In order to achieve successful development and eliminate technological backwardness, Russia must work towards lessening geopolitical tension, according to Alexey Kudrin, Russia's former finance minister and a top economics advisor to President Putin.

According to the newspaper Vedomosti, Putin barely commented on Kudrin's observations and advice, though he did interject that it was not Russia that initiated the deterioration of the world’s geopolitical situation, explaining that Moscow will not “bargain with its sovereignty.” Putin also pledged to protect Russian sovereignty not only for the duration of his term as president, but for the remainder of his life, and, agreeing that increasing political tension was unnecessary, argued against submitting to provocations.

The president stated that foreign businesses, which profit considerably from their operations in Russia, would not leave the country’s market. Business commissioner Boris Titov proposed fueling economic growth through financial incentives allotted from the government's reserve funds, citing a potential increase in GDP by 4 percent in the coming years. Alexey Kudrin proposed fiscal consolidation, which would not contribute to a considerable increase in GDP.