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Mr President, you head for Osaka shortly as the senior 

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statesman at the G20.

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Nobody has been to so many international meetings of this grouping 

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and the G7 over the last 20 years while you have been 

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in charge of Russia. Before we talk about the G20 agenda and what you 

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hope to achieve, we know that there are rising tensions between America 

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and China in trade, the risk of conflict in the Gulf.

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I would be very grateful if you could talk a bit about how you have 

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seen the world change over the last 20 years while you have 

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been in power.

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First, I have not been in power for all these 20 years.

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As you may know, I was Prime Minister for four years,

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and that is not the highest authority in the Russian Federation.

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But nevertheless, I have been around for a long time in government 

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and in the upper echelons, so I can judge what is changing and how.

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In fact, you just said it yourself,

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asking what has changed and how.

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You mentioned the trade wars and the Persian Gulf developments.

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I would cautiously say the situation has not changed for the better,

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but I remain optimistic to a certain extent.

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But, to put it bluntly, the situation has definitely become 

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more dramatic and explosive.

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Do you believe that the world now has become more fragmented?

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Of course, because during the Cold War,

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the bad thing was the Cold War. It is true.

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But there were at least some rules that all participants 

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in international communication more or less adhered 

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to or tried to follow. Now, it seems that there are no rules at all.

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In this sense, the world has become more fragmented and less 

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predictable, which is the most important and regrettable thing.

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We will return to this theme of the world without rules, fragmentation,

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more transactional. But first, Mr President,

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tell us what you want to achieve in Osaka,

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in terms of your relationships with these other parties? 

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What are your main goals for the summit?

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I would very much like all the participants in this event, and the G20,

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in my opinion, is a key international economic development forum today,

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so I would like all the G20 members to reaffirm their intention –

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at least an intention – to work out some general rules that everyone 

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would follow, and show their commitment and dedication to strengthening 

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international financial and trade institutions.

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Everything else is details that complement the main topics 

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one way or another. We certainly support Japan’s Presidency.

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As for the development of modern technology, the information world,

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the information economy, as well as our Japanese colleagues’ attention 

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to matters such as longevity and the environment –

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all this is extremely important,

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and we will certainly support it and will take part in all 

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these discussions. Even though it is hard to expect any breakthroughs 

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or landmark decisions in the current conditions;

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we can hardly count on it today.

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But in any case, there is hope at least that during these general 

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discussions and bilateral meetings we will be able to smooth out 

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the existing disagreements and lay a foundation,

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a basis for positive movement forward.

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You will have a meeting with Mohammad bin Salman in Osaka.

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Can we expect an extension of the current agreement on oil 

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production? Limitations?

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As you know, Russia is not an OPEC member,

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even though it is among the world’s largest producers.

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Our daily production is estimated at 11.3 million barrels,

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I believe. The United States has surged ahead of us,

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though. However, we believe that our production stabilisation 

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agreements with Saudi Arabia and OPEC in general have had a positive 

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effect on market stabilisation and forecasting.

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I believe both energy producers, in this case, oil producing countries,

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and consumers are interested in this,

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because stability is definitely in short supply at present.

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And our agreements with Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members 

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undoubtedly strengthen stability.

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As for whether we will extend the agreement,

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you will find out in the next few days.

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I had a meeting on this issue with the top executives of our largest 

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oil companies and Government members right before this interview.

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They are a little bit frustrated.

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They would like to produce more. Is that correct?

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They have a smart policy.

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It is not about increasing production,

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although that is a major component in the work of large oil companies.

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It is about the market situation.

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They take a comprehensive view of the situation,

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as well as of their revenues and expenses.

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Of course, they are also thinking about boosting the industry,

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timely investments, ways to attract and use modern technology,

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as well as about making this vital industry more attractive 

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for investors.

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However, dramatic price hikes or slumps will not contribute to market 

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stability and will not encourage investment.

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This is why we discussed all these issues in their totality today.

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Mr President, you have observed four American presidents at close 

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quarters and will maybe five, you have had direct 

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experience. So, how is Mr Trump different?

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We are all different.

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No two people are the same, just like there are no 

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identical sets of fingerprints.

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Anyone has his or her own advantages,

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and let the voters judge their shortcomings.

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On the whole, I maintained sufficiently good-natured and stable 

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relations with all the leaders of the United States.

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I had an opportunity to communicate more actively with some of them.

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The first US President I came into contact with was Bill Clinton.

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Generally, I viewed this as a positive experience.

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We established sufficiently stable and business-like ties for a short 

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period of time because his tenure was already coming to an end.

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I was only a very young president then who had just started working.

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I continue to recall how he established partner-like relations with me.

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I remain very grateful to him for this.

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There have been different times,

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and we had to address various problems with all other colleagues.

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Unfortunately, this often involved debates,

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and our opinions did not coincide on some matters that, in my opinion,

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can be called key aspects for Russia,

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the United States and the entire world.

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For example, this includes the unilateral US withdrawal from 

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the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty that, as we have always believed,

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and as I am still convinced, was the cornerstone 

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of the entire international security system.

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We debated this matter for a long time,

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argued and suggested various solutions.

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In any event, I made very energetic attempts to convince our US 

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partners not to withdraw from the Treaty.

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And, if the US side still wanted to withdraw from the Treaty,

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it should have done so in such a way as to guarantee international 

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security for a long historical period.

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I suggested this, I have already discussed this in public,

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and I repeat that I did this because I consider this matter 

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to be very important.

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I suggested working jointly on missile-defence projects that should 

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have involved the United States,

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Russia and Europe. They stipulated specific parameters of this 

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cooperation, determined dangerous missile approaches and envisioned 

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technology exchanges, the elaboration of decision-making mechanisms,

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etc. Those were absolutely specific proposals.

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I am convinced that the world would be a different place today,

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had our US partners accepted this proposal.

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Unfortunately, this did not happen.

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We can see that the situation is developing in another direction;

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new weapons and cutting-edge military technology are coming 

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to the fore. Well, this is not our choice.

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But, today, we should at least do everything so as to not 

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aggravate the situation.

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Mr President, you are a student of history.

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You have had many hours of conversation with Henry Kissinger.

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You almost certainly read his book,

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World Order. With Mr Trump, we have seen something new,

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something much more transactional.

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He is very critical of alliances and allies in Europe.

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Is this something that is to Russia’s advantage?

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It would be better to ask what would be to America’s 

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advantage in this case. Mr Trump is not a career politician.

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He has a distinct world outlook and vision of US national interests.

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I do not accept many of his methods when it comes to addressing 

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problems. But do you know what I think? I think that he is a talented 

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person. He knows very well what his voters expect from him.

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Russia has been accused, and, strange as it may seem,

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it is still being accused, despite the Mueller report,

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of mythical interference in the US election.

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What happened in reality? Mr Trump looked into his opponents’ attitude 

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to him and saw changes in American society,

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and he took advantage of this.

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You and I are talking ahead of the G20 meeting.

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It is an economic forum, and it will undoubtedly have discussions 

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on globalisation, global trade and international finance.

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Has anyone ever given a thought to who actually benefited and what 

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benefits were gained from globalisation,

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the development of which we have been observing and participating 

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in over the past 25 years, since the 1990s?

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China has made use of globalisation, in particular,

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to pull millions of Chinese out of poverty.

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What happened in the United States,

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and how did it happen? In the United States,

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the leading US companies –the companies, their managers,

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shareholders and partners – made use of these benefits.

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The middle class hardly benefitted from globalisation.

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The take-home pay in the US (we are likely to talk later about real 

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incomes in Russia, which need special attention from the Government)

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. The middle class in the United States has not benefited from 

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globalisation; it was left out when this pie was divided up.

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The Trump team sensed this very keenly and clearly,

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and they used this in the election campaign.

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It is where you should look for reasons behind Trump’s victory,

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rather than in any alleged foreign interference.

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This is what we should be talking about here,

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including when it comes to the global economy.

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I believe this may explain his seemingly extravagant economic decisions 

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and even his relations with his partners and allies.

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He believes that the distribution of resources and benefits 

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of globalisation in the past decade was unfair to the United States.

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I am not going to discuss whether it was fair or not,

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and I will not say if what he is doing is right or wrong.

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I would like to understand his motives,

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which is what you asked me about.

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Maybe this could explain his unusual behaviour.

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I definitely want to come back to the Russian economy.

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But what you said is absolutely fascinating.

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Here you are, the President of Russia,

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defending globalisation along with President Xi whereas Mr Trump is 

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attacking globalisation and talking about America First.

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How do you explain this paradox?

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I don’t think that his desire to make America first is a paradox.

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I want Russia to be first, and that is not perceived as a paradox;

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there is nothing unusual there.

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As for the fact that he is attacking some manifestations 

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of globalisation, I made that point earlier.

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He seems to believe that the results of globalisation could have been 

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much better for the United States than they are.

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These globalisation results are not producing the desired effect 

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for the United States, and he is beginning this campaign against 

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certain elements of globalisation.

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This concerns everyone, primarily major participants in the system 

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of international economic collaboration, including allies.

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Mr President, you have had many meetings with President Xi,

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and Russia and China have definitely come closer.

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Are you putting too many eggs in the China basket? Because Russian 

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foreign policy, including under your leadership,

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has always made a virtue of talking to everybody.

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First of all, we have enough eggs,

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but there are not that many baskets where these eggs can be 

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placed. This is the first point.

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Secondly, we always assess risks.

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Thirdly, our relations with China are not motivated by timeserving 

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political any other considerations.

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Let me point out that the Friendship Treaty with China was signed 

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in 2001, if memory serves, long before the current situation and long 

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before the current economic disagreements,

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to put it mildly, between the United States and China.

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We do not have to join anything,

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and we do not have to direct our policy against anyone.

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In fact, Russia and China are not directing their policy against 

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anyone. We are just consistently implementing our plans for expanding 

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cooperation. We have been doing this since 2001,

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and we are just consistently implementing these plans.

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Take a look at what is written there.

234
00:17:57.563 --> 00:18:00.279
We have not done anything that transcends the framework of these 

235
00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:03.976
accords. So there is nothing unusual here,

236
00:18:03.976 --> 00:18:07.695
and you should not search for any implications 

237
00:18:07.695 --> 00:18:10.152
of the Chinese-Russian rapprochement.

238
00:18:10.152 --> 00:18:14.786
Of course, we assess the current global developments;

239
00:18:14.786 --> 00:18:22.087
our positions coincide on a number of matters on the current global 

240
00:18:22.087 --> 00:18:27.729
agenda, including our attitude towards compliance with generally 

241
00:18:27.729 --> 00:18:31.403
accepted rules in trade, the international financial 

242
00:18:31.403 --> 00:18:32.911
system, payments and settlements.

243
00:18:32.911 --> 00:18:36.948
The G20 has played a very tangible role.

244
00:18:36.948 --> 00:18:43.714
Since its inception in 2008, when the financial crisis flared up,

245
00:18:43.714 --> 00:18:49.693
the G20 has accomplished many useful things for stabilising the global 

246
00:18:49.693 --> 00:18:55.404
financial system, for developing global trade and ensuring 

247
00:18:55.404 --> 00:19:00.314
its stabilisation. I am talking about the tax aspect of the global 

248
00:19:00.314 --> 00:19:02.313
agenda, the fight against corruption,

249
00:19:02.313 --> 00:19:10.190
and so on. Both China and Russia adhere to this concept.

250
00:19:10.190 --> 00:19:16.481
The G20 has accomplished a lot by advocating quota changes 

251
00:19:16.481 --> 00:19:21.009
at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

252
00:19:21.009 --> 00:19:24.829
Both Russia and China share this approach.

