest rate. <...> By law, the Bank of Russia operates independently. And I try not to interfere with the decisions they make. I also try to protect them from any external influence or pressure. Overall, the Central Bank does not merely cope with the situation – it acts with great responsibility."

— Vladimir Putin 2025-12-19

Context: During the live Q&A session and the annual press conference titled "Yearly Results"

FACTUAL CLAIMS 1

Inflation by the end of the year will be below 6% with the key interest rate remaining at 16%.

Claimed by: Vladimir Putin person_male