Putin intends to 'suffocate Western companies in Russia

The Russian leader claims his country is being strangled, and wants to respond with 'reciprocity'.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a business forum at the Kremlin on Monday, defended the need to "suffocate" Western companies that are still operating in Russia.

One participant suggested slightly restricting the activities of companies "that haven't fully left", such as Zoom or Microsoft, to which Mr Putin responded with forceful vigour.

The Russian leader emphasised that "no one was expelled from Russia and no one was harassed" among the Western companies that "benefited from the most favourable conditions to operate".

"And they are trying to strangle us. We must act reciprocally," he added.

Mr Putin also called to break free from the "bad habits" of using the software and services of Western companies, referencing the actions of major Russian companies that already use Yandex or VK, while everyday users still maintain these "bad habits".

(MH with AmBar - Source: RIA Novosti - Photo: © DPA - Picvario Media - Roman Naumov)