253
00:19:24.829 --> 00:19:31.461
Considering the major increase in the global economic share of emerging 

254
00:19:31.461 --> 00:19:35.977
markets, this is fair and right,

255
00:19:35.977 --> 00:19:39.035
and we have been voicing this position from the very beginning.

256
00:19:39.035 --> 00:19:42.498
And we are glad that this continues to develop 

257
00:19:42.498 --> 00:19:47.064
and to proceed in line with changes in global trade.

258
00:19:47.064 --> 00:19:52.571
Over the past 25 years or so (25, I believe)

259
00:19:52.571 --> 00:19:56.643
, the share of G7 countries in the global GDP has declined 

260
00:19:56.643 --> 00:19:58.656
from 58 percent to 40 percent.

261
00:19:58.656 --> 00:20:03.782
This should also be reflected in international institutions in some 

262
00:20:03.782 --> 00:20:05.923
way. That is the common position of Russia and China.

263
00:20:05.923 --> 00:20:08.640
This is fair, and there is nothing special about this.

264
00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:12.187
Yes, Russia and China have many coinciding interests,

265
00:20:12.187 --> 00:20:18.115
this is true. This is what motivates our frequent contacts with 

266
00:20:18.115 --> 00:20:21.000
President Xi Jinping.

267
00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.512
Of course, we have also established very warm personal 

268
00:20:23.512 --> 00:20:25.105
relations, and this is natural.

269
00:20:25.105 --> 00:20:30.652
Therefore, we are moving in line with our mainstream bilateral agenda 

270
00:20:30.652 --> 00:20:32.980
that was formulated as far back as 2001,

271
00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:36.546
but we quickly respond to global developments.

272
00:20:36.546 --> 00:20:40.707
We never direct our bilateral relations against anyone.

273
00:20:40.707 --> 00:20:45.040
We are not against anyone, we are for ourselves.

274
00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:55.710
I am relieved that this egg supply is strong.

275
00:20:55.710 --> 00:20:58.995
But the serious point, Mr President, is,

276
00:20:58.995 --> 00:21:01.491
you are familiar with Graham Allison‘s book,

277
00:21:01.491 --> 00:21:03.210
The Thucydides’s Trap.

278
00:21:03.210 --> 00:21:09.578
The danger of tensions or a military conflict risk between a dominant 

279
00:21:09.578 --> 00:21:16.016
power and a rising power, America and China.

280
00:21:16.016 --> 00:21:21.040
Do you think that there is a risk of a military conflict in your time 

281
00:21:21.040 --> 00:21:23.592
between you, America and China?

282
00:21:23.592 --> 00:21:28.445
You know, the entire history of mankind has always been full 

283
00:21:28.445 --> 00:21:35.055
of military conflicts, but since the appearance of nuclear weapons 

284
00:21:35.055 --> 00:21:41.335
the risk of global conflicts has decreased due to the potential global 

285
00:21:41.335 --> 00:21:48.737
tragic consequences for the entire population of the planet in case 

286
00:21:48.737 --> 00:21:53.083
such a conflict happens between two nuclear states.

287
00:21:53.083 --> 00:21:55.508
I hope it will not come to this.

288
00:21:55.508 --> 00:22:01.409
However, of course, we have to admit that it is not only about China’s 

289
00:22:01.409 --> 00:22:08.103
industrial subsidies on the one hand or the tariff policy of the United 

290
00:22:08.103 --> 00:22:12.634
States on the other. First of all,

291
00:22:12.634 --> 00:22:19.630
we are talking about different development platforms, so to speak,

292
00:22:19.630 --> 00:22:23.040
in China and in the United States.

293
00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:27.779
They are different and you, being a historian,

294
00:22:27.779 --> 00:22:29.253
probably will agree with me.

295
00:22:31.813 --> 00:22:34.690
They have different philosophies in both foreign 

296
00:22:34.710 --> 00:22:36.554
and domestic policies, probably.

297
00:22:36.554 --> 00:22:41.099
But I would like to share some personal observations with you.

298
00:22:41.099 --> 00:22:52.532
They are not about allied relations with one country or a confrontation 

299
00:22:52.532 --> 00:22:57.715
with the other; I am just observing what is going on at the moment.

300
00:22:57.715 --> 00:23:03.422
China is showing loyalty and flexibility to both its 

301
00:23:03.422 --> 00:23:05.672
partners and opponents.

302
00:23:06.932 --> 00:23:14.582
Maybe this is related to the historical features of Chinese philosophy,

303
00:23:14.582 --> 00:23:16.946
their approach to building relations.

304
00:23:16.946 --> 00:23:20.056
Therefore I do not think that there would be some such 

305
00:23:20.056 --> 00:23:28.405
threats from China. I cannot imagine that,

306
00:23:28.405 --> 00:23:34.202
really. But it is hard to say whether the United States would have 

307
00:23:34.202 --> 00:23:37.609
enough patience not to make any rash decisions,

308
00:23:37.609 --> 00:23:42.720
but to respect its partners even if there are disagreements.

309
00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:46.177
But I hope, I would like to repeat this again,

310
00:23:46.177 --> 00:23:50.345
I hope that there would not be any military confrontation.

311
00:23:51.865 --> 00:24:04.032
Arms control. We know that the INF agreement is in grave jeopardy.

312
00:24:04.032 --> 00:24:09.248
Is there any place, from Russia’s point of view,

313
00:24:09.248 --> 00:24:16.419
for future arms control agreements or are we in a new phase when we are 

314
00:24:16.419 --> 00:24:19.589
likely to see a new nuclear arms race?

315
00:24:19.589 --> 00:24:21.373
I believe there is such a risk.

316
00:24:21.373 --> 00:24:27.626
As I said already, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the ABM 

317
00:24:27.626 --> 00:24:34.884
Treaty, and has recently quit the Intermediate-Range 

318
00:24:34.884 --> 00:24:37.414
Nuclear Forces Treaty as well.

319
00:24:37.414 --> 00:24:40.593
But this time, it did not just quit but found a reason to quit,

320
00:24:40.593 --> 00:24:44.769
and this reason was Russia.

321
00:24:44.769 --> 00:24:52.707
I do not think Russia means anything to them in this case,

322
00:24:52.707 --> 00:24:59.350
because this war theatre, the war theatre in Europe is unlikely to be 

323
00:24:59.350 --> 00:25:09.198
interesting to the US, despite the expansion of NATO and NATO’s 

324
00:25:09.198 --> 00:25:11.641
contingent near our borders.

325
00:25:11.641 --> 00:25:21.153
The fact remains, the US has withdrawn from the treaty.

326
00:25:21.153 --> 00:25:27.544
Now the agenda is focused on theStrategic Arms Reduction 

327
00:25:27.544 --> 00:25:32.379
Treaty (New START). I hope that I will be able to talk about it with 

328
00:25:32.379 --> 00:25:37.408
Donald if we happen to meet in Osaka.

329
00:25:37.408 --> 00:25:42.846
We said that we are ready to hold talks and to extend this treaty 

330
00:25:42.846 --> 00:25:46.514
between the United States and Russia,

331
00:25:46.514 --> 00:25:53.277
but we have not seen any relevant initiative from our American 

332
00:25:53.277 --> 00:25:57.393
partners. They keep silent, while the treaty expires in 2021.

333
00:25:57.393 --> 00:26:00.520
If we do not begin talks now, it would be over because 

334
00:26:00.520 --> 00:26:04.855
there would be no time even for formalities.

335
00:26:04.855 --> 00:26:10.294
Our previous conversation with Donald showed that the Americans seem 

336
00:26:10.294 --> 00:26:13.784
to be interested in this, but still they are not making any 

337
00:26:13.784 --> 00:26:20.348
practical steps. So if this treaty ceases to exist,

338
00:26:20.348 --> 00:26:25.935
then there would be no instrument in the world to curtail 

339
00:26:25.935 --> 00:26:28.872
the arms race. And this is bad.

340
00:26:31.392 --> 00:26:33.991
Exactly, the gloves are off.

341
00:26:36.251 --> 00:26:43.275
Is there any chance of a triangular agreement between China,

342
00:26:43.275 --> 00:26:51.844
Russia and America on intermediate nuclear forces or is that a dream,

343
00:26:51.844 --> 00:26:55.895
pie in the sky? Would you support such an end?

344
00:26:55.895 --> 00:26:56.978
As I said at the very beginning,

345
00:26:56.978 --> 00:27:04.003
we will support any agreement that can advance our cause,

346
00:27:04.003 --> 00:27:07.050
that is, help us contain the arms race.

347
00:27:07.050 --> 00:27:13.553
It should be said that so far, the level and the development scale 

348
00:27:13.553 --> 00:27:22.512
of China’s nuclear forces are much lower than in the United 

349
00:27:22.512 --> 00:27:27.485
States and Russia. China is a huge power that has the capability 

350
00:27:27.485 --> 00:27:29.210
to build up its nuclear potential.

351
00:27:29.210 --> 00:27:31.124
This will likely happen in the future,

352
00:27:31.124 --> 00:27:35.204
but so far our capabilities are hardly comparable.

353
00:27:35.204 --> 00:27:39.664
Russia and the United States are the leading nuclear powers,

354
00:27:39.664 --> 00:27:44.798
which is why the agreement was signed between them.

355
00:27:44.798 --> 00:27:49.399
As for whether China will join these efforts,

356
00:27:49.399 --> 00:27:51.823
you can ask our Chinese friends.

357
00:27:55.603 --> 00:28:01.607
Russia is a Pacific power as well as a European and Asian power.

358
00:28:01.607 --> 00:28:07.009
You have seen what the Chinese are doing in terms of their buildup 

359
00:28:07.009 --> 00:28:09.733
of their Navy and their maritime strength.

360
00:28:09.733 --> 00:28:15.514
How do you deal with those potential security problems,

361
00:28:15.514 --> 00:28:19.922
territorial disputes in the Pacific? Does Russia have 

362
00:28:19.922 --> 00:28:27.123
a role to play in a new security arrangement?

363
00:28:27.123 --> 00:28:32.964
You mentioned the build-up of naval forces in China.

364
00:28:34.184 --> 00:28:41.063
China’s total defence spending is $117 billion,

365
00:28:41.063 --> 00:28:46.108
if memory serves. The US defence spending is over $700 billion.

366
00:28:46.108 --> 00:28:50.241
And you are trying to scare the world with the build-up of China’s 

367
00:28:50.241 --> 00:28:53.823
military might? It does not work with this scale 

368
00:28:53.823 --> 00:28:59.816
of military spending. No, it does not.

369
00:28:59.816 --> 00:29:06.459
As for Russia, we will continue to develop our Pacific Fleet 

370
00:29:06.459 --> 00:29:14.632
as planned. Of course, we also respond to global developments 

371
00:29:14.632 --> 00:29:19.623
and to what happens in relations between other countries.

372
00:29:19.623 --> 00:29:25.638
We can see all of this, but it does not affect our defence development 

373
00:29:25.638 --> 00:29:28.192
plans, including those in the Russian Far East.

374
00:29:28.192 --> 00:29:30.944
We are self-sufficient, and we are confident.

375
00:29:30.944 --> 00:29:34.418
Russia is the largest continental power.

376
00:29:34.418 --> 00:29:43.947
But we have a nuclear submarine base in the Far East,

377
00:29:43.947 --> 00:29:47.518
where we are developing our defence potential in accordance with our 

378
00:29:47.518 --> 00:29:51.738
plans, including so that we can ensure safety on the Northern Sea 

379
00:29:51.738 --> 00:29:53.772
Route, which we are planning to develop.

380
00:29:53.772 --> 00:29:58.728
We intend to attract many partners to this effort,

381
00:29:58.728 --> 00:30:00.556
including our Chinese partners.

