Putin sure of his victory in presidential vote

Speaking during Friday’s meeting with editors of top Western newspapers,he promised to engage in a dialogue with the protesters,but strongly rejected their main demand to hold a rerun of December’s parliamentary election in which Putin’s party held on to its majority through massive fraud.

The evidence of vote-rigging fueled protests that drew tens of thousands. The opposition is gearing up for another massive protest against what they fear will be manipulation in Sunday’s vote.

Putin insisted he has majority support,but admitted he enjoys lower support in Moscow and other big cities.

Yes,there is a fewer number of my supporters there,but they are still a majority, he said.

Putin’s claim is in line with recent opinion surveys that show he is backed by 60 percent of respondents,paving the way for an easy victory against four-Kremlin approved contenders.

Putin’s popularity plunged after opposition protests,but he has managed to recoup the losses thanks to massive daily coverage by state television stations that cast him as the defender of nationalist interests against foreign expansion and the protector of economic and social stability.

He has accused the United States of instigating the opposition protests to weaken Russia and strongly criticized plans for the U.S.-led NATO missile defense around Europe. He insisted Friday that the planned shield would target Russia’s nuclear deterrent and undermine global stability,adding that Washington’s refusal to offer Moscow written guarantees that its missile defense system will not be aimed against Russia deepened its concerns.

When one party gets an illusion that it’s invulnerable for a retaliatory strike by another,that stokes up conflicts and aggressive behavior, Putin said. We consider that extremely dangerous.

He said President Barack Obama’s policy of resetting ties with Russia has helped reach the New Start nuclear arms reduction treaty and successfully negotiate Russia’s access into the World Trade Organization,but has brought practically nothing on the divisive missile defense issue.

At the same time,he praised Obama as absolutely sincere in his course of improving ties with Russia.