Putin says Russia will come out stronger from financial crisis
Vladimir Putin addresses the tenth United Russia Party Congress in Moscow AP

Putin says Russia will come out stronger from financial crisis

November 20, 2008 at 15:13
Moscow - Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has promised that Russia would come out stronger from the global financial crisis triggered by what he described as U.S. recklessness.

Putin says the current global financial system made the crisis "impossible to avert."

He says "cheap money doping and mortgage troubles in the United States have caused a real chain reaction, paralyzed the global financial system and brought global distrust to the market."

He was addressing a meeting Thursday of the main pro-Kremlin United Russia party. Putin, however, sounded confident that Russia would emerge stronger from the turmoil.

Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said at the sidelines of the event that Russia's 2009 year budget may see a deficit of up to 1 percent, the first shortfall in years.