382
00:30:00.556 --> 00:30:07.479
We may even reach an agreement with American shippers and with India,

383
00:30:07.479 --> 00:30:13.601
which has also indicated its interest in the Northern Sea Route.

384
00:30:13.601 --> 00:30:17.898
I would say that we are also primed for cooperation in the Asia Pacific 

385
00:30:17.898 --> 00:30:23.844
region, and I have grounds to believe that Russia can make 

386
00:30:23.844 --> 00:30:27.473
a considerable, tangible and positive contribution 

387
00:30:27.473 --> 00:30:29.561
to stabilising the situation.

388
00:30:31.001 --> 00:30:39.254
Can we just turn to North Korea? How do you assess the current 

389
00:30:39.254 --> 00:30:44.889
situation and do you believe that in the end,

390
00:30:44.889 --> 00:30:53.102
any deal or agreement will have to accept the fact that North Korea has 

391
00:30:53.102 --> 00:31:03.705
nuclear weapons and that total dismantling is just not possible? If 

392
00:31:03.705 --> 00:31:06.088
I could just add, Mr President,

393
00:31:06.088 --> 00:31:10.498
I ask you this because Russia has a fairly small but still 

394
00:31:10.498 --> 00:31:13.282
a land border with North Korea.

395
00:31:15.382 --> 00:31:22.608
You know, whether we recognise North Korea as a nuclear power or not,

396
00:31:22.608 --> 00:31:26.409
the number of nuclear charges it has will not decrease.

397
00:31:26.409 --> 00:31:29.653
We must proceed from modern realities,

398
00:31:29.653 --> 00:31:33.680
which are that nuclear weapons pose a threat 

399
00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:36.281
to international peace and security.

400
00:31:36.281 --> 00:31:39.964
Another pertinent question is where this problem stems from.

401
00:31:39.964 --> 00:31:45.684
The tragedies of Libya and Iraq have inspired many 

402
00:31:45.684 --> 00:31:51.067
countries to ensure their security at all costs.

403
00:31:53.827 --> 00:32:00.222
What we should be talking about is not how to make North Korea disarm,

404
00:32:00.222 --> 00:32:06.354
but how to ensure the unconditional security of North Korea and how 

405
00:32:06.354 --> 00:32:14.354
to make any country, including North Korea feel safe and protected 

406
00:32:14.354 --> 00:32:18.752
by international law that is strictly honoured by all members 

407
00:32:18.752 --> 00:32:19.793
of the international community.

408
00:32:19.793 --> 00:32:20.971
This is what we should be thinking about.

409
00:32:20.971 --> 00:32:23.359
We should think about guarantees,

410
00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:25.884
which we should use as the basis for talks with North Korea.

411
00:32:25.884 --> 00:32:31.232
We must be patient, respect it and, at the same time,

412
00:32:31.232 --> 00:32:34.860
take into account the dangers arising from this,

413
00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:38.709
the dangers of the nuclear status and the presence of nuclear weapons.

414
00:32:38.709 --> 00:32:42.553
Of course, the current situation is fraught with 

415
00:32:42.553 --> 00:32:48.090
unpredictable scenarios, which we must avoid.

416
00:32:52.910 --> 00:33:01.090
You have obviously thought of this as an experienced foreign policy 

417
00:33:01.090 --> 00:33:04.915
and security analyst and a strategist.

418
00:33:04.915 --> 00:33:11.811
How do you see the North Asia security situation over the next five 

419
00:33:11.811 --> 00:33:15.379
to ten years, given you have Russia, you have China,

420
00:33:15.379 --> 00:33:17.412
you have Korea and Japan?

421
00:33:17.872 --> 00:33:22.093
You have said correctly that we have a common border,

422
00:33:22.093 --> 00:33:24.508
even if a short one, with North Korea, therefore,

423
00:33:24.508 --> 00:33:25.980
this problem has a direct bearing on us.

424
00:33:25.980 --> 00:33:28.565
The United States is located across the ocean,

425
00:33:28.565 --> 00:33:32.091
and the UK is located far away, while we are right here,

426
00:33:32.091 --> 00:33:36.563
in this region, and the North Korean nuclear range is not 

427
00:33:36.563 --> 00:33:40.062
far away from our border.

428
00:33:40.062 --> 00:33:45.221
This why this concerns us directly, and we never stop thinking about it.

429
00:33:45.221 --> 00:33:49.343
I would like to return to my answer to your previous question.

430
00:33:49.343 --> 00:33:58.212
We must respect North Korea’s legitimate security concerns.

431
00:33:58.212 --> 00:34:06.934
We must show it respect, and we must find a way of ensuring its 

432
00:34:06.934 --> 00:34:10.156
security that will satisfy North Korea.

433
00:34:10.176 --> 00:34:18.705
If we do this, the situation may take a turn nobody can imagine today.

434
00:34:18.705 --> 00:34:21.307
Do you remember what turn the situation took after the Soviet Union 

435
00:34:21.307 --> 00:34:26.204
adopted the policy of détente? Do I need to say anything else?

436
00:34:27.604 --> 00:34:38.337
Mr President, you have been in power or very close to power.

437
00:34:38.337 --> 00:34:43.153
I think in Davos I said to you when we met –

438
00:34:43.153 --> 00:34:49.205
you were not in power but still calling all the shots.

439
00:34:49.205 --> 00:34:54.816
After 20 years at the top or near the top,

440
00:34:54.816 --> 00:34:59.646
has your appetite for risk increased?

441
00:35:00.746 --> 00:35:07.660
It did not increase or decrease.Risk must always be well-justified.

442
00:35:10.760 --> 00:35:20.202
But this is not the case when one can use the popular Russian phrase: 

443
00:35:23.002 --> 00:35:25.337
“He who doesn’t take risks, never drinks champagne.

444
00:35:25.337 --> 00:35:27.238
” This is not the case.

445
00:35:27.238 --> 00:35:34.737
Quite possibly, risks are inevitable when one has to make 

446
00:35:34.737 --> 00:35:39.472
certain decisions. Depending on the scale of any decision,

447
00:35:39.472 --> 00:35:42.691
risks can be small or serious.

448
00:35:43.691 --> 00:35:50.066
Any decision-making process is accompanied by risk.

449
00:35:57.926 --> 00:36:01.223
Before taking one’s chances, one has to meticulously assess everything.

450
00:36:03.923 --> 00:36:09.900
Therefore, risk based on an assessment of the situation 

451
00:36:09.900 --> 00:36:16.048
and the possible consequences of the decisions is possible 

452
00:36:16.048 --> 00:36:24.031
and even inevitable. Foolish risks overlooking the real situation 

453
00:36:24.031 --> 00:36:27.193
and failing to clearly comprehend the consequences are unacceptable 

454
00:36:27.193 --> 00:36:35.263
because they can jeopardise the interests of a great number of people.

455
00:36:37.363 --> 00:36:43.432
How big was this Syria risk in terms of your decision to intervene?

456
00:36:44.372 --> 00:36:46.404
It was sufficiently high.

457
00:36:50.604 --> 00:36:55.864
However, of course, I thought carefully about this well in advance,

458
00:36:55.864 --> 00:37:00.384
and I considered all the circumstances and all the pros and cons.

459
00:37:00.404 --> 00:37:05.622
I considered how the situation around Russia would develop 

460
00:37:05.622 --> 00:37:08.226
and the possible consequences.

461
00:37:09.846 --> 00:37:13.506
I discussed this matter with my aides and ministers,

462
00:37:13.506 --> 00:37:19.070
including those in charge of law enforcement agencies 

463
00:37:19.070 --> 00:37:22.481
and other senior officials.

464
00:37:22.481 --> 00:37:34.172
In the long run, I decided that the positive effect from our active 

465
00:37:34.172 --> 00:37:37.077
involvement in Syrian affairs for Russia and the interests 

466
00:37:37.077 --> 00:37:43.398
of the Russian Federation would far outweigh non-interference 

467
00:37:43.398 --> 00:37:52.034
and passive observation of how an international terrorist organisation 

468
00:37:52.034 --> 00:37:54.646
grows ever stronger near our borders.

469
00:37:56.126 --> 00:38:01.407
What has the return been like on the risk taken in Syria?

470
00:38:02.867 --> 00:38:05.475
I believe that it has been a good and positive return.

471
00:38:05.475 --> 00:38:09.115
We have accomplished even more than I had expected.

472
00:38:09.115 --> 00:38:15.490
First of all, many militants planning to return to Russia 

473
00:38:15.490 --> 00:38:19.961
were eliminated. This implies several thousand people.

474
00:38:19.961 --> 00:38:22.162
They were planning to return to Russia or neighbouring countries with 

475
00:38:22.162 --> 00:38:25.321
which we do not maintain any visa regime.

476
00:38:25.321 --> 00:38:28.740
Both aspects are equally dangerous for us. This is the first thing.

477
00:38:28.740 --> 00:38:33.322
Secondly, we have managed to stabilise the situation in a nearby 

478
00:38:33.322 --> 00:38:38.651
region, one way or another. This is also highly important.

479
00:38:44.231 --> 00:38:51.301
Therefore, we have directly strengthened Russia’s domestic 

480
00:38:51.301 --> 00:38:54.603
security. This is the third thing.

481
00:38:54.603 --> 00:38:58.227
Fourthly, we have established sufficiently good business-like relations 

482
00:38:58.227 --> 00:39:03.854
with all regional countries, and our positions in the Middle East 

483
00:39:03.854 --> 00:39:07.106
region have become more stable.

484
00:39:07.106 --> 00:39:13.246
Indeed, we have established very good, business-like,

485
00:39:13.246 --> 00:39:20.123
partner-like and largely allied relations with many regional countries,

486
00:39:20.123 --> 00:39:24.541
including Iran, Turkey and other countries.

487
00:39:24.541 --> 00:39:33.451
Primarily, this concerns Syria,

488
00:39:33.451 --> 00:39:36.008
we have managed to preserve Syrian statehood, no matter what,

489
00:39:36.008 --> 00:39:40.513
and we have prevented Libya-style chaos there.

490
00:39:40.513 --> 00:39:45.510
And a worst-case scenario would spell out negative 

491
00:39:45.510 --> 00:39:47.423
consequences for Russia.

492
00:39:47.423 --> 00:39:54.433
Besides, I would like to openly speak of the mobilisation 

493
00:39:54.433 --> 00:39:56.427
of the Russian Armed Forces.

494
00:39:56.427 --> 00:40:03.989
Our Armed Forces have received such practical experience that they 

495
00:40:03.989 --> 00:40:10.494
could not have obtained during any peace-time exercises.

496
00:40:14.494 --> 00:40:22.273
Are you committed to Mr al-Assad remaining in power or can we see,

497
00:40:22.273 --> 00:40:28.975
at some point, the transition in Syria that Russia would 

498
00:40:28.975 --> 00:40:30.961
support, which would not be Libya?

499
00:40:30.961 --> 00:40:34.374
I believe that the Syrian people should be free to choose 

500
00:40:34.374 --> 00:40:37.813
their own future. At the same time,

501
00:40:37.813 --> 00:40:44.801
I would like the actions of external players to be substantiated and,

502
00:40:44.801 --> 00:40:48.233
just as in the case of the risks you have mentioned,

503
00:40:48.233 --> 00:40:51.331
predictable and understandable,

504
00:40:51.331 --> 00:40:54.284
so that we can consider at least our next moves.

505
00:40:54.284 --> 00:40:58.574
When we discussed this matter only recently with the previous US 

506
00:40:58.574 --> 00:41:05.053
administration, we said, suppose Assad steps down today,

507
00:41:05.053 --> 00:41:07.501
what will happen tomorrow?

