Putin: separation of Caucasus would dissolve Russia

On December 20, Russian PM and president-in-waiting Vladimir Putin stated that stopping the financing of the socio-economic development of the North Caucasus will aggravate the situation. He insisted that this region needs development and the creation of jobs. Otherwise, some of the locals will go to different regions of Russia or into illegal military groupings and civil unrest will continue in the region. Putin categorically repeated that there is no chance that the northern Caucasus will be separated from the Russian Federation because that would cause the disintegration of the whole country.