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Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the Federal Assembly

West’s image as safe haven 'an illusion,' Putin says

According to the Russian president, his prediction that Russian businessmen will have "to swallow the dust" trying to save their money came true

© Dmitry Astakhov/POOL/TASS

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Recent events proved that the West’s image as a safe haven for capital was just an illusion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday.

"Recent developments made it perfectly clear that the West’s image as a safe haven and a shelter for capital has turned out to be an illusion. Those who failed to understand this in time, who viewed Russia only as a source of income and planned to mostly reside overseas, lost a lot. They were simply robbed there and even their legally earned money was taken from them," Putin noted.

According to the Russian president, his prediction that Russian businessmen will have "to swallow the dust" trying to save their money came true. Putin called on Russian entrepreneurs to make money at home, adding that there was no point trying to retrieve any assets of theirs that had been frozen overseas.

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