Moment smug Putin tries to catch out his subordinate but fails

This is the moment a smug Vladimir Putin is taken down a peg by one of his top energy officials in a dispute during a tense discussion about Russia’s Arctic infrastructure projects. Director General of Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev yesterday visited the Kremlin where he delivered a presentation about the company’s performance and ongoing projects under Vladimir’s steely gaze.

After a lengthy speech in which he boasted of Rosatom’s 24 per cent annual revenue growth and lauded the successes of the company’s work to establish Russia as a major player in nuclear energy globally, the director general shared a map of Russia’s Arctic region to discuss the development of the Northern Sea Route and transport networks.

Putin dismissed Likhachev’s work and immediately cut in, declaring with a smirk: ‘Your presentation lacks the Northern Latitudinal Railway project. It needs to be displayed.’ But the energy boss calmly pointed out that the rail lines were clearly indicated, telling the Kremlin chief: ‘The Northern Latitudinal Railway 1 extends from Nadym to Obskaya, and the Northern Latitudinal Railway 2 continues from Obskaya to Sabetta. ‘The two sections are shown here by a short-dashed line.’

Putin was visibly confused, bowing his head to review the map before realising he’d made a mistake. He later bit back, ordering Likhachev to highlight the lines even as the official pointed out that budget constraints had curtailed building plans. 

Besides that misunderstanding which appeared to rattle the Russian President, Likhachev’s presentation was well received. Rosatom is a gargantuan corporation that is responsible not only for Russia’s domestic and international nuclear energy programmes but also for a host of infrastructure projects along with defence and technology manufacturing.

It is also, of course, the organisation that oversees the maintenance, modernisation, and development of Russia’s fearsome nuclear arsenal. Likhachev explained how, despite the pressure of Western sanctions, the ongoing war in Ukraine and turbulent economic conditions, Rosatom was enjoying soaring domestic and foreign revenues and had also secured a considerable return on its investments.

The official underlined that the state-owned corporation now employs a staggering workforce of more than 400,000 people in Russia and is on track to meet Putin’s demand that 25 per cent of the country’s electricity must be derived from nuclear power by 2040. Rosatom has also solidified its position as a major player in nuclear exports and is largely responsible for Russia’s successful brand of energy diplomacy, a cornerstone of Moscow’s foreign policy strategy that cultivates the Kremlin’s influence worldwide. Likhachev (pictured) highlighted the successful launch of a nuclear power plant in Belarus as a notable recent achievement.

But he also made mention of a slew of countries in which Rosatom has managed to secure lucrative, long-term contracts to build and maintain new plants, or to provide nuclear fuel for existing ones. Some of the nations to have struck a deal with Rosatom include NATO member Turkey, China, India, Iran and Egypt.

As the meeting drew to a close, Likhachev expressed gratitude for Putin’s continued support of Rosatom and said the company would press on with its ambitious plans ahead of a significant milestone next year. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the launch of the Soviet Union’s nuclear power industry in 1945 in the dying moments of World War II. Less than a decade later, the Soviet Union fired up the world’s first nuclear power plant – the Obninsk NPP – in June 1954.

The official even earned a rare scrap of praise from the Russian President, who approved Likhachev’s request to hold a series of events in August and September to commemorate the 80th anniversary and agreed to participate in the celebration. ‘Mr President, next year we are celebrating 80 years of the nuclear industry… we certainly invite you, and we want very much to make it a holiday not only for nuclear industry employees but also for the entire country and for all our partners abroad,’ Likhachev said. ‘Very well, of course,’ Putin responded. ‘Eighty years… but the future is good.’

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