Eastern Economic Forum

Putin Calls Rumors of Russian Bank Deposit Freeze 'Stupid Fakes'

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed rumors about a possible freeze on citizens' bank deposits, describing them as rather stupid fakes during a plenary session at the Eastern Economic Forum on September 3. He stated that there are no grounds for such concerns and recalled the events of 2022 when citizens rushed to withdraw funds amid anxious sentiments. The financial system handled the situation without closing cash desks, allowing all requested amounts to be disbursed calmly. Putin emphasized that Russians continue to keep money in the financial system and are increasingly directing it to the stock market. According to the Central Bank of Russia, net inflows to private investors' brokerage accounts in the second quarter of 2026 exceeded 1 trillion rubles, marking a 19% increase from the previous quarter and a record since observations began in 2021.

Russian Government Rules Out TikTok Transformation for Gosuslugi Portal

Vice Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko stated that Russian authorities have no current plans to convert the Gosuslugi state services portal into a TikTok analogue. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, Grigorenko described such a transformation as something beyond reasonable limits while noting that the idea could become acceptable in the future. The government aims to evolve Gosuslugi into a universal digital ecosystem that includes a social network with local communities, an events aggregator, and family chats by 2035. These features are intended to unite citizens, businesses, and state bodies in a trusted interaction space. Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadaev has previously described the portal's goal as becoming a major social media platform. Officials emphasize that vertical video content such as tax deduction оформление remains off the table for now.