Putin, Nobel's Muratov, RT's Simonyan, Valdai's Lukyanov Disscuss Russian Foreign Agent Law

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dmitry Muratov, Editor-in-Chief Russia Today Margarita Simonyan and Valdai Club moderator Fyodor Lukyanov discuss the Russian Foreign Agent Law, on Thursday, during the 18th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

Putin Congratulates Muratov With Awarding Of Nobel Peace Prize

Vladimir Putin congratulated Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov with awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate you with the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize," the Russian leader said, answering the journalist’s question at the Valdai discussion forum.

The president noted the journalist’s remark that he donated his prize to charity, including a hospice for children.

"You said about the hospice; I would give you [an award] for doing such noble work, it is true," Putin said.

Putin Believes Only Universal Human Values Can Save World

After all, we are all people, and we all want to live. Life is of absolute value. In my opinion, the same applies to family as a value, because what can be more important than procreation? Do we want to be or not to be? Vladimir Putin said, speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the Valdai International Club.

Putin, Bennett Discuss Bilateral Relations In Sochi

Vladimir Putin, opening his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday, highlighted that a unique bond has developed between the two countries.

"It is possible to say that your visit marks the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations. During this time, relations between Russia and Israel, almost unique to a certain degree, have formed," the head of state stressed.

According to Putin, there are all grounds to view the relations of the two countries precisely this way. "First of all, the Soviet Union and our country as the successor state of the USSR essentially stood at the origins of the creation of the State of Israel. Second, perhaps, is that the largest Russian-speaking community abroad resides in Israel," the president pointed out, adding that Russia has particular warm feelings towards the veterans of the Great Patriotic War residing in Israel.

Putin devoted special attention to the development of trade and economic links between the two countries. "Volume-wise, they are still modest but nevertheless they are successfully developing," he noted. The Russian president cited statistical data that over a period of seven months this year, the trade turnover between Russia and Israel has increased by 50% despite all the pandemic restrictions. According to him, the development of economic relations is taking place, among other things, due to special attention to projects in the hi-tech spheres of the economy.

The first talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett were long and constructive, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told  Friday.

"The talks are over. They had a long, constructive and trust-based conversation," he said.

The talks were held in Russia’s Black Sea city of Sochi, where the Israeli prime minister had arrived on an official visit at the invitation of the Russian president.

The talks were held in "an atmosphere of warm relations," Peskov said earlier in the day. The agenda included issues of bilateral cooperation, regional security, the situation around Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran.

"Not long ago a meeting between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which lasted five hours, ended in Sochi. The meeting was warm and positive. It addressed a range of significant issues in bilateral relations," the Israeli prime minister’s office reported. 

The Israeli prime minister’s office added that "after the meeting, the leaders came onto the terrace of the residence and took a stroll along the residence’s alleys toward the beach."

"As the meeting was lengthy, the prime minister and the Israeli delegation will stay longer in Russia and leave for Israel after the Shabbat," the office said.

In accordance with the Jewish tradition, it is forbidden to work on Shabbat from Friday sundown till Saturday evening, so Jews cannot use transport, including planes.

Bennett took the office of Israeli Prime Minister on June 13, succeeding Benjamin Netanyahu who had been in office since 2009. Putin and Netanyahu maintained regular dialogue, both in person and over the phone. The Russian president’s latest visit to Israel took place in January 2020.

Putin Contrasts Russia's Conservatism With West's Neoliberal 'Social Progress'

Moderate conservatism, defending traditional moral, cultural and spiritual values, according to Vladimir Putin, will not allow Russian society to slide back into chaos. In contrast to the imposition of neoliberal values by the adherents of so-called "social progress" in Western countries, which resembles the "futile efforts" of the Bolshevik "cultural reformers" in the 1920s, Putin said, speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the Valdai International Club.

Putin Declares Capitalism Has Run Its Course

The existing model of capitalism has reached its limits, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Everyone says that the existing model of capitalism, which the basis of social structure in the overwhelming majority of countries, has run its course," the head of state said, speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the Valdai International Club.

According to him, this model can no longer offer a way out of the "snarl of increasingly tangled contradictions."

"Everywhere, even in the richest countries and regions, the uneven distribution of material wealth leads to aggravating inequality," the head of state added.

Putin: Impossible To Deny Climate Change When Disasters Became ‘Almost A...

Natural cataclysms have become "almost a norm" in the modern world and it is impossible to deny climate deformations and the degradation of the environment today, Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"Climate deformation and degradation of the environment have become so apparent that even the most careless bystanders cannot brush them aside. We can keep having scientific discussions about the mechanisms of the ongoing processes, but it is impossible to deny that these processes worsen and that something must be done about it. Natural disasters - droughts, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis - have become almost a norm," he said.

He noted the devastating floods in Europe and wildfires in Siberia this year.

"Examples are quite numerous. Not in Siberia alone - our neighbors in Turkey had serious wildfires, and the US and the American continent in general," he added.

"Any geopolitical, scientific, technological, ideological competition - in such circumstances it sometimes appears pointless, if its winners will have no air to breathe or nothing to quench their thirst with," the head of state said.

Putin Believes World Is Living Through Era of Grandiose Changes

Vladimir Putin is certain that over the past decades the world was living through an era of changes.

"Indeed, ours is an era of grandiose changes," Putin said at the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday. He remarked that this phrase, "an era of change", might seem a hackneyed cliche, for it had been used too often.

"Besides, the era of change began a long time ago, and the situation of change has become customary," Putin said.

"Over the past few decades many have developed a habit of recalling a Chinese proverbial phrase about ‘living in interesting times’. The Chinese people have had many thinkers and many valuable thoughts that we can use today. One of them can be rendered as a wish to everybody to escape the plight of living in an era of change. But we have to live through this era despite our own will. The changes get ever deeper and ever more fundamental," Putin said.

The Russian leader stressed the theme of the club’s session this year: Global Shake-Up in the 21st Century: The Individual, Values, and the State.

In his opinion, the topic was formulated very "straightforwardly and even sternly."

The Russian leader invited everybody to recall some other wise Chinese sayings as well.

"The word ‘crisis’ consists of two hieroglyphs: danger and opportunity. In Russia, many say that it takes brains to struggle with challenges and experience to cope with dangers," he said. "Of course, we must stay aware of the dangers and be prepared to resist the diverse threats that emerge during the era of change."

