Russians will ‘eat less’ for Putin

The Russian deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov —speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos —warned the West against trying to topple President Vladimir Putin and said that Russians are ready to sacrifice their wealth in Putin’s support.

Russia has been sliding into recession amid a slump in its energy export prices as well as Western sanctions against Moscow’s role in the conflict in Ukraine that has claimed more than 5,000 lives. Questions have been raised whether the price that ordinary Russians are having to pay for the annexation of Crimea is too high.

Shuvalov, who is believed to be one of the richest men in the government, said that what he considers the West’s attempts to oust Putin will only unite the nation further.

“When a Russian feels any foreign pressure, he will never give up his leader,” Shuvalov said. “Never. We will survive any hardship in the country — eat less food, use less electricity.”

His comments triggered pithy remarks on Russia social media including an opposition activist who posted photos of Shuvalov’s Moscow, London, and Austria homes to illustrate where he would experience the hardships he described.

At the same panel in Davos, Putin’s long-time ally and former finance minister Alexei Kudrin said Putin clearly thinks that Russia’s foreign policy interests at this point are worth the price the nation pays in higher inflation and the collapse of the Russian ruble.

Shuvalov, who worked with Kudrin until he resigned from the government in 2011, defended foreign policy but warned Russia is “going into a longer crisis” compared with 2008, when it was battered for about two years by the global crisis.

Shuvalov said Russia should focus on cushioning the economic fall through reforms and supporting the financial system.