508
00:41:08.761 --> 00:41:12.140
Your colleague did well to laugh,

509
00:41:12.140 --> 00:41:14.041
because the answer we got was very amusing.

510
00:41:14.041 --> 00:41:16.438
You cannot even imagine how funny it was. They said,

511
00:41:16.438 --> 00:41:20.023
“We don’t know.” But when you do not know what happens tomorrow,

512
00:41:20.023 --> 00:41:24.598
why shoot from the hip today? This may sound primitive,

513
00:41:24.598 --> 00:41:26.888
but this is how it is.

514
00:41:26.888 --> 00:41:31.020
Therefore, we prefer to look at problems thoroughly from all possible 

515
00:41:31.020 --> 00:41:34.318
angles and not to be in any hurry.

516
00:41:34.318 --> 00:41:40.912
Of course, we are perfectly aware of what is happening in Syria.

517
00:41:40.912 --> 00:41:46.213
There are internal reasons for the conflict,

518
00:41:46.213 --> 00:41:51.683
and they should be dealt with. But both sides should do their bit.

519
00:41:51.683 --> 00:41:54.483
I am referring to the conflicting parties.

520
00:41:59.003 --> 00:42:07.637
Mr President, does that same argument apply to Venezuela? In other 

521
00:42:07.637 --> 00:42:16.547
words, you are not prepared to see a transition in Venezuela and you 

522
00:42:16.547 --> 00:42:20.165
are absolutely committed to President Maduro.

523
00:42:21.225 --> 00:42:23.882
Oh, and it seemed we had started so well.

524
00:42:23.882 --> 00:42:26.254
Please do not take offence to what I am going to say next.

525
00:42:26.254 --> 00:42:31.132
You won’t, will you? We were off to such a terrific start,

526
00:42:31.132 --> 00:42:35.536
talking seriously, and now you have moved back 

527
00:42:35.536 --> 00:42:38.807
to the stereotype views on Russia.

528
00:42:38.807 --> 00:42:41.961
We have no nothing to do with what is happening 

529
00:42:41.961 --> 00:42:44.274
in Venezuela, if you know what I mean.

530
00:42:46.914 --> 00:42:50.767
What are those advisors doing then in Caracas?

531
00:42:50.767 --> 00:42:54.931
I will say this now, if you just let me finish.

532
00:42:54.931 --> 00:42:57.420
There is no problem with that.

533
00:42:57.420 --> 00:43:02.568
Back under [President] Chavez we sold weapons to Venezuela,

534
00:43:02.568 --> 00:43:06.098
without any limits and problems.

535
00:43:07.918 --> 00:43:11.304
We did this absolutely legally just as it is done all around the world 

536
00:43:11.304 --> 00:43:14.332
and as every country does, including the United States,

537
00:43:14.332 --> 00:43:17.952
the UK, China and France.

538
00:43:17.952 --> 00:43:20.699
We did this too – we sold weapons to Venezuela.

539
00:43:20.719 --> 00:43:25.084
We signed contracts, which say what we have to do when it comes 

540
00:43:25.084 --> 00:43:27.471
to servicing this military equipment,

541
00:43:27.471 --> 00:43:31.118
that we must train local specialists,

542
00:43:31.118 --> 00:43:35.856
ensure that this equipment is maintained in combat readiness,

543
00:43:35.856 --> 00:43:39.547
and so on. We provide maintenance services for this equipment.

544
00:43:39.547 --> 00:43:41.107
I have already said this many times,

545
00:43:41.107 --> 00:43:46.989
including to our American partners: there are no Russian troops there.

546
00:43:46.989 --> 00:43:50.303
Do you understand? Yes, there are Russian specialists 

547
00:43:50.303 --> 00:43:51.628
and instructors there. Yes, they are working there.

548
00:43:51.628 --> 00:43:53.591
Only recently, I believe it was a week ago,

549
00:43:53.591 --> 00:43:59.290
a group of our advisers and specialists left the country.

550
00:44:01.670 --> 00:44:03.246
But they can return.

551
00:44:03.246 --> 00:44:08.747
We have an agreement that our aircraft fly there from time to time 

552
00:44:08.747 --> 00:44:11.360
to take part in exercises. And this is it.

553
00:44:11.360 --> 00:44:15.974
Are we regulating the rebels’ actions as some of our partners are 

554
00:44:15.974 --> 00:44:20.239
doing, or the actions of President Maduro? He is the president,

555
00:44:20.239 --> 00:44:23.146
why should we control his actions? He is in control.

556
00:44:23.146 --> 00:44:24.117
Whether he is doing well or not,

557
00:44:24.117 --> 00:44:28.084
this is another matter altogether. We do not make any judgments.

558
00:44:28.084 --> 00:44:31.332
I believe that many things could have been done differently there when 

559
00:44:31.332 --> 00:44:32.501
it comes to the economy.

560
00:44:32.501 --> 00:44:33.490
But we do not meddle in things;

561
00:44:33.490 --> 00:44:34.495
it is none of our business.

562
00:44:34.495 --> 00:44:39.443
We have invested billions of dollars there,

563
00:44:39.443 --> 00:44:43.726
mostly in the oil sector.

564
00:44:43.726 --> 00:44:46.732
So what? Other countries are doing the same as well.

565
00:44:46.732 --> 00:44:52.533
It looks like everything is preserved only by Russian weapons.

566
00:44:52.533 --> 00:44:56.466
This is not true. It has nothing in common with reality.

567
00:44:56.466 --> 00:45:04.641
Where are the self-proclaimed presidents and opposition leaders? Some 

568
00:45:04.641 --> 00:45:08.520
of them have taken refuge in foreign embassies and others are 

569
00:45:08.520 --> 00:45:12.801
in hiding. What do we have to do with this? This problem should be 

570
00:45:12.801 --> 00:45:16.685
sorted out by the Venezuelan people themselves. This is all.

571
00:45:17.405 --> 00:45:24.232
I was just applying your theory and your experience of seeing what 

572
00:45:24.232 --> 00:45:28.109
happened in Libya and Iraq to Venezuela.

573
00:45:29.689 --> 00:45:35.023
And therefore, logically, you would say,

574
00:45:35.023 --> 00:45:39.593
“We are committed to Mr Maduro because we do not want 

575
00:45:39.593 --> 00:45:42.917
to see regime change from outside.

576
00:45:42.917 --> 00:45:47.349
” Is that the Russian position? Or might you be willing to say,

577
00:45:47.349 --> 00:45:52.522
“We will support Guaido because we have important oil 

578
00:45:52.522 --> 00:45:53.534
interests in Venezuela”?

579
00:45:53.534 --> 00:45:57.706
We are prepared for any developments in any country,

580
00:45:57.706 --> 00:46:01.227
including Venezuela, if they are taking place in accordance with 

581
00:46:01.227 --> 00:46:04.221
internal rules and the country’s legislation,

582
00:46:04.221 --> 00:46:08.112
its Constitution, and in line with the people’s will.

583
00:46:08.112 --> 00:46:14.181
I do not think that Libyan or Iraqi statehood would have been wrecked 

584
00:46:14.181 --> 00:46:17.964
if there had been no intervention there.

585
00:46:18.904 --> 00:46:20.779
It would not have happened in Libya,

586
00:46:20.779 --> 00:46:22.380
the situation was absolutely different there.

587
00:46:22.380 --> 00:46:27.564
Indeed, Gaddafi wrote his books there, set forth his theories,

588
00:46:27.564 --> 00:46:30.297
and so on, which did not meet specific standards,

589
00:46:30.297 --> 00:46:34.766
and his practical work did not meet European or American 

590
00:46:34.766 --> 00:46:35.761
perceptions of democracy.

591
00:46:35.761 --> 00:46:42.528
Incidentally, the President of France said recently that the American 

592
00:46:42.528 --> 00:46:45.362
democratic model differs greatly from the European model.

593
00:46:45.362 --> 00:46:48.025
So there are no common democratic standards.

594
00:46:48.025 --> 00:46:57.433
And do you, well, not you, but our Western partners want a region such 

595
00:46:57.433 --> 00:47:04.146
as Libya to have the same democratic standards as Europe and the United 

596
00:47:04.146 --> 00:47:09.068
States? The region has only monarchies or countries with a system 

597
00:47:09.068 --> 00:47:11.815
similar to the one that existed in Libya.

598
00:47:11.815 --> 00:47:14.892
But I am sure that, as a historian,

599
00:47:14.892 --> 00:47:17.733
you will agree with me at heart.

600
00:47:17.733 --> 00:47:20.785
I do not know whether you will publicly agree with this or not,

601
00:47:20.785 --> 00:47:26.778
but it is impossible to impose current and viable French or Swiss 

602
00:47:26.778 --> 00:47:31.088
democratic standards on North African residents who have never lived 

603
00:47:31.088 --> 00:47:36.098
in conditions of French or Swiss democratic institutions.

604
00:47:36.098 --> 00:47:39.128
Impossible, isn’t it? And they tried to impose something 

605
00:47:39.128 --> 00:47:44.725
like that on them. Or they tried to impose something that they had 

606
00:47:44.725 --> 00:47:45.839
never known or even heard of.

607
00:47:45.839 --> 00:47:49.133
All this led to conflict and inter-tribal discord.

608
00:47:49.133 --> 00:47:52.472
In fact, a war continues in Libya.

609
00:47:52.472 --> 00:47:57.140
So why should we do the same in Venezuela? Do we want to revert 

610
00:47:57.140 --> 00:48:02.486
to gunboat diplomacy? What do we need it for? Is it necessary 

611
00:48:02.486 --> 00:48:10.338
to humiliate Latin American nations so much in the modern world 

612
00:48:10.338 --> 00:48:14.810
and impose forms of government or leaders from the outside?

613
00:48:14.810 --> 00:48:20.901
By the way, we worked with President Chavez because he was president.

614
00:48:20.901 --> 00:48:24.460
We did not work with President Chavez as an individual,

615
00:48:24.460 --> 00:48:25.780
but we worked with Venezuela.

616
00:48:25.780 --> 00:48:31.357
That is why we channelled investments in the oil sector.

617
00:48:31.357 --> 00:48:37.473
And where did we plan to deliver Venezuelan oil while investing 

618
00:48:37.473 --> 00:48:40.079
in the oil sector? As you know,

619
00:48:40.079 --> 00:48:42.732
Venezuela has unique oil that is mostly delivered to US refineries.

620
00:48:42.732 --> 00:48:50.685
What is so bad about that? We wanted the Venezuelan oil and gas sector 

621
00:48:50.685 --> 00:48:56.406
to operate steadily, predictably and confidently and to make deliveries 

622
00:48:56.406 --> 00:49:01.078
to those US refineries. I do not understand what is so wrong with this.

623
00:49:01.078 --> 00:49:04.932
First, they faced economic problems,

624
00:49:04.932 --> 00:49:06.337
followed by domestic political problems.

625
00:49:06.337 --> 00:49:08.352
Let them sort things out by themselves,

626
00:49:08.352 --> 00:49:14.159
and these leaders will come to power by democratic means.

627
00:49:14.159 --> 00:49:17.852
But when a person enters a square,

628
00:49:17.852 --> 00:49:21.502
raises his eyes to the sky and proclaims himself president? Let us do 

629
00:49:21.502 --> 00:49:25.498
the same in Japan, the United States or Germany.

630
00:49:25.498 --> 00:49:27.083
What will happen? Do you understand that this will cause chaos all over 

631
00:49:27.083 --> 00:49:31.815
the world? It is impossible to disagree with this.

632
00:49:31.815 --> 00:49:33.201
There will be pure chaos.

