Peskov: "Publication of president's speech given in closed meeting was unethical."

Russian presidential press officer Dmitry Peskov has called the publication of the speech given by President Vladimir Putin in a closed part of a meeting held in Kalmykia "unethical." "The president asked for cameras to be turned off. It was unethical to publish a speech given in the closed part of the meeting," Peskov told Interfax on Wednesday.

"We will be investigating the circumstances of this leak. I don't rule out that we will have to stop our relations with Life News, which has published a video from the closed part of the meeting," he said.

"Work in the Kremlin pool envisions a certain level of trust," Peskov said. Peskov also said "the critical words were said in a meeting addressing the issue of rundown housing and were addressed to the heads of regions, not to the Cabinet of Ministers in general."

A video criticizing ministers and the regional authorities was published on the Life News website. The video is composed of several videos recorded in a closed part of a meeting addressing the issue of rundown housing held by Putin in Kalmykia on Tuesday evening.

"How do we work? The quality of work is very poor. We are doing everything superficially. If we work like this, we will not do anything! But if we work more persistently and professionally, we can do it. Let's raise the quality of our work," the president told the meeting participants.

Putin said he "wanted to say that about the rundown buildings, but eventually decided to say that about everything," adding that "it was not accidentally that the meeting was held at this precise time." Speaking about the fulfillment of his decrees, the president reiterated that "it needs to be done."

He warned that "if we don't do it, we will have to admit that it's either me working ineffectively or you all working badly and in that case you should leave! I am drawing your attention to the fact that I currently gravitate towards the latter theory! I think it's clear. No one should have any illusions," Putin said.