At the same time, he believes that it is no less important to keep in mind "the second component of the notion crisis - the opportunities not to be missed."

"The more so, since the crisis that we have to deal with is a conceptual and even civilizational. As a matter of fact, it is a crisis of approaches and principles that determine the very existence of human beings on Earth," Putin said. "We will have to delve into them again. The question is where we should move, what is to be abandoned and what is to be revised and corrected," he explained. "I am certain that genuine values are worth struggling for. They should be protected at any cost".

Lavrov’s Remarks On Cyprus Settlement After Talks With Christodoulides

Sergey Lavrov delivers remarks on Cyprus settlement at news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides on Thursday in Moscow.

Lavrov have reaffirmed Russia’s position of principle in favour of achieving a just, viable and comprehensive settlement of the Cypriot problem within the existing international legal framework. "We see no alternative to an early restart of the inter-communal negotiating process, which would make it possible to restore the atmosphere of trust between the Cypriot Greek and Turkish communities," Lavrov said.

Also, Moscow regard unilateral steps in relation to the abandoned Varosha quarter in the city of Famagusta as inadmissible and counterproductive. Both at the UN and in bilateral contacts with all parties concerned, Russia advocate the creation of favourable external conditions that can help to achieve progress in Cypriot affairs.

"We have stressed once again that it would be important to have permanent members of the UN Security Council join the discussion of the external aspects of settlement and reaffirmed our position in favour of replacing the current outdated Cyprus security guarantees with new UN Security Council guarantees," Lavrov added.

Lavrov's Remarks At The Moscow Format Consultations On Afghanistan

Sergey Lavrov delivers remarks at the third meeting of the Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan on Thursday.

Participants in the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan have called for urgent humanitarian and economic assistance to Afghanistan in its reconstruction, according to the joint statement adopted at the Wednesday meeting.

"Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the sides expressed confidence in the need for the international community to mobilize consolidated efforts to provide urgent humanitarian and economic assistance to the Afghan people in the post-conflict reconstruction of the country," the joint statement says.

The sides suggested that a collective initiative should be launched to convene a representative international donor conference under the auspices of the United Nations at the soonest possible time. "Certainly with the understanding that the core burden of post-conflict economic and financial reconstruction and development of Afghanistan must be shouldered by troop-based actors which were in the country for the past 20 years," the statement noted.

Participants in the meeting also called for the need of establishing relations with that country’s authorities "irrespective of the official recognition of the new Afghan government by the international community."

Additionally, the sides reiterated their respect to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and reaffirmed their commitment to Afghanistan "as a peaceful, indivisible, independent, economically developing State, free of terrorism and drug-related crime and respecting the basic norms in the human rights area."

"Being concerned about the activities of proscribed terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, the sides reaffirmed their willingness to continue to promote security in Afghanistan to contribute to regional stability," the statement says.

The participating countries urged the current Afghan government to adopt additional measures aimed at improving governance and forming a truly inclusive government, which will properly reflect "the interests of all major ethno-political forces in the country."

"This will be a fundamental prerequisite for the completion of the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan," the statement said.

"The participating countries were pleased to note the reaffirmation by the interim Afghan government of its previous commitments to prevent use of the Afghan territory against its neighbors, other States in the region and the rest of the world," it reads.

Additionally, the countries participating in the Moscow Format Consultations called on the new Afghan leadership "to practice moderate and sound internal and external policies, adopt friendly policies towards neighbors of Afghanistan, achieve the shared goals of durable peace, security, safety, and long-term prosperity, and respect the rights of ethnic groups, women and children."

Putin Worried About Possible Aftermath Of European Energy Crisis

Russia is not interested in the endless growth of energy prices, including gas, but this takes place beyond Moscow’s control, Vladimir Putin said at the meeting with Cabinet members on Wednesday.

"If there is a decline in consumption - and such situation eventually leads to reduced consumption, it will also affect our producing companies, including Gazprom," Putin said. "That is why we are not interested in the endless increase of prices for energy resources, including gas. nevertheless, developments are taking place, beyond our control," Putin said.

"These are largely artificial things made by our colleagues, including in Europe, but certain consequences can also be for us," Putin noted.

"As soon as prices for mineral fertilizers produced using gas start growing - and they are rising already, since plants are shutting down - our producers will be tempted to sell everything at high prices," the head of state said. "We know this from recent developments in certain branches. therefore, it will not be merely needed to analyze developments to occur in the near future but also present a package of measures that will support the interests of our agricultural producers and limit the food price hike," Putin said.

Such a package of measures should mitigate adverse consequences that may occur on global markets and affect the Russian economy in one way or another," he added.

"What I am worried about and, as far as I understand the Russian government is worried about, is the potential consequences [of the crisis on the energy market], including the measures to support the population proposed by some of our colleagues in Europe," he said, adding that such measures might lead to many problems in various areas.

"Right, people should be supported, of course," Putin contended. meanwhile, he noted that "some European countries are now planning to make decisions on supporting households." "Where will this lead to in real terms ? It won’t lead to people cutting back [energy resources] volumes of consumption, meanwhile there will be a further reduction of industrial consumption, mainly in energy-intensive sectors," the president explained, mentioning the metals industry and the production of ammonia fertilizers among them.

"But this will have its own further consequences that will affect people, and prices for other goods will eventually increase," he noted. "This way of supporting citizens, which is projected (in European countries), is plain to see, but ultimately, we will witness that those are most likely decisions prompted by the current domestic political environment, meaning particularly the pre-election situations in certain European countries," Putin explained.

"But it will eventually affect the people anyways. if the metal industry consumes less [energy resources] prices for those goods will rise, pushing prices in the whole chain further up," the Russian head of state said. "just like [prices] on the food markets will climb, food [prices] will rise in the event of a deficit and underinvestment in appropriate fertilizers that are produced using natural gas," he concluded.

Putin Worries About Complication Of Coronavirus Situation In Russia

The coronavirus situation in Russia is getting complicated, vaccination rates in the country remain low, Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the Cabinet on Wednesday.

"Really, the situation with coronavirus is getting complicated nationwide, recently vaccination rates increased significantly in many regions," Putin said on Wednesday at a meeting with members of the government. He added that unfortunately, the citizens’ vaccination rate remains low.

According to Putin, the low vaccination rate "predetermines the rapid spread of infection in many ways."

