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MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin told Russians on Thursday there were signs that years of falling real wages, which have dented his popularity, were drawing to an end and that a government program would deliver higher living standards.

Putin, 66, in power as president or prime minister since 1999, was re-elected by a landslide last year but his high ratings have slipped over pension reforms.

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In his annual televised question and answer session, Putin said low living standards, low wages, poor healthcare and worries about how garbage was being disposed of were now the most acute problems for Russians.

One caller from the Samara region complained about the difficulty of raising a family on just 10,000 roubles ($209.67) a month. “When will life get better?,” the caller asked.

“It’s true that real incomes have been falling for several years,” responded Putin. “The biggest fall was in 2016, but now incomes have gradually started to recover,” he said, blaming past volatility in energy markets.