During a meeting on the development of the automotive industry, Belousov noted that the rate "was 6% yesterday, today - 5.5%."

“But I think that the Central Bank will stop there for a while,” he stressed.

In response to this, Putin noted that, probably, “Elvira (Nabiullina) is now looking and thinking that you will not please”.

“They called for a reduction in the rate, now they have reduced it, and you ...” the head of state joked.

Belousov, in turn, noted that he fully supported the reduction in interest rates.

Putin stood up for the head of the Central Bank. "Elvira is probably watching and thinking: you will not please." pic.twitter.com/7EatDdxVi6

- Kremlin Pool RIA (@Kremlinpool_RIA) April 24, 2020

On Friday, April 24, the Central Bank lowered its key rate by 0.5 percentage points to 5.5% per annum.