Russia's covid crisis
Business Daily
BBC
4.4 • 816 Ratings
🗓️ 11 June 2020
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Russia is ending its lockdown as officials congratulate citizens on a shared victory. But with infection rates still sky-high, some say it's premature, and that it's more to do with politics than the best interests of the nation. What's at stake for Russia and its strongman, Vladimir Putin?
On this edition of the programme, we hear from Dmitry Nechaev who runs a bicycle workshop in Moscow on his fears for the future. Economist Sergei Guriev talks about the economic impact of the pandemic on Russia's economy and the country's small businesses; and Catherine Belton, author of Putin's People, explains the political fallout of Vladimir Putin's handling of the crisis.
(Image: A commuter in a face masks on a Moscow Underground train. Credit: Getty Images).
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello there, I'm Ed Butler and welcome to Business Daily from the BBC. |
| 0:05.9 | Today we're in Russia, hearing from businesses struggling to pay wages after two months of lockdown. |
| 0:12.3 | I was basically telling my employees to wait. I spoke to some of my creditors whom I asked to support me for a month or two. |
| 0:20.4 | We don't have this amount of money |
| 0:22.5 | to pay salaries. Yes, Russia is lifting its lockdown this week, but has this crisis taken its |
| 0:28.4 | toll, above all, on its president? He doesn't like dealing with crises and actually he's not |
| 0:34.5 | very good at handling them. He does rely on the people around him. |
| 0:38.7 | That's when you see the cracks in the facade. |
| 0:41.6 | That's all to come in business daily from the BBC. |
| 0:51.5 | The bells ring out across Moscow this week as Russia ends its lockdown restrictions. |
| 0:58.3 | From Tuesday, residents were free to shop, to use public transport to get their hair done. |
| 1:04.4 | Soon, outdoor cafes and restaurants will start trading. |
| 1:07.8 | Moscovites seem cautiously hopeful. |
| 1:14.0 | We're free now. |
| 1:15.5 | You can walk around as long as you wear a mask. |
| 1:17.9 | I'm just doing some exercise this morning. |
| 1:19.9 | So why do I need one? |
| 1:21.1 | It's very good, but we need to be careful. |
| 1:23.6 | We will be careful. |
| 1:28.2 | It's hard to sit at home without going outside for fresh air. |
| 1:31.6 | Your joints begin to ache. |
| 1:33.2 | It's difficult to walk. |
... |
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