633
00:49:33.201 --> 00:49:34.984
How could they act like this? But no,

634
00:49:34.984 --> 00:49:36.253
they started supporting that person from the very outset.

635
00:49:36.253 --> 00:49:38.758
He may be a very good person.

636
00:49:38.758 --> 00:49:42.330
He may be just wonderful, and his plans are good.

637
00:49:42.330 --> 00:49:48.237
But is it enough that he entered a square and proclaimed himself 

638
00:49:48.237 --> 00:49:52.458
president? Is the entire world supposed to support him as president? We 

639
00:49:52.458 --> 00:49:54.757
should tell him to take part in elections and win them,

640
00:49:54.757 --> 00:49:58.142
and then we would work with him as the state leader.

641
00:50:01.382 --> 00:50:05.343
Let us talk about another democracy in Europe,

642
00:50:05.343 --> 00:50:11.706
my own country. You are going to have a meeting with Mrs May,

643
00:50:11.706 --> 00:50:16.846
which is going to be one of her last meetings before she

644
00:50:16.846 --> 00:50:19.297
steps down as Prime Minister.

645
00:50:19.297 --> 00:50:21.980
Do you think that there is a possibility of some improvement 

646
00:50:21.980 --> 00:50:29.853
in Anglo-Russian relations and that we can move on from some of these 

647
00:50:29.853 --> 00:50:33.470
issues that are obviously of great sensitivity,

648
00:50:33.470 --> 00:50:39.400
like the Skripal affair? Or do you think that we are going to stay 

649
00:50:39.400 --> 00:50:46.080
in a deep freeze for the next three or five years?

650
00:50:46.080 --> 00:50:54.030
Listen,all this fuss about spies and counter-spies,

651
00:50:54.030 --> 00:51:00.633
it is not worth serious interstate relations.

652
00:51:00.633 --> 00:51:14.917
This spy story, as we say, it is not worth five kopecks.

653
00:51:14.917 --> 00:51:17.256
Or even five pounds, for that matter.

654
00:51:17.256 --> 00:51:19.606
And the issues concerning interstate relations,

655
00:51:19.606 --> 00:51:23.835
they are measured in billions and the fate of millions of people.

656
00:51:23.835 --> 00:51:32.574
How can we compare one with the other?

657
00:51:32.574 --> 00:51:35.609
The list of accusations and allegations against one another 

658
00:51:35.609 --> 00:51:40.572
could go on and on. They say, “You poisoned the Skripals.

659
00:51:40.572 --> 00:51:44.496
” Firstly, this must be proved.

660
00:51:44.496 --> 00:51:48.194
Secondly, the average person listens and says,

661
00:51:48.194 --> 00:51:51.299
“Who are these Skripals?” And it turns out that Skripal was engaged 

662
00:51:51.299 --> 00:51:52.593
in espionage against us [Russia].

663
00:51:52.593 --> 00:51:54.356
So this person asks the next question,

664
00:51:54.356 --> 00:52:00.614
“Why did you spy on us using Skripal? Maybe you should not have done 

665
00:52:00.614 --> 00:52:07.806
that?” You know, these questions are infinite.

666
00:52:07.806 --> 00:52:13.649
We need to just leave it alone and let security agencies deal with it.

667
00:52:13.649 --> 00:52:19.750
But we know that businesses in the United Kingdom 

668
00:52:19.750 --> 00:52:23.890
(by the way, I had a meeting with our British colleagues in this same 

669
00:52:23.890 --> 00:52:25.808
room), they want to work with us,

670
00:52:25.808 --> 00:52:30.166
they are working with us and intend to continue doing so.

671
00:52:30.166 --> 00:52:33.326
And we support this intent.

672
00:52:33.326 --> 00:52:38.039
I think that Mrs May, despite her resignation,

673
00:52:38.039 --> 00:52:45.383
could not help but be concerned that these spy scandals made our 

674
00:52:45.383 --> 00:52:51.897
relations reach a deadlock so we could not develop our ties normally 

675
00:52:51.897 --> 00:53:00.157
and support business people, who are doing what? They do not only earn 

676
00:53:00.157 --> 00:53:02.258
money, this is what is on the outside.

677
00:53:02.258 --> 00:53:06.814
They create jobs and added value,

678
00:53:06.814 --> 00:53:12.298
plus they provide revenue at all levels of the tax system 

679
00:53:12.298 --> 00:53:16.835
of their countries. This is a serious and multifaceted job,

680
00:53:16.835 --> 00:53:19.724
with the same risks you mentioned,

681
00:53:19.724 --> 00:53:23.966
including risks related to business operations.

682
00:53:23.966 --> 00:53:28.600
And if we add an unpredictable political situation,

683
00:53:28.600 --> 00:53:32.670
they will not be able to work at all.

684
00:53:32.670 --> 00:53:37.250
I think that both Russia and the United Kingdom are interested in fully

685
00:53:37.250 --> 00:53:38.709
restoring our relations.

686
00:53:38.709 --> 00:53:45.482
At least I hope that a few preliminary steps will be made.

687
00:53:45.482 --> 00:53:48.932
I think it would be easier for Mrs May, maybe,

688
00:53:48.932 --> 00:53:56.350
because she is leaving and is free to do what she thinks is right,

689
00:53:56.350 --> 00:54:01.913
important and necessary and not to bother about some 

690
00:54:01.913 --> 00:54:04.176
domestic political consequences.

691
00:54:05.236 --> 00:54:11.222
Some people might say that a human life is worth more than five 

692
00:54:11.222 --> 00:54:15.900
pennies. But do you believe, Mr President that whatever happened…

693
00:54:15.900 --> 00:54:17.492
Did anybody die?

694
00:54:17.492 --> 00:54:31.248
Oh yes. The gentleman who had a drug problem and he died after touching 

695
00:54:31.248 --> 00:54:34.423
the Novichok in the car park.

696
00:54:34.423 --> 00:54:39.204
I mean somebody did that because of the perfume.

697
00:54:39.204 --> 00:54:44.390
It was more than one person that died, not the Skripals. I am just…

698
00:54:44.390 --> 00:54:48.752
And you think this is absolutely Russia’s fault?

699
00:54:50.552 --> 00:54:56.001
I did not say that. I said somebody died.

700
00:54:56.001 --> 00:55:00.530
You did not say that, but if it has nothing to do with Russia… Yes,

701
00:55:00.530 --> 00:55:02.049
a man died, and that is a tragedy,

702
00:55:02.049 --> 00:55:04.286
I agree. But what do we have to do with it?

703
00:55:10.126 --> 00:55:15.977
Let me just ask this and I really want to talk about the Russian 

704
00:55:15.977 --> 00:55:26.418
economy. Do you believe that what happened in Salisbury sent 

705
00:55:26.418 --> 00:55:36.078
an unambiguous message to anyone who is thinking of betraying 

706
00:55:36.078 --> 00:55:39.921
the Russian state that it is fair game?

707
00:55:40.621 --> 00:55:46.791
As a matter of fact, treason is the gravest crime possible 

708
00:55:46.791 --> 00:55:49.760
and traitors must be punished.

709
00:55:51.800 --> 00:55:59.163
I am not saying that the Salisbury incident is the way to do it.

710
00:55:59.163 --> 00:56:03.453
Not at all. But traitors must be punished.

711
00:56:03.453 --> 00:56:14.553
This gentleman, Skripal, had already been punished.

712
00:56:14.553 --> 00:56:19.680
He was arrested, sentenced and then served time in prison.

713
00:56:19.680 --> 00:56:22.601
He received his punishment. For that matter,

714
00:56:22.601 --> 00:56:23.412
he was off the radar.

715
00:56:23.412 --> 00:56:26.741
Why would anybody be interested in him? He got punished.

716
00:56:26.741 --> 00:56:30.220
He was detained, arrested, sentenced and then spent five years 

717
00:56:30.220 --> 00:56:34.503
in prison. Then he was released and that was it.

718
00:56:36.803 --> 00:56:39.417
As concerns treason, of course,

719
00:56:39.417 --> 00:56:41.222
it must be punishable.

720
00:56:42.462 --> 00:56:45.879
It is the most despicable crime that one can imagine.

721
00:56:50.279 --> 00:57:00.542
The Russian economy. You spoke the other day about decline in the real 

722
00:57:00.542 --> 00:57:07.653
wages in the Russian workforce and Russian growth has been 

723
00:57:07.653 --> 00:57:12.252
less than expected. But at the same time, Mr President,

724
00:57:12.252 --> 00:57:16.579
you have been accumulating foreign exchange reserves and international 

725
00:57:16.579 --> 00:57:19.540
reserves at some 460 billion.

726
00:57:20.900 --> 00:57:27.918
What are you saving for? What is the purpose? Can’t you use some 

727
00:57:27.918 --> 00:57:34.569
of this money to ease up on the fiscal side?

728
00:57:34.569 --> 00:57:38.949
Let me correct a few very small details.

729
00:57:38.949 --> 00:57:45.567
Real wages are not in decline in Russia.

730
00:57:45.567 --> 00:57:48.028
On the contrary, they are starting to pick up.

731
00:57:48.028 --> 00:57:54.441
It is the real household disposable income that is falling.

732
00:57:54.441 --> 00:57:59.360
Wages and income are two slightly different things.

733
00:57:59.360 --> 00:58:05.994
Income is determined by many parameters,

734
00:58:05.994 --> 00:58:13.001
including loan servicing costs.

735
00:58:13.001 --> 00:58:18.933
People in Russia take out a lot of consumer loans and interest payments 

736
00:58:18.933 --> 00:58:26.325
are counted towards expenses, which drags down real income indicators.

737
00:58:26.325 --> 00:58:32.155
Also, the shadow economy is undergoing legalisation.

738
00:58:32.155 --> 00:58:35.256
A substantial part of self-employed people –

739
00:58:35.256 --> 00:58:40.273
I believe, 100,000 or 200,000, have already legalised their business.

740
00:58:40.273 --> 00:58:51.745
This, too, affects real incomes of the population, disposable incomes.

741
00:58:51.745 --> 00:58:55.026
This tendency has persisted for the past four years.

742
00:58:55.026 --> 00:58:59.472
Last year we recorded a small increase of 0.1 percent.

743
00:58:59.472 --> 00:59:02.751
It is not enough. It is still within the margin of error.

744
00:59:02.751 --> 00:59:07.279
But it is one of the serious problems that we need to deal 

745
00:59:07.279 --> 00:59:08.511
with and we are dealing with it.

746
00:59:08.511 --> 00:59:15.479
Real wages started to grow recently. Last year there was an 8.

747
00:59:15.479 --> 00:59:19.715
5-percent increase. This year, the growth rate of real wages has 

748
00:59:19.715 --> 00:59:24.104
significantly decreased due to a whole range of circumstances.

749
00:59:24.104 --> 00:59:27.161
I mean that last year we saw a recovery growth and there 

750
00:59:27.161 --> 00:59:31.384
are some other factors involved. However,

751
00:59:31.384 --> 00:59:37.563
it continues. And we really expect that it will have an effect on real 

752
00:59:37.563 --> 00:59:38.910
household disposable incomes.

753
00:59:38.910 --> 00:59:43.227
Even more so because lately we have adopted a number of measures 

754
00:59:43.227 --> 00:59:48.192
to speed up the growth of retirement pensions.

755
00:59:48.192 --> 00:59:50.570
Last year the inflation rate was 4.

756
00:59:50.570 --> 00:59:54.864
3 percent and, based on these results,

757
00:59:54.864 --> 00:59:58.307
in the beginning of this year pensions were adjusted for inflation 

758
00:59:58.307 --> 01:00:06.229
by 7.05 percent. And we set ourselves a goal, a task –

759
01:00:06.229 --> 01:00:08.992
which, I am certain, will be achieved –

760
01:00:08.992 --> 01:00:12.988
to adjust pensions by a percentage that is above the inflation rate.

761
01:00:12.988 --> 01:00:23.511
Now, real incomes were also affected because we had to increase VAT 

762
01:00:23.511 --> 01:00:31.345
from 18 to 20 percent, which affected people’s purchasing power because 

763
01:00:31.345 --> 01:00:38.011
the inflation rate exceeded 5 percent.

764
01:00:38.011 --> 01:00:43.180
In other words, we expected that the negative impact of the VAT 

765
01:00:43.180 --> 01:00:46.137
increase would be short-term, which is exactly what happened.

766
01:00:46.137 --> 01:00:50.582
Fortunately, it worked out and our calculations proved right.

767
01:00:50.582 --> 01:00:52.400
Now the inflation rate is going down,

768
01:00:52.400 --> 01:00:55.207
the macroeconomic situation is improving;

769
01:00:55.207 --> 01:00:57.850
investment is rising slightly.

770
01:00:57.850 --> 01:01:03.730
We can see that the economy has overcome those difficulties that were 

771
01:01:03.730 --> 01:01:06.557
caused by internal and external shocks.

772
01:01:06.557 --> 01:01:12.670
The external shocks were related to restrictions and slumping prices 

773
01:01:12.670 --> 01:01:19.775
on our traditional export products. The economy has stabilised.

774
01:01:19.775 --> 01:01:23.202
The macroeconomic situation in the country is stable.

775
01:01:23.202 --> 01:01:27.941
It is not accidental and all rating agencies registered it.

776
01:01:27.941 --> 01:01:32.565
The three major agencies raised our investment rating.

777
01:01:33.805 --> 01:01:37.088
Economic growth last year was 2.3 percent.

778
01:01:37.088 --> 01:01:41.559
We do not think it was enough but we will, of course,

779
01:01:41.559 --> 01:01:43.234
work on speeding up the pace.

780
01:01:43.234 --> 01:01:47.280
The growth rate in industrial production was 2.

781
01:01:47.280 --> 01:01:51.012
9 percent and even higher, up to 13 percent in some industries 

782
01:01:51.012 --> 01:01:57.993
(light industry, processing and garment industries and several others)

783
01:01:57.993 --> 01:02:02.488
. Therefore, overall, our economy is stable.

784
01:02:02.488 --> 01:02:06.128
But the most important task we need to achieve is to change 

785
01:02:06.128 --> 01:02:10.044
the structure of the economy and secure a substantial growth of labour 

786
01:02:10.044 --> 01:02:13.653
productivity through modern technologies,

787
01:02:13.653 --> 01:02:16.898
Artificial Intelligence, robotics and so on.

788
01:02:16.898 --> 01:02:19.601
This is exactly why we increased VAT,

789
01:02:19.601 --> 01:02:26.666
to raise budget funds for performing a certain part of this job that is 

790
01:02:26.666 --> 01:02:30.082
the state’s responsibility, in order to create conditions 

791
01:02:30.082 --> 01:02:31.160
for private investment.

792
01:02:31.160 --> 01:02:34.737
Let us take transport and other infrastructure development.

793
01:02:34.737 --> 01:02:36.982
Hardly anybody besides the state is involved in it.

794
01:02:36.982 --> 01:02:41.246
There are other factors related to education and healthcare.

795
01:02:41.246 --> 01:02:43.945
A person who has health problems or has no training cannot be efficient 

796
01:02:43.945 --> 01:02:45.973
in the modern economy. The list goes on.

797
01:02:45.973 --> 01:02:51.510
We really hope that by starting this work on key development areas,

798
01:02:51.510 --> 01:02:56.870
we will be able to increase labour productivity and use this basis 

799
01:02:56.870 --> 01:03:01.719
for ensuring an increase in the incomes and prosperity of our people.

800
01:03:01.719 --> 01:03:06.724
As concerns the reserves, you are not exactly correct here,

801
01:03:06.724 --> 01:03:13.368
either. We have over 500 billion in gold and foreign currency reserves,

802
01:03:13.368 --> 01:03:15.080
rather than 460 billion.

803
01:03:15.080 --> 01:03:24.558
But the understanding is that we need to create a safety net that would 

804
01:03:24.558 --> 01:03:39.146
let us feel confident and use the interest on our existing resources.

805
01:03:39.146 --> 01:03:45.399
If we have 7 percent more, we can spend those 7 percent.

806
01:03:45.399 --> 01:03:48.954
This is what we plan for the next year and there is a high probability 

807
01:03:48.954 --> 01:03:50.436
that we will succeed.

808
01:03:50.436 --> 01:03:55.083
Do not think that this money is just sitting on the shelf.

809
01:03:55.083 --> 01:04:01.527
No, it creates certain guarantees for Russia’s economic 

810
01:04:01.527 --> 01:04:03.339
stability in the midterm.

811
01:04:04.679 --> 01:04:13.083
The Central Bank has done a very good job in helping to secure 

812
01:04:13.083 --> 01:04:17.247
macroeconomic stability even if some of the oligarchs 

813
01:04:17.247 --> 01:04:19.446
complain about banks being closed.

814
01:04:20.246 --> 01:04:24.410
You know, first of all, we do not have oligarchs anymore.

815
01:04:24.410 --> 01:04:27.216
Oligarchs are those who use their proximity 

816
01:04:27.216 --> 01:04:31.026
to the authorities to receive super profits.

817
01:04:31.526 --> 01:04:35.380
We have large companies, private ones,

818
01:04:35.380 --> 01:04:36.911
or with government participation.

819
01:04:36.911 --> 01:04:45.102
But I do not know of any large companies that get preferential 

820
01:04:45.102 --> 01:04:46.212
treatment from being close to the authorities,

821
01:04:46.212 --> 01:04:47.833
these are practically non-existent.

822
01:04:47.833 --> 01:04:55.029
As for the Central Bank, yes, it is engaged in a gradual improvement 

823
01:04:55.029 --> 01:05:01.224
of our financial system: inefficient and small-capacity companies,

824
01:05:01.224 --> 01:05:05.155
as well as semi-criminal financial organisations are leaving 

825
01:05:05.155 --> 01:05:08.082
the market, and this is large-scale and complicated work.

826
01:05:08.082 --> 01:05:11.562
It is not about oligarchs or large companies;

827
01:05:11.562 --> 01:05:15.912
the thing is that it affects, unfortunately,

828
01:05:15.912 --> 01:05:18.272
the interests of the depositor,

829
01:05:18.272 --> 01:05:24.341
the average person. We have relevant regulatory acts that minimise 

830
01:05:24.341 --> 01:05:28.390
people’s financial losses and create a certain safety net for them.

831
01:05:28.390 --> 01:05:32.163
But each case should be considered individually, of course.

832
01:05:32.163 --> 01:05:35.523
In general, the work of the Central Bank, in my opinion,

833
01:05:35.523 --> 01:05:38.690
deserves support. It is related to both the improvement 

834
01:05:38.690 --> 01:05:48.619
of the financial system and the calibrated policy regarding 

835
01:05:48.619 --> 01:05:50.391
the key interest rate.

836
01:05:51.671 --> 01:05:57.831
Mr President, I would like to go back to President Xi and China.

837
01:05:57.831 --> 01:06:04.395
As you know, he has pursued a rigorous anticorruption campaign in order 

838
01:06:04.395 --> 01:06:11.169
to clean up the party, maintain the legitimacy and strengthen 

839
01:06:11.169 --> 01:06:17.612
the party. He has also read the history of the Soviet Union,

840
01:06:17.612 --> 01:06:25.578
where Mr Gorbachev essentially abandoned the party and helped 

841
01:06:25.578 --> 01:06:29.918
to destroy the country – the Soviet Union.

842
01:06:29.918 --> 01:06:37.077
Do you think that Mr Xi is right in his approach that the party is 

843
01:06:37.077 --> 01:06:43.351
absolutely crucial? And what lessons do you draw for Russia? If I can 

844
01:06:43.351 --> 01:06:49.336
just add, you said something interesting a few years ago about 

845
01:06:49.336 --> 01:06:53.747
the breakup of the Soviet Union being the greatest 

846
01:06:53.747 --> 01:06:56.131
geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century.

847
01:06:56.131 --> 01:06:58.602
These two issues are not connected.

848
01:06:58.602 --> 01:07:02.056
As for the tragedy related to the dissolution of the Soviet Union,

849
01:07:02.056 --> 01:07:03.557
this is something obvious.

850
01:07:03.557 --> 01:07:07.076
I meant, first of all, the humanitarian aspect of it.

851
01:07:07.076 --> 01:07:12.552
It appears that 25 million ethnic Russians were living abroad when they 

852
01:07:12.552 --> 01:07:15.914
learned from the television and radio that the Soviet Union 

853
01:07:15.914 --> 01:07:19.064
had ceased to exist. Nobody asked their opinion.

854
01:07:20.764 --> 01:07:22.595
The decision was simply made.

855
01:07:22.615 --> 01:07:25.117
You know, these are issues of democracy.

856
01:07:25.117 --> 01:07:30.085
Was there an opinion poll, a referendum? Most 

857
01:07:30.085 --> 01:07:32.575
(over 70 percent) of the citizens of the USSR spoke 

858
01:07:32.575 --> 01:07:34.753
in favour of retaining it.

859
01:07:34.753 --> 01:07:37.595
Then the decision was made to dissolve the USSR,

860
01:07:37.595 --> 01:07:43.352
but nobody asked the people, and 25 million ethnic Russians found 

861
01:07:43.352 --> 01:07:51.215
themselves living outside the Russian Federation.

862
01:07:51.215 --> 01:07:58.387
Listen, is this not a tragedy? A huge one! And family relations? Jobs? 

863
01:07:58.387 --> 01:08:03.207
Travel? It was nothing but a disaster.

864
01:08:03.207 --> 01:08:10.280
I was surprised to see the later comments on what I said,

865
01:08:10.280 --> 01:08:13.524
in particular, in the Western media.

866
01:08:13.524 --> 01:08:17.104
They should try to live through seeing their father,

867
01:08:17.104 --> 01:08:21.084
brother or any other close relative finding themselves living 

868
01:08:21.084 --> 01:08:24.811
in a different country, where a whole new life has started.

869
01:08:24.811 --> 01:08:26.730
I assure you.

870
01:08:26.730 --> 01:08:32.147
As for the party and the party state building in China,

871
01:08:32.147 --> 01:08:34.671
this is for the Chinese people to decide;

872
01:08:34.671 --> 01:08:41.225
we do not interfere. Today’s Russia has its own principles and rules 

873
01:08:41.225 --> 01:08:50.415
of life, and China with its 1.35 billion people has its own.

874
01:08:50.415 --> 01:08:57.020
You try to rule a country with such a population.

875
01:08:57.020 --> 01:09:02.233
This is not Luxembourg, with all due respect to this wonderful country.

876
01:09:02.233 --> 01:09:09.279
Therefore, it is necessary to give the Chinese people the opportunity 

877
01:09:09.279 --> 01:09:13.732
to decide how to organise their lives.

878
01:09:16.592 --> 01:09:19.615
Again a big picture question.

879
01:09:19.615 --> 01:09:24.684
I talked at the beginning of our conversation about fragmentation.

880
01:09:24.684 --> 01:09:31.859
Another phenomenon today is that there is a popular backlash against 

881
01:09:31.859 --> 01:09:38.505
elites and against the establishment and you have seen 

882
01:09:38.505 --> 01:09:39.733
that – Brexit in Britain.

883
01:09:39.733 --> 01:09:44.925
Perhaps you were speaking about Trump’s America.

884
01:09:44.925 --> 01:09:49.030
You have seen it with the AFD in Germany; you have seen it in Turkey;

885
01:09:49.030 --> 01:09:53.508
and you have seen it in the Arab world.

886
01:09:53.508 --> 01:10:03.374
How long do you think that Russia can remain immune to this global 

887
01:10:03.374 --> 01:10:08.603
movement of backlash against the establishment?

888
01:10:08.603 --> 01:10:13.297
You should look at the realities in each particular case.

889
01:10:13.297 --> 01:10:15.343
Of course, there are some trends,

890
01:10:15.343 --> 01:10:19.181
but they are only general.

891
01:10:19.181 --> 01:10:28.012
In each particular case, when looking at the situation and how it 

892
01:10:28.012 --> 01:10:39.839
unfolds, you should take into account the history of the given country,

893
01:10:39.839 --> 01:10:43.622
its traditions and realities.

894
01:10:45.702 --> 01:10:53.978
How long will Russia remain a stable country? The longer the better.

895
01:10:53.998 --> 01:11:00.402
Because very many other things and its position in the world depend 

896
01:11:00.402 --> 01:11:03.686
on stability, on internal political stability.

897
01:11:03.686 --> 01:11:08.237
Ultimately, the wellbeing of the people depends,

898
01:11:08.237 --> 01:11:10.869
possibly primarily, on stability.

899
01:11:10.869 --> 01:11:15.467
One of the reasons, the internal reason for the Soviet Union’s collapse 

900
01:11:15.467 --> 01:11:21.147
was that life was difficult for the people,

901
01:11:21.147 --> 01:11:27.121
whose take-home wages were very small.

902
01:11:27.121 --> 01:11:34.638
The shops were empty, and the people lost the intrinsic 

903
01:11:34.638 --> 01:11:36.912
desire to preserve the state.

904
01:11:36.912 --> 01:11:43.504
They thought that it could not get worse no matter what happened.

905
01:11:43.504 --> 01:11:47.232
It turned out that life became worse for very many people,

906
01:11:47.232 --> 01:11:53.204
especially at the beginning of the 1990s when the social protection 

907
01:11:53.204 --> 01:11:56.844
and healthcare systems collapsed and industry was crumbling.

908
01:11:56.844 --> 01:12:00.438
It could be ineffective, but at least people had jobs.

909
01:12:00.458 --> 01:12:02.116
After the collapse, they lost them.

910
01:12:02.116 --> 01:12:07.685
Therefore, you should look at each particular case separately.

911
01:12:08.665 --> 01:12:15.094
What is happening in the West? What is the reason for the Trump 

912
01:12:15.094 --> 01:12:20.931
phenomenon, as you said, in the United States? What is happening 

913
01:12:20.931 --> 01:12:28.749
in Europe as well? The ruling elites have broken away from the people.

914
01:12:32.869 --> 01:12:36.199
The obvious problem is the gap between the interests of the elites 

915
01:12:36.199 --> 01:12:40.855
and the overwhelming majority of the people.

916
01:12:40.855 --> 01:12:45.229
Of course, we must always bear this in mind.

917
01:12:45.229 --> 01:12:50.923
One of the things we must do in Russia is never to forget that 

918
01:12:50.923 --> 01:12:57.709
the purpose of the operation and existence of any government is 

919
01:12:57.709 --> 01:13:04.827
to create a stable, normal, safe and predictable life for the people 

920
01:13:04.827 --> 01:13:07.041
and to work towards a better future.

921
01:13:07.041 --> 01:13:15.477
There is also the so-called liberal idea,

922
01:13:15.477 --> 01:13:18.863
which has outlived its purpose.

923
01:13:18.863 --> 01:13:24.750
Our Western partners have admitted that some elements of the liberal 

924
01:13:24.750 --> 01:13:31.113
idea, such as multiculturalism, are no longer tenable.

925
01:13:31.113 --> 01:13:33.976
When the migration problem came to a head,

926
01:13:33.976 --> 01:13:39.967
many people admitted that the policy of multiculturalism is not 

927
01:13:39.967 --> 01:13:42.328
effective and that the interests of the core population 

928
01:13:42.328 --> 01:13:44.046
should be considered.

929
01:13:44.046 --> 01:13:52.728
Although those who have run into difficulties because of political 

930
01:13:52.728 --> 01:13:55.627
problems in their home countries need our assistance as well.

931
01:13:55.627 --> 01:14:00.601
That is great, but what about the interests of their own population 

932
01:14:00.601 --> 01:14:06.281
when the number of migrants heading to Western Europe is not just 

933
01:14:06.281 --> 01:14:11.041
a handful of people but thousands or hundreds of thousands?

934
01:14:17.261 --> 01:14:19.724
Did Angela Merkel make a mistake?

935
01:14:19.724 --> 01:14:28.506
Cardinal mistake. One can criticise Trump for his intention to build 

936
01:14:28.506 --> 01:14:34.353
a wall between Mexico and the United States. It could be going too far.

937
01:14:34.353 --> 01:14:37.285
Yes, maybe so. I am not arguing about this point.

938
01:14:37.285 --> 01:14:41.865
But he had to do something about the huge inflow 

939
01:14:41.865 --> 01:14:43.491
of migrants and narcotics.

940
01:14:43.491 --> 01:14:49.417
Nobody is doing anything. They say this is bad and that is bad as well.

941
01:14:49.417 --> 01:14:52.945
Tell me, what is good then? What should be done? Nobody has 

942
01:14:52.945 --> 01:14:58.317
proposed anything. I do not mean that a wall must be built or tariffs 

943
01:14:58.317 --> 01:15:03.243
raised by 5 percent annually in the economic relations with Mexico.

944
01:15:03.243 --> 01:15:05.762
This is not what I am saying, yet something must be done.

945
01:15:05.762 --> 01:15:07.472
He is at least looking for a solution.

946
01:15:07.472 --> 01:15:13.497
What am I driving at? Those who are concerned about this,

947
01:15:13.497 --> 01:15:19.174
ordinary Americans, they look at this and say, Good for him,

948
01:15:19.174 --> 01:15:20.403
at least he is doing something,

949
01:15:20.403 --> 01:15:22.535
suggesting ideas and looking for a solution.

950
01:15:22.535 --> 01:15:30.210
As for the liberal idea, its proponents are not doing anything.

951
01:15:30.210 --> 01:15:32.201
They say that all is well, that everything is as it should be.

952
01:15:32.201 --> 01:15:38.166
But is it? They are sitting in their cosy offices,

953
01:15:38.166 --> 01:15:44.239
while those who are facing the problem every day in Texas or Florida 

954
01:15:44.239 --> 01:15:47.565
are not happy, they will soon have problems of their own.

955
01:15:47.565 --> 01:15:48.990
Does anyone think about them?

956
01:15:48.990 --> 01:15:50.998
The same is happening in Europe.

957
01:15:50.998 --> 01:15:54.504
I discussed this with many of my colleagues,

958
01:15:54.504 --> 01:15:55.884
but nobody has the answer.

959
01:15:55.884 --> 01:15:59.764
The say they cannot pursue a hard-line policy for various reasons.

960
01:15:59.764 --> 01:16:04.935
Why exactly? Just because. We have the law,

961
01:16:04.935 --> 01:16:08.109
they say. Well, then change the law!

962
01:16:08.109 --> 01:16:12.119
We have quite a few problems of our own in this sphere as well.

963
01:16:12.119 --> 01:16:15.562
We have open borders with the former Soviet republics,

964
01:16:15.562 --> 01:16:18.545
but their people at least speak Russian.

965
01:16:18.545 --> 01:16:21.416
Do you see what I mean? And besides,

966
01:16:21.416 --> 01:16:26.862
we in Russia have taken steps to streamline the situation in this 

967
01:16:26.862 --> 01:16:33.241
sphere. We are now working in the countries from which the migrants 

968
01:16:33.241 --> 01:16:35.953
come, teaching Russian at their schools,

969
01:16:35.953 --> 01:16:37.856
and we are also working with them here.

970
01:16:37.856 --> 01:16:42.352
We have toughened the legislation to show that migrants must respect 

971
01:16:42.352 --> 01:16:46.279
the laws, customs and culture of the country.

972
01:16:46.279 --> 01:16:48.678
In other words, the situation is not simple in Russia either,

973
01:16:48.678 --> 01:16:52.801
but we have started working to improve it.

974
01:16:52.801 --> 01:16:58.193
Whereas the liberal idea presupposes that nothing needs to be done.

975
01:16:58.193 --> 01:17:02.209
The migrants can kill, plunder and rape with impunity because their 

976
01:17:02.209 --> 01:17:03.232
rights as migrants must be protected.

977
01:17:03.232 --> 01:17:07.685
What rights are these? Every crime must have its punishment.

978
01:17:07.685 --> 01:17:11.909
So, the liberal idea has become obsolete.

979
01:17:11.909 --> 01:17:18.628
It has come into conflict with the interests of the overwhelming 

980
01:17:18.628 --> 01:17:21.888
majority of the population. Or take the traditional values.

981
01:17:21.888 --> 01:17:23.573
I am not trying to insult anyone,

982
01:17:23.573 --> 01:17:26.972
because we have been condemned for our alleged homophobia as it is.

983
01:17:26.972 --> 01:17:33.225
But we have no problems with LGBT persons.

984
01:17:33.225 --> 01:17:38.878
God forbid, let them live as they wish.

985
01:17:38.878 --> 01:17:45.028
But some things do appear excessive to us.

986
01:17:45.028 --> 01:17:52.756
They claim now that children can play five or six gender roles.

987
01:17:52.756 --> 01:17:55.073
I cannot even say exactly what genders these are,

988
01:17:55.073 --> 01:17:59.623
I have no notion. Let everyone be happy,

989
01:17:59.623 --> 01:18:02.418
we have no problem with that.

990
01:18:02.418 --> 01:18:09.240
But this must not be allowed to overshadow the culture,

991
01:18:09.240 --> 01:18:15.359
traditions and traditional family values of millions 

992
01:18:15.359 --> 01:18:17.891
of people making up the core population.

993
01:18:19.431 --> 01:18:24.857
Does that include – this is very important, like you say –

994
01:18:24.857 --> 01:18:31.761
the end of this liberal idea, because – what else did you say –

995
01:18:31.761 --> 01:18:37.996
uncontrolled immigration, open borders, definitely, as you say,

996
01:18:37.996 --> 01:18:43.965
diversity as an organizing principle in society? What else do you think 

997
01:18:43.965 --> 01:18:48.348
is just finished over in terms of the liberal idea? And would you say –

998
01:18:48.348 --> 01:18:55.864
if I could just add – that religion therefore must play an important 

999
01:18:55.864 --> 01:19:02.773
role in terms of national culture and cohesiveness?

1000
01:19:02.773 --> 01:19:10.658
It should play its current role.

1001
01:19:10.658 --> 01:19:16.596
It [religion] cannot be pushed out of this cultural space.

1002
01:19:16.596 --> 01:19:22.453
We should not abuse anything.

1003
01:19:25.673 --> 01:19:28.096
Russia is an Orthodox Christian nation,

1004
01:19:28.096 --> 01:19:31.438
and there have always been problems between Orthodox 

1005
01:19:31.438 --> 01:19:33.736
Christianity and the Catholic world.

1006
01:19:33.736 --> 01:19:38.620
This is exactly why I will now say a few words about Catholics.

1007
01:19:38.620 --> 01:19:40.378
Are there any problems there? Yes, there are,

1008
01:19:40.378 --> 01:19:45.698
but they cannot be over-exaggerated and used for destroying the Roman 

1009
01:19:45.698 --> 01:19:48.006
Catholic Church itself. This is what cannot be done.

1010
01:19:48.006 --> 01:19:53.869
Sometimes, I get the feeling that these liberal circles are beginning 

1011
01:19:53.869 --> 01:19:57.476
to use certain elements and problems of the Catholic Church as a tool 

1012
01:19:57.476 --> 01:19:59.021
for destroying the Church itself.

1013
01:19:59.021 --> 01:20:02.369
This is what I consider to be incorrect and dangerous.

1014
01:20:02.369 --> 01:20:10.111
All right, have we forgotten that all of us live in a world based 

1015
01:20:10.111 --> 01:20:19.797
on Biblical values? Even atheists and everyone else live in this world.

1016
01:20:19.797 --> 01:20:28.719
We do not have to think about this every day, attend church and pray,

1017
01:20:28.719 --> 01:20:38.652
thereby showing that we are devout Christians or Muslims or Jews.

1018
01:20:38.652 --> 01:20:46.055
However, deep inside, there must be some fundamental human 

1019
01:20:46.055 --> 01:20:48.504
rules and moral values.

1020
01:20:48.504 --> 01:20:52.828
In this sense, traditional values are more stable and more important 

1021
01:20:52.828 --> 01:20:56.925
for millions of people than this liberal idea, which,

1022
01:20:56.925 --> 01:21:00.027
in my opinion, is really ceasing to exist.

1023
01:21:01.127 --> 01:21:06.630
So religion, religion is not the opium of the masses?

1024
01:21:06.630 --> 01:21:09.834
No, it is not. But I get the impression that you are detached from 

1025
01:21:09.834 --> 01:21:13.393
religion because it is already 12.

1026
01:21:13.393 --> 01:21:18.313
45 am Moscow Time, and you continue to torture me.

1027
01:21:18.313 --> 01:21:21.965
As we say here, there is no fear of God in you, is there? (Laughter)

1028
01:21:22.925 --> 01:21:29.253
This is history. I have waited a long time for this.

1029
01:21:29.253 --> 01:21:34.191
I have got one last question. And thank you for your – go on please.

1030
01:21:34.191 --> 01:21:35.015
Please, go ahead.

1031
01:21:35.015 --> 01:21:40.736
Mr President, would you say – I was reflecting on what you just said: 

1032
01:21:40.736 --> 01:21:46.822
some of the themes you were referring to would echo in people such 

1033
01:21:46.822 --> 01:21:47.910
as Steve Bannon, and Mr Trump himself,

1034
01:21:47.910 --> 01:21:51.482
and the groups in Europe who have come to power.

1035
01:21:51.482 --> 01:21:58.611
Do you think if the end of the liberal idea is over,

1036
01:21:58.611 --> 01:22:01.306
is now the time of the ‘illiberals’? And do you see more and more 

1037
01:22:01.306 --> 01:22:03.526
allies growing around the world to your way of seeing 

1038
01:22:03.526 --> 01:22:06.067
the human existence at the moment?

1039
01:22:06.067 --> 01:22:14.123
You know, it seems to me that purely liberal or purely traditional 

1040
01:22:14.123 --> 01:22:16.521
ideas have never existed.

1041
01:22:16.541 --> 01:22:18.798
Probably, they did once exist in the history of humankind,

1042
01:22:18.798 --> 01:22:23.811
but everything very quickly ends in a deadlock if there is no 

1043
01:22:23.811 --> 01:22:36.013
diversity. Everything starts to become extreme one way or another.

1044
01:22:36.013 --> 01:22:45.053
Various ideas and various opinions should have a chance to exist 

1045
01:22:45.053 --> 01:22:51.672
and manifest themselves, but at the same time interests of the general 

1046
01:22:51.672 --> 01:22:56.268
public, those millions of people and their lives,

1047
01:22:56.268 --> 01:22:59.002
should never be forgotten.

1048
01:22:59.002 --> 01:23:00.941
This is something that should not be overlooked.

1049
01:23:00.941 --> 01:23:06.315
Then, it seems to me, we would be able to avoid major 

1050
01:23:06.335 --> 01:23:10.524
political upheavals and troubles.

1051
01:23:10.524 --> 01:23:13.162
This applies to the liberal idea as well.

1052
01:23:13.162 --> 01:23:19.579
It does not mean (I think, this is ceasing to be a dominating factor)

1053
01:23:19.579 --> 01:23:22.641
that it must be immediately destroyed.

1054
01:23:22.641 --> 01:23:28.092
This point of view, this position should also be treated with respect.

1055
01:23:28.092 --> 01:23:31.466
They cannot simply dictate anything to anyone just like they have been 

1056
01:23:31.466 --> 01:23:33.980
attempting to do over the recent decades.

1057
01:23:33.980 --> 01:23:42.413
Diktat can be seen everywhere: both in the media and in real life.

1058
01:23:42.413 --> 01:23:49.019
It is deemed unbecoming even to mention some topics. But why?

1059
01:23:49.019 --> 01:23:55.046
For this reason, I am not a fan of quickly shutting, tying, closing,

1060
01:23:55.046 --> 01:23:56.787
disbanding everything, arresting everybody or dispersing everybody.

1061
01:23:56.787 --> 01:24:01.339
Of course, not. The liberal idea cannot be destroyed either;

1062
01:24:01.339 --> 01:24:05.881
it has the right to exist and it should even be supported in some 

1063
01:24:05.881 --> 01:24:12.238
things. But you should not think that it has the right to be 

1064
01:24:12.238 --> 01:24:15.139
the absolute dominating factor. That is the point.

1065
01:24:15.139 --> 01:24:16.072
Please.

1066
01:24:20.272 --> 01:24:24.796
You really are on the same page as Donald Trump.

1067
01:24:24.796 --> 01:24:32.531
Mr President, you have been in power for almost 20 years.

1068
01:24:32.531 --> 01:24:32.945
For eighteen years.

1069
01:24:32.945 --> 01:24:39.410
You have seen many world leaders. Who do you most admire?

1070
01:24:39.430 --> 01:24:40.933
Peter the Great.

1071
01:24:45.033 --> 01:24:48.577
But he is dead.

1072
01:24:48.577 --> 01:24:53.970
He will live as long as his cause is alive just 

1073
01:24:53.970 --> 01:24:56.334
as the cause of each of us. (Laughter)

1074
01:24:56.334 --> 01:25:00.111
. We will live until our cause is alive.

1075
01:25:00.111 --> 01:25:10.360
If you mean any present-day leaders from different countries 

1076
01:25:10.360 --> 01:25:16.449
and states, of the persons that I could communicate with,

1077
01:25:16.449 --> 01:25:22.102
I was most seriously impressed by former President of France Mr Chirac.

1078
01:25:22.102 --> 01:25:27.822
He is a true intellectual, a real professor,

1079
01:25:27.822 --> 01:25:32.351
a very level-headed man as well as very interesting.

1080
01:25:32.351 --> 01:25:37.903
When he was President, he had his own opinion on every issue,

1081
01:25:37.903 --> 01:25:43.530
he knew how to defend it and he always respected his partners’ opinions.

1082
01:25:43.530 --> 01:25:48.462
In modern-day history, taking a broader view,

1083
01:25:48.462 --> 01:25:54.176
there are many good and very interesting people.

1084
01:25:57.196 --> 01:26:01.716
Peter the Great, the creator of the Greater Russia.

1085
01:26:01.716 --> 01:26:05.678
Need I say any more? My last question,

1086
01:26:05.678 --> 01:26:11.725
Mr President. Great leaders always prepare succession.

1087
01:26:11.725 --> 01:26:15.811
Lee Kuan Yew prepared succession.

1088
01:26:15.811 --> 01:26:21.609
So please share with us what would the process be by which 

1089
01:26:21.609 --> 01:26:24.253
your successor will be chosen.

1090
01:26:24.253 --> 01:26:28.000
I can tell you without exaggeration that I have always been thinking 

1091
01:26:28.000 --> 01:26:30.074
about this, since 2000.

1092
01:26:31.554 --> 01:26:38.553
The situation changes and certain demands on people change,

1093
01:26:38.553 --> 01:26:50.071
too. In the end, and I will say this without theatrics or exaggeration,

1094
01:26:50.091 --> 01:26:55.607
in the end the decision must be made by the people of Russia.

1095
01:26:58.387 --> 01:27:02.023
No matter what and how the current leader does,

1096
01:27:02.023 --> 01:27:04.239
no matter who or how he represents,

1097
01:27:04.239 --> 01:27:06.413
it is the voter that has the final word,

1098
01:27:06.413 --> 01:27:08.617
the citizen of the Russian Federation.

1099
01:27:09.957 --> 01:27:14.231
So the choice will be approved by the Russian people 

1100
01:27:14.231 --> 01:27:18.758
in a vote? Or through the Duma?

1101
01:27:18.758 --> 01:27:23.363
Why through the Duma? By means of direct secret ballot,

1102
01:27:23.363 --> 01:27:25.867
universal direct secret ballot.

1103
01:27:25.867 --> 01:27:29.883
Of course, it is different from what you have in Great Britain.

1104
01:27:29.883 --> 01:27:32.444
We are a democratic country. (Laughter)

1105
01:27:32.444 --> 01:27:35.902
In your country, one leader has left, and the second leader,

1106
01:27:35.902 --> 01:27:45.444
who is for all intents and purposes the top figure in the state,

1107
01:27:45.444 --> 01:27:51.895
is not elected by a direct vote of the people, but by the ruling party.

1108
01:27:54.355 --> 01:27:58.841
It is different in Russia, as we are a democratic country.

1109
01:27:58.841 --> 01:28:03.580
If our top officials leave for some reason,

1110
01:28:03.580 --> 01:28:12.184
because they want to retire from politics like Boris Yeltsin,

1111
01:28:12.184 --> 01:28:19.572
or because their term ends, we hold an election through 

1112
01:28:19.572 --> 01:28:21.631
universal direct secret ballot.

1113
01:28:21.631 --> 01:28:23.500
The same will happen in this case.

1114
01:28:23.500 --> 01:28:27.218
Of course, the current leader always supports someone,

1115
01:28:27.218 --> 01:28:30.437
and this support can be substantive if the person supported has 

1116
01:28:30.437 --> 01:28:33.279
the respect and trust of the people, but in the end,

1117
01:28:33.279 --> 01:28:37.612
the choice is always made by the Russian people.

1118
01:28:40.932 --> 01:28:45.807
I cannot resist pointing out that you did take over 

1119
01:28:45.807 --> 01:28:48.744
as president before the election.

1120
01:28:49.644 --> 01:28:54.790
Yes, this is true. So what? I was acting president,

1121
01:28:54.790 --> 01:28:58.108
and in order to be elected and become the head of state,

1122
01:28:58.108 --> 01:29:02.194
I had to take part in an election, which I did.

1123
01:29:03.774 --> 01:29:08.221
I am grateful to the Russian people for their trust back then,

1124
01:29:08.221 --> 01:29:11.427
and after that, in the following elections.

1125
01:29:11.427 --> 01:29:15.961
It is a great honour to be the leader of Russia.

1126
01:29:16.781 --> 01:29:21.677
Mr President, thank you for spending time with 

1127
01:29:21.677 --> 01:29:24.680
the Financial Times in Moscow, in the Kremlin.

1128
01:29:24.680 --> 01:29:31.752
Thank you for your interest in the events in Russia and your interest 

1129
01:29:31.752 --> 01:29:38.031
in what Russia thinks about the current international affairs.

1130
01:29:38.031 --> 01:29:42.686
And thank you for our interesting conversation today.

1131
01:29:42.686 --> 01:29:44.518
I believe it was really interesting.

1132
01:29:44.518 --> 01:29:45.929
Thank you very much.