Lavrov: Russia Is Not Against US Participation In Donbass Talks, If It Supports Minsk-2

Russia will not object to the United States’ participation in talks on Donbass, if Washington supports the Minsk agreements, Sergey Lavrov said after a meeting with participants in the 18th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club on Tuesday.

"If the Americans wish this, if they are really prepared to support the implementation of the Minsk agreements, then this business can be settled very quickly," he said.

Lavrov explained that it was unnecessary to be a member of a "quartet" or turn it into a group of five or seven to help achieve a settlement somehow.

"The Americans have a dominating influence on [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky and his team. For this reason, a dialogue with them should be maintained and such a dialogue has resumed: [US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria] Nuland has met with [Deputy Chief of the Russian Presidential Staff Dmitry] Kozak, who is in charge of the Ukrainian track and other issues concerning our near neighbors. They agreed to be in touch," Lavrov said.

Lavrov Dispels Zelensky's Dream About Putin Meeting

The statements by Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky and his inner circle about a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin mirror the Ukrainian leadership’s ‘daydreaming’ that can hardly be commented on, Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Both Zelensky and his inner circle have made a lot of statements lately about a possible encounter between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, Russia’s top diplomat told reporters after a meeting with participants in the 18th annual session of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

"Someone from his [Zelensky’s] office has said that Putin seems to be ready for the meeting but his associates are allegedly not advising him to meet with Zelensky in a one-on-one encounter because the result of such a tete-a-tete meeting may be unexpected," Lavrov specified.

"I won’t even comment on this stream of consciousness," the Russian foreign minister said.

"Creativity won’t even suffice to cover all these things somehow, if you have to respond to all these public statements made from Kiev both on possible contacts at whatever level and generally on what is happening in Donbass and around Ukraine. they are daydreaming all the time, here, there and everywhere," Russia’s top diplomat said.

Lavrov: NATO’s Reaction To Russia’s Response Steps Reveals Lack Of Diplo...

NATO’s reaction to Russia’s decision to suspend the work of diplomatic missions in Brussels and in Moscow demonstrates that the Alliance understands its losing position and reveals the lack of diplomatic culture, Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu told TASS earlier that NATO regrets Russia’s decision to suspend diplomatic missions in Brussels and in Moscow but remains open for dialogue, including through the Russian-NATO Council, at the same time continuing its policy of containing Russia.

"I think that such pronouncements and assessments by Western representatives reveal an understanding of their losing position, and on the other hand, their inclination to shift the blame onto someone else, as well as the lack of a diplomatic culture," he told journalists after a meeting with the participants in the 18th annual session of the Valdai international discussion club.

According to Lavrov, they "simply buried the basic principle" of the Russia-NATO Council that urgent consultations must be called in crisis situations.

"And as concerns the attitudes to our forces response step that are voiced in NATO capitals: it was a response to three of NATO’s steps because they reduced our mission three times. And, what is more important, they don’t let us work," he said, adding that unlike all other NATO partners, Russian representatives need to apply for a permit to enter the NATO headquarters building.

"They have to walk only along those corridors that are indicated. And, in principle, we have had no information exchanges for a long time," he said.

And most importantly, in his words, all contacts between the military have been cut off. "So, what kind of a loss of a possibility for dialogue are we talking about? Two years ago, our Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov suggested drills be moved to a certain distance from the contact line between Russia and NATO and an agreement be reached on minimal distances not to be violated by warplanes and warships. We suggested many other things. And there was a wall of silence [in response]," the Russian top diplomat noted.

"And when the German foreign minister says that this way Russia is demonstrating its unpreparedness for talks - I have just said how we were ready and how NATO keeps on ignoring us for years," he stressed.

Lavrov said on Monday that Russia is suspending its permanent mission to NATO from November 1 in response to NATO’s decision to revoke the accreditation of eight staffers of the Russian mission. Apart from that, Russia is suspending the NATO Information Office in Moscow and the NATO Military Liaison Mission Moscow starting on November 1 because Russia sees "no reason to continue to pretend that any changes [in relations with NATO] are possible in the foreseeable future," Lavrov said.

On October 6, NATO announced the reduction of the Russian mission from 20 to 10 people and revoked the accreditation of eight diplomats. Two more open vacancies were eliminated. The Alliance said the Russian diplomats are to leave Brussels before the end of this month.

Lavrov Notes Erdogan's Eloquence & The Need To Adapt UNSC

Commenting on a statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said that the fate of humanity must not be left to the whim of a "bunch" of countries who won World War II, Lavrov noted:

"President Erdogan’s eloquence is well known; he speaks freely on various topics. I agree with him that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have no right to dictate the fate of the world, but they do not aspire to. They only claim the powers stipulated in the UN Charter. The Charter reflects the collective will of all members of the international community, and the Five is particularly responsible for the situation in the world - most importantly, for avoiding a global conflict."

"We have been able to do that for over 75 years, and I hope that this situation will remain," the top diplomat said.

Developing states of Africa, Asia and Latin America should have a wider representation in the UN Security Council in order to make this body’s policy less West-centric, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"Yes, there is a need to adapt the UN, the UN Security Council to the new reality, because there are not 50 states now, as it was at the moment of the establishment of the UN, and not 70 states, as it was during the extension of the UN Security Council from 12 to 15 members, but many more: there are 193 UN member states now. Naturally, developing countries are completely justified in their demands to increase their representation in this important UN agency," he noted.

According to Lavrov, Western policy is currently represented by six Security Council members out of 15.

"And when Japan is elected, it becomes the seventh voice in support of Western policy, promoted via the UN Security Council. Of course, the West should not be given more seats in this body, while African, Asian and Latin American countries definitely should," he noted.

Lavrov: Russia, NATO Relations Began To Deteriorate Ahead Battle of Tskhinvali

According to Sergey Lavrov, relations between Russia and NATO began to deteriorate even on the eve of the bombardment of the Abkhazian Tskhinvali and the positions of Russian peacekeepers in August 2008, by order of the then Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The then Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, categorically refused to convene the NATO-Russia Council to address the situation, despite the fact that when the Russia-NATO Council was created, the Founding Act emphasized that it must act in any “weather”, especially when crisis situations occur.

Peskov On Russia NATO Divorce: 'It Takes Two To Tango'

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's actions against Russia have inevitably made Moscow formalize the de facto situation in relations de jure, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"On the whole, as far as the situation is concerned, the de facto situation has been formalized de jure. This is how it can be described. There in fact were no relations and no dialogue, on the contrary, NATO declared its intention to contain Russia in every possible way, backing up its words with action. The expulsion of our diplomats who worked in Brussels was the last straw, all this made it necessary and inevitable to formalize the de facto situation de jure," the press secretary pointed out.

At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman emphasized that the move would not harm Russia. "We won't be affected because we did not in fact have any dialogue with NATO. As our foreign minister explained, if the need arises, our ambassador to Brussels will be able to answer all the related questions. Actually, let's not forget that this is the way it used to be as our ambassador to Brussels used to do the job," Peskov noted. "We have repeatedly said that it's impossible to tango alone and we have no plans to do it," the presidential spokesman stressed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Monday that Moscow would suspend its permanent mission to NATO in early November following the alliance's decision to yank the credentials of eight members of the Russian permanent mission. Besides, the activities of NATO's military liaison mission and information bureau in Moscow will also be suspended.

Putin's Сongratulatory Address To RGO Prize Winners

Vladimir Putin sent a video address to the participants and guests of the award ceremony at the Russian Geographical Society.

The names of the winners were announced and the award ceremony was held in Moscow.

The Russian Geographical Society (RGO) confers its awards on the initiators of implemented projects in national geography, environmental protection, as well as the preservation and promotion of natural, historical and cultural heritage.

Lavrov Calls To End All External Interference In Sudanese Internal Affairs

Russia believes that all foreign intervention in Sudan’s internal affairs must be stopped, Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference in the wake of the talks with his Guinea-Bissau counterpart Suzi Carla Barbosa.

"We believe that any interference in this country’s internal affairs must be stopped," he said. "The Sudanese people must define their own fate; we expect that everyone who is trying to counter this principle now realize their responsibility not to allow another hotbed of destabilization on the long-suffering continent of Africa."

The Minister reminded that Russia initially sought to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Sudan by all means necessary, but a number of actors, led by the US, decided that the Sudanese people should live in separate states.

"Russia did a lot to make this ‘divorce’ peaceful, but interference has begun after it: the imposition of approaches to the building of democracy in its Western understanding, of shock reforms, which caused a reverse reaction. The social and economic state of the people and unemployment has worsened abruptly, and the traditional structure of the Sudanese society is currently under serious tension," Lavrov underscored.

Lavrov Declares Russia Shuts Mission To NATO In Response To Alliance’s Actions

Russia is suspending the operation of its mission to NATO from November 1 following the NATO’s decision to revoke the accreditation of eight Russian mission employees, Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"In response to NATO’s actions, we are suspending the activity of the NATO military liaison mission in Moscow and will recall the accreditation of its staff from November 1 this year," Minister said.

Also, the operation of the NATO information office in Moscow that was set up at the embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium will be terminated, Lavrov added.

According to the Russian top diplomat, Moscow has already informed NATO about these steps. "The NATO International Staff has already been notified. Our ministry will release a statement soon," Lavrov said.

He recalled that NATO had officially notified Russia on October 6 that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had passed a decision to revoke the accreditation of eight staffers of the Russian mission to the organization from November 1 and to reduce the mission’s staff, including administrative and technical personnel, to ten people.

"No explanations of the causes of such a step have been provided. I met with Mr. Stoltenberg in New York several days before this decision was announced. He kept on stressing NATO’s sincere, as he said, interest in normalizing relations with Russia in the interests of de-escalation of tensions on the European continent," Lavrov said.

At the same time, in his words, this step was of "practically no surprise" for Russia because the mission staff was reduced twice at NATO’s request - in 2015 and in 2018. "Since 2014, NATO has curbed any contacts with our mission, announced the complete termination of practical cooperation both in civilian areas and among the military. There have been no contacts between the military at all. As I have already said, as a matter of fact, NATO has actually imposed a ban on visiting its headquarters for our diplomats and it is impossible to maintain contacts without such visits. NATO has actually banned elementary contacts with the International Staff," he added.

The Russian top diplomat stressed that it only proves that "NATO is interested neither in an equal dialogue nor in any joint work."

"If it is so, we see no reason to continue to pretend that any changes are possible in the foreseeable future because NATO has already said that such changes are impossible," he said. "As a matter of fact, we have practically no opportunity for elementary diplomatic work because of NATO’s steps".

Putin: Russian Opposition Is Alive And Well

The opposition, acting within the framework of Russian laws, continues to criticize the authorities, Vladimir Putin said in response to Hadley Gamble's question during Russian Energy Week on Wednesday.

"As for the opposition in general, it is out there working. It is alive and well and continues criticising the authorities. Moreover, its criticism, let me repeat, is probably tougher than in other countries. switch on some Russian media and you will understand everything. They are working; nobody is doing anything to them, everything is all right. Moreover, they are even getting money from Gazprom. Gazprom sells gas to Europe and funds opposition media," Putin said.

The President also briefly mentioned the criminal case against Alexei Navalny, however, as always, he did not call him by name.

"As for the defendants you mentioned [Navalny], they are in detention facilities not for their political activities but for criminal offences, in part, against foreign entrepreneurs operating in Russia. these were repeat offences. moreover, they were actually forgiven for these violations more than once. but there must be some consequences for those who commit them. there is no reason to abuse the trust of society to achieve economic or other advantages, using political activities for protection," Putin noted. Vladimir Putin added: "If you look at street protests, you will see that far from all of their participants are in prison. people are working – those who do not violate applicable laws."

Putin: Russia Does Not Print Money Like Candy Wrappers To Solve Economic...

The Bank of Russia does not print money like candy wrappers (unsecured funds) to solve economic problems in the country, unlike the USA and Europe, Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday at a plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.

"Yes, we have problems in the economy. Yes, of course, incomes in our country have fallen just like in the rest of the world. We are very worried about this state of affairs and are working to make sure that economic growth and the quality of this growth translate into higher wages. It is a complex process that needs time, a lot of focus, and administrative and financial resources. We have not achieved results for everyone, but we know what is happening and where, where people particularly need state support, so we are doing it in a targeted manner and providing additional income for families with children and for senior citizens. We are targeting the needy cases quite effectively," Putin said.

Inflation is up at over 7 percent, food prices have grown by even more than 7.5 percent. This is way above Russian goventment expectations. However, unlike its American and European partners, the Central Bank of Russia does not print "empty" money to solve problems in the economy.

"How much have food prices grown around the world? For various reasons, including in the wake of developments on the global energy markets. Indeed, we are part of a system. We have our share of problems, and we are working on them. I am confident that, given the support of the Russian people, we will certainly overcome these challenges, President noted.

Putin: Arms Race Underway After US Withdrawal From ABM Treaty

The weapon race between Russia and the US is on the move after Washington's withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday at a plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.

"The arms race is on the march, unfortunately. And it has started after the US withdrawal from the ABM Treaty," the Russian president noted.

Putin recalled that back in 2003 he urged the US not to withdraw from the ABM Treaty. "This is a fundamental thing, the cornerstone of global security. What is the ABM Treaty? This is not just protection, it is an attempt to gain strategic advantages by de-energizing the nuclear potential of a probable opponent, that is, ours," the Russian leader pointed out.

"What should we do in response? Either create the same system, which costs a lot of money and may be not so efficient, or establish another system that will certainly outperform the ABM Treaty," the head of the state went on to say. "And I said that we would do it. The American partners replied that their missile defense system was not against [Russia], so we could do what we want, and [the US] would proceed from the assumption that this was not against it. And we did it, so what is the problem? And now [the US] does not like it," the president noted.

"We are ready to consider the existing circumstances and hold a constructive dialogue in this direction," Putin concluded.

The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the USSR and the US was signed in Moscow on May 26, 1972. However, it was terminated on June 13, 2002, following the unilateral US withdrawal.

Putin: US Democracy Is More Flawed Than Russian

Russian democracy has flaws, but that doesn't mean it has more than the United States and in the West in general, Vladimir Putin said in response to Hadley Gamble's question during Russian Energy Week on Wednesday.

Democracy, according to Putin, is understood in different ways: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of organisation, holding mass rallies in the streets, and so on.

"When various rallies in Europe or the United States are dispersed with rubber bullets and tear gas – is it freedom or not ? It does not look very much like freedom," Russian lider noted.

The United States went to Afghanistan ignoring the traditions, culture and history of the Afghan people. This led to tragedy.

"The danger of terrorism growing and spreading across the region and around the world is enormous and has increased. it is the result of ignoring the realities of that country," Putin said. This applies to any country, including Russia.

"If we are talking about the development of democracy in Russia, we must be mindful of its culture and traditions, including the traditions of parliamentarism," he added.

Everything must guarantee the interests of the people, and Russia’s political system is also evolving steadily so as to prevent any revolutions.

"We have reached our limit on revolutions. we need a stable and calm environment that guarantees the rights and interests of the Russian people and stable development of the economy and social sphere. thankfully, we are on this path today and I hope that we will continue that way. The worries about the death of democracy in Russia have been greatly exaggerated, as Mark Twain famously said in response to rumours about his death. do not worry about us and better think about yourself and what is going on at your home," Putin said.

Vladimir Putin raised the issue of lobbying in the United States.

"What is lobbying about ? What is official lobbying in the United States about ? It is legalised corruption, that is what it is, it is clear as day," Putin stressed.

Putin: The Current US Anti-Russian Policy Has No Future

Moscow hopes that the realization that the anti-Russian policy pursued by the United States has no future will eventually prevail and the two countries can gradually rebuild their relationship, Vladimir Putin said Wednesday at Russian Energy Week.

Putin believes that Russia and US have fundamental interests in ensuring security, reducing strategic offensive arms, countering terrorism and money laundering, including tax havens, and stabilising energy markets.

"There is no doubt at all that these objective goals and mutual interests will lead to the improvement of our relations in one way or another and that the US political establishment will stop using Russian-US relations to the detriment of its own interests and its own businesses," he added.

The Russian leader expressed hope for the normalization of bilateral relations.

"The Americans have introduced sanctions in the energy sector. What have they achieved? ExxonMobil has withdrawn from profitable contracts, stopped its participation in them with one exception for a contract in the Far East, which it has been part of for a very long time. So, who has gained anything? Nobody has gained anything. Gas prices have skyrocketed and the Americans have to suffer from some events that took place in the oil market. The result is not just zero but negative for those who are doing this. I hope the realisation that this policy has no future will eventually prevail and we will be able to gradually restore our relations," Putin stressed.

Lavrov Delivers Putin's Message To Congress Of Compatriots Living Abroad

Sergey Lavrov delivered a greeting message from Vladimir Putin to the 7th World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad, which he himself had opened earlier on Saturday in Moscow.

“Friends, “From all my heart, I welcome you to the World Congress of Compatriots in Moscow. This forum brings together delegates from more than 100 countries. Ahead of it, the Russian Constitution was amended to add a provision on protecting the rights and interests of our compatriots and preserving Russian cultural identity. These legal provisions create conditions for further improving the state policy regarding those who, by the will of fate, found themselves abroad and away from their homeland.

“Supporting compatriots living abroad and facilitating major projects in education, culture and social security invariably remains a priority for the entire nation. We intend to step up our efforts in this sphere, including within the corresponding Government commission.

“The topic of the Congress is ‘Russia and Our Compatriots in a Changing World.’ It offers an opportunity to discuss a wide range of topical matters. I hope that during your discussions you will put forward ideas and initiatives for finding the most effective ways to fulfill the creative potential of the millions-strong Russian world.

"I would like to sincerely thank you for your proactive efforts to promote the Russian world, language and culture, and preserve Russian traditions and the rich cultural heritage. Moving forward, we will uphold our commitment to provide you all possible assistance and support.

“I wish you every success and all the best!

Vladimir Putin”

Putin Participates In Population Census Online

Vladimir Putin has taken part in the national population census online. For this he used the portal of government and municipal services.

Then Putin addressed fellow citizens in these words: "I should tell you that this is not a formality. In this connection I would like to address the authorities of all levels, from municipal to federal, with a reminder that it is your obligation to provide assistance to your colleagues, who will be doing this job and to the volunteers who will participate in it."

Under the Russian government’s resolution, the national population census is to be held on October 15-November 14, 2021. The customary procedure of polling Russians at home has been completed by an opportunity to fill in a questionnaire on one’s own using a portal of government services.

Also, it is possible to be interviewed by census takers at the multi-functional centers providing government and municipal services My Documents. The results of the first phase of the population census will be made public by May 31, 2022, and of the second one, by December 31, 2022.

Russian Warship Thwarts US Destroyer’s Attempt To Violate State Border I...

The Russian Pacific Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs thwarted an attempt by a US guided missile destroyer to violate Russia’s state border in the Sea of Japan, the Defense Ministry of Russia reported on Friday.

"Today, at about 5:00 p.m. local time, the US Navy’s destroyer Chafee (DDG-90), which has been operating in the Sea of Japan for several days, approached the territorial waters of the Russian Federation and attempted to cross the state border," the ministry said in a statement.

The Pacific Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs warned the foreign warship of the inadmissibility of such actions and that it was operating in an area closed for shipping due to artillery firings as part of the Russia-China Joint Sea 2021 naval maneuvers, the ministry specified. "After getting the warning, instead of changing its course to leave the closed area, the destroyer Chafee raised its colors implying that its helicopter was due to take off from its deck, which meant that the course and the speed could not be changed, and took actions to violate the state border of the Russian Federation in the Peter the Great Bay," the statement says.

Following the international rules of the sea, the Admiral Tributs set its course towards chasing the intruder out of Russian territorial waters, the ministry said.

"After becoming convinced of the Russian warship’s resolve to prevent the violation of the state border, the guided missile destroyer Chafee reversed its course at 5:50 p.m. when less than 60 meters were left in its distance from the large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs," it said.

Russia’s top brass branded the actions by the crew of the US guided missile destroyer a gross violation of the international regulations for preventing collisions at sea and the 1972 Russia-US inter-governmental agreement on preventing incidents at sea and in the airspace.

The Pacific Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs continues accomplishing its assignments in the Sea of Japan, it added.

The USS Chafee (DDG-90) is a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer floated out in 2002. The warship can develop a speed of 32 knots and has a crew of 380. As its basic armament, it carries the Aegis 96-cell launching system that can launch various missiles, such as Tomahawks or Standard Missile-3 air defense and anti-ballistic missile defense weapons.

The US warship also carries various artillery armaments and six torpedo tubes. The destroyer’s air group consists of two SH-60 helicopters placed in a helicopter hangar.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on June 23 that the UK Navy’s guided missile destroyer Defender ventured into the Russian territorial waters off Crimea’s Fiolent Cape in the Black Sea. The Russian forces and border guards opened warning fire along the UK warship’s course, following which it left Russia’s territorial waters. The Russian Defense Ministry slammed the actions by the British warship’s crew as a gross violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

During his annual Q&A session on June 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the incident with the British guided missile destroyer Defender off Crimea was a complex provocation "that was staged not only by the British but also by the Americans." The Russian leader added that the Defender pursued reconnaissance goals when it ventured into Russia’s territorial waters in the Black Sea.

Zakharova Slams EU’s New Sanctions Against Russia As Hypocrisy

The European Union’s decision to extend the list of Russian nationals, under sanctions for allegedly posing a threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine, is an example of the European Union’s hypocrisy, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

The diplomat stressed that any "sanctions decisions," which were made bypassing the UN Security Council, are illegitimate from the international legal stance.

"On the whole, this is how they must be treated," she said speaking at a news conference. "There is certainly a political overtone. These are sanctions games, these are the real sanctions games of the European Union."

"It is deeply regrettable because they are completely politically motivated, have nothing to do with the law and contradict the law," Zakharova noted. "They were approved on the eve of the Ukraine-EU summit, which took place on October 12, while the [sanctions] decisions were made on October 11. It was also a signal for Kiev, which supports sabotaging the Minsk Accords."

"When our EU partners, as I have said before, call on us to implement the Minsk Accords in full and at the same time give Kiev a corresponding signal in the form of such decisions, which, according to them, must somehow restrain Russia and somehow reprove it, we can call it only as games and hypocrisy," she added.

Zakharova said that the illegal restrictions on behalf of the European Union also affected the staff of the Russian judicial bodies, which is, according to her, an open attempt to exert pressure on the Russian judicial authorities, which "independently and impartially execute their duties." "We will certainly respond to such an unfriendly step on behalf of the European Union," the diplomat noted. On October 11, the European Union expanded its blacklist over Crimea’s reunification with Russia, adding eight individuals, including the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Crimea and Sevastopol, Leonid Mikhailiuk.

Several judges, prosecutors and security officers "responsible for enforcing Russian law" in Crimea that Brussels refuses to recognize as part of Russia, were added to the list, according to a report in the Official Journal of the European Union on October 11.

Apart from Mikhailiuk, the list includes Vladimir Terentiev, Head of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Crimean judges Viktor Mozheliansky, Galina Redko, Mikhail Belousov and Andrey Dolgopolov, investigator Magomed Magomedov and prosecutor Yevgeny Kolpikov.

Thus, according to the document, there are 185 individuals on the black list. Restrictive measures include, in particular, travel bans and asset freezes.

This block of individual sanctions is part of the three packages of sanctions that the EU imposed against Russia in 2014, along with sectoral economic sanctions that were prolonged in July until January 31, 2022, and sanctions against citizens and companies of Crimea that will remain in effect until late June, being extended once a year.

As the condition for lifting individual and economic sanctions, the EU cites full compliance with the Minsk agreements, ignoring the fact that Ukraine fully sabotages them. The EU is not planning to abolish sanctions over Crimea as long as the peninsula remains part of Russia.

Putin About Karabakh: ‘Bad Peace Is Better Than Good War’

A bad peace is better than a good war, Vladimir Putin said on Friday commenting on the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh.

The situation in this region was among the topics discussed at a meeting of the CIS heads of state. "It once again demonstrates the wisdom of the popular saying that a bad peace is better than and a good war, every quarrel turns the world red and the like," Putin said.

According to the Russian president, the key role of the Commonwealth of Independent States is in ensuring conditions for peaceful cooperation and joint work in the interests of the prosperity of its nations. "This is the key goal of the updated concept of the CIS further development and the strategy for the CIS economic development until the year 2030," Putin stressed.

Kishida's Kuril Ultimatum Seems To Have Impressed Only The Japanese PM Himself

Ultimatum-sounding remarks by Japan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that Tokyo won’t agree to sign a peace treaty with Moscow without settling the territorial issue postpone the prospects of solving this problem, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"If these ultimatum-sounding statements are used by the Japanese to set conditions for further negotiations on a peace treaty, then, in our view, our partners only further delay the prospect of solving it by such moves," the Russian diplomat said at a briefing on the sidelines of the 3rd Eurasian Women’s Forum.

Moscow’s invariable stance is that Japan should accept the full outcome of World War II, including the legitimacy of Russia’s possession of the southern Kuril Islands as a top priority step in this direction, the Russian diplomat said.

"At the same time, the sides should look for a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of a peace treaty through the comprehensive development of Russian-Japanese relations by way of building up economic, commercial and investment cooperation and implementing confidence-building measures in the military and political sphere, in addition to bringing their positions in international affairs closer to each other," Zakharova emphasized.

Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida earlier claimed that Tokyo’s sovereignty extended to the southern Kuril Islands. In his keynote speech in parliament on October 8, the head of the government stressed that Japan would not sign a peace treaty with Russia without settling the territorial issue. He also told reporters that he favored solving the issue of the ownership of all the South Kuril Islands that Japan laid claims to.

Moscow and Tokyo have been holding consultations since the mid-20th century in order to clinch a peace treaty in the aftermath of World War II. The southern Kuril Islands issue remains the key sticking point. In 1945, the whole archipelago was handed over to the Soviet Union. However, Tokyo laid claims to Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and a group of uninhabited islands.

Tokyo frequently lodges protests over Russia’s activity on the southern Kuril Islands, which Moscow consistently rejects. The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated that Moscow’s sovereignty over the islands is enshrined in international law and cannot be called into question.

Putin Disappointed With Gamble's Intelligence

Vladimir Putin said that Russia fully fulfills its contractual obligations for gas supplies to Europe, and even increased these volumes, answering a question from a moderator, a reporter from the CNBC Hadley Gamble. However, she again asks the question about the supply of Russian gas, as if she didn’t hear the President.

"A beautiful woman, pretty. I say one thing, and she responds with something entirely different. As if she did not hear what I said. I will tell you one more time now," Putin said.

Listen, you just said: you are not supplying gas to Europe via gas pipelines. You are being misled. You and everyone else who uses information from such sources. We are increasing deliveries to Europe; Gazprom has upped supplies by 10 percent, and in general, Russia has increased supplies to Europe by 15 percent. Pipeline gas is up by 10 percent, and LNG, up to 13 percent. We are increasing, not reducing deliveries. But other suppliers have cut deliveries by 14 billion cubic metres. US suppliers account for half of the cuts.

Lavrov Surprised By Persistent Western Efforts To Proceed With Normandy Format

The persistent efforts of the Normandy Four’s Western members to continue the work without fulfilling the Minsk agreements is surprising, Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

"Actually, I was a little surprised that our Western colleagues were promoting the resumption of the Normandy format with such assertiveness, without the implementation of previous decisions on their part," the top diplomat stated.

Furthermore, the Russian foreign minister mentioned the EU-Ukraine summit in Kiev, which resulted in a joint statement signed, in particular, by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel. In this statement, Russia "was directly named the aggressor." "In such very rude, I would say, categorical terms, we are asked to fulfill the Minsk agreements since, as it was stated, we are a party to this document," Lavrov went on to say. "This is far from and opposite to the truth and contradicts even those ambiguous statements made by the German and French experts."

As the top diplomat noted, the German and French co-authors of the Minsk agreements earlier refrained from identifying the parties to the Donbass conflict in order to preserve "constructive uncertainty." "Currently, instead of constructive uncertainty Ms. von der Leyen and Mr. Michel, as well as Mr. [President of Ukraine Vladimir] Zelensky, have directly named Russia a party to the conflict. We want to understand what is happening in the EU and how we can work further," Lavrov said.

On Wednesday, Spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova stated that the issues on the agenda of the Normandy Four’s meeting at the level of the top diplomats were being worked out following the relevant instructions from the leaders of Russia, France and Germany after the phone conversation on October 11. The Kremlin noted that the sides agreed to hold a meeting in order to address, among other things, possible opportunities for arranging a Normandy summit.

Putin Intends To Multiply Cargo Traffic Along Northern Sea Route

Russia intends to multiply cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route, with its role growing on the back of climate change, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, speaking via a video link at the second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference.

Russia "is successfully implementing transportation along the unique route - the Northern Sea Route," the head of state noted. "Its role goes up and up on the back of the climate change taking place, explosive industrial growth in the Asia-Pacific Region and the need to support the closest, the most cost efficient routes of goods delivery from the East to the West and in the reverse direction," Putin said.

"We intend to increase freight traffic along the Northern Sea Route many times over its entire length of 10,500 kilometres, build infrastructure facilities, including those that ensure reliable communications and navigation, and improve port facilities" the president added.

Real steps are taken to develop the Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, Putin said. "We invite all interested partners, including our Chinese friends, to more actively use the capabilities of the Northern Sea Route to build up trading operations with Europe," he added.

Putin Recognizes Development Of Integration In EAEU

Vladimir Putin recognizes the development and deepening of integration in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), despite the difficulties related to the pandemic.

"Despite the well-known difficulties related to the coronavirus pandemic, our interaction on integration is continuing and it is becoming deeper," the Russian head of state said at the EAEU summit, which is being held on Thursday as a video conference.

"We are all interested in the further development of the Eurasian Economic Union, we work closely and achieve results in various fields, primarily in the economy and trade," the Russian leader noted. Putin added that "such an important joint project as the Strategic Directions for the Development of Economic Integration until 2025 is being successfully implemented." The project was approved in late 2020.

"Economic growth has resumed in almost all EAEU states," Putin stressed. In the first six months of 2021, Russia’s GDP grew by 4.8%, Putin said adding that during the same period, the industrial production of the entire European Union increased by 4.4% and agricultural output grew by 0.6%.

"In January-June, trade between EAEU member-states increased by almost a third, and the volume of foreign trade of the Eurasian Union with third countries - by a quarter," the Russian President noted. The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Putin's Remarks At The Third Eurasian Women’s Forum

Women play an increasingly important role in the resolution of global issues, Vladimir Putin told the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum in St. Petersburg on Thursday.

"The modern dynamically changing world sets new tasks for the society, for the state. Undoubtedly, women play an increasingly more significant role in their resolution," Putin said.

Among such tasks, he listed the issues of stable economic development, the global climate agenda, the problems of ecology, environment, as well as the new approaches to education as a "life-long process" and the aspiration to build the social support system on more balanced and fair principles.

"Overcoming the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic became a global challenge. Worldwide, female doctors, medics went to the frontline of the fight against the pandemic, assumed the heaviest load. Millions of people across the world are grateful to them for their rescue," the president continued. He emphasized that women "with their heightened understanding of life’s values, compassion, mercy have always had a special mission in healthcare." "I am confident that it will remain the same in the future. Including in defining the further actions in the medical sphere taking into account the lessons of the pandemic," the head of state noted.

Putin: Neutralising Afghan's Threats Is Particular Importance For CIS Security

Neutralising potential threats emanating from Afghanistan is of particular importance for CIS security, Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the chiefs of the CIS member countries’ security and intelligence agencies on Wednesday.

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"We are well aware of the fact that developments in that country may have a strong impact on the state of affairs in Central Asia, the South Caucasus and other regions," he added.

The situation in Afghanistan is quite challenging. After the withdrawal of US troops, power passed into the hands of the Taliban, who are setting their own rules and regulations. However, a number of ISIS-associated international terrorist groups continue to operate in that country. Militants with experience in waging war in Syria and Iraq are being drawn there. So, it is possible that terrorists might try to destabilise the situation in neighbouring countries, including the CIS countries, and go as far as starting to expand outrightly.

"In this regard, it is important to constantly monitor the situation on the Afghan border and to be ready to counteract the militants. To do so, it is important to coordinate the work of security agencies and, if necessary, conduct joint special operations, all the more so as you have a successful track record of working in this area, including as part of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Centre," Putin stressed.

Putin Warns Of Potential Attempts To Obstruct CIS Integration

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not rule out that the integration processes in the CIS may be hindered from outside.

"Integration processes are underway in the commonwealth. The amount and intensity of trade, investment, financial and transport flows are growing," the head of state stated at a meeting with the chiefs of the CIS member countries’ security and intelligence agencies on Wednesday.

"We should understand that this constructive work, our use of competitive advantages and the unification of potential for solving common problems induce unequivocal response, including the desire to hinder and trip [us] up," the Russian president warned.

Therefore, in his opinion, the CIS countries’ intelligence agencies "should, as before, make their contributions to the protection of the Commonwealth’s economic interests, to team up to enhance its competitiveness and further dynamic development, to protect the legal rights of entrepreneurs and companies."

Vladimir Putin Answers Headley Gamble's Questions On Sidelines Of Russian Energy Week

Improving the welfare of Russian citizens, attitude towards international alliances, refusal to settle in dollars. This and not only Vladimir Putin gave a detailed interview to the journalist of the CNBC TV channel at the Russian Energy Week. Hadley Gamble moderated the plenary session with the President and did not miss the opportunity to ask him questions after the event.

An interview with the Russian President on the sidelines of Russian Economic Week takes place practically on the go. the cameraman does not have time to adjust the camera, but CNBC reporter Hadley Gamble is already asking the first question, traditional for American journalists: who can replace Vladimir Putin as president?

“I prefer not to answer such questions, this is my traditional answer. there is still a lot of time before the next elections. Conversations on this topic are destabilizing the situation. The situation must be calm and stable so that all government bodies, all state structures work confidently and calmly look into the future. Yes, the Constitution allows me to do this, to run for the next term, but no decisions have been made on this score yet, ” Vladimir Putin said.

Hadley Gamble had already asked Vladimir Putin questions at the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week a few minutes earlier. An American journalist moderated a two-hour discussion on global energy: they talked about stagnation, inflation, military conflicts and global problems. However,  when the journalist asked Putin to identify the main problem for him, she received such an answer:

“For us, the most important problem and the most important task that we must solve is raising the incomes of the citizens of the country. This is our main, main task, and we are not going to solve it with simple linear methods. To do this, we must ensure the growth of economic development rates and changes in its quality. This is a long-term task. We are not going to act with populist methods, but it is on the basis of qualitative economic growth that we are going to solve the main social problems, including increasing the incomes of Russian citizens and solving the second very important the demographic problem for us, ” Putin noted.

A topic that the American journalist simply could not ignore is Russia's departure from the dollar. the Central Bank has already reduced its share in reserves, and settlements with partners are also increasingly being conducted in other currencies.

“It seems to me that the United States is making a very big mistake by using the dollar as a sanctions instrument. And they do this because they prevent payments in dollars for the sanctioned products. We have no other choice, we are simply forced to switch to settlements in other currencies. This is the first thing. And second, when other countries see what is happening, they themselves have anxiety that the dollar can be used in their relation to the same way. The result is that even the closest partners and allies of the United States in their reserves are reducing the share of the dollar, this is a statistical fact. In this regard, we can say that the United States is sawing the branch on which they sit, because this is the absolute competitive advantage of the dollar as a universal reserve world currency, they undermine it in this way, in the interests of the momentary political situation, "the Russian president said.

The friendship between Russia and China has long troubled the United States, so this question could not but be raised in an interview. Moreover, over the past month, the whole world has been discussing the creation of a new alliance between Australia, Great Britain and the United States, in fact, created to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Hadley Gamble: “Chinese President Xi Jinping calls you his best friend. are you concerned about what you see regarding AUKUS - an alliance of Australia, the US and the UK? Is this creating potential tensions and is it fraught with a new Cold War?"

Vladimir Putin: “I also consider President Xi Jinping to be my friend, we have been working together for many years and are achieving good results both in the field of political interaction and in the economic sphere. I believe that this benefits both the people of China and the people of Russia and balances, creates a certain stability in international affairs. The creation of some blocs, including the one you mentioned, AUKUS, undoubtedly undermines regional stability, because, in my opinion, it is good to be friends with each other, but to be friends against someone is this is bad. This undermines stability."

Hadley Gamble was also interested in Middle East issues. How does Russia interact with OPEC to stabilize the energy market?

“As for our efforts to stabilize the global energy market, yes, all this is happening in a rather tough regime: we argue with each other, defend our positions, but we find, until now, we have found balanced solutions acceptable to all parties. And our partners, although they are leaders in the production and sale of oil, still make plans for green energy. We are talking with them about the opportunity to invest funds, large resources in new technologies and new sources of energy, ”Vladimir Putin said.

At the end of the interview, the American reporter prepared another question that is traditional for Western journalists: "What about Mr. Navalny?"

Vladimir Putin: “The citizen you mentioned is in prison. Besides him, there are other people who have also violated Russian laws, and we are not going to put anyone in any exclusive conditions, including those who hiding behind political activities."

Already briefly, Vladimir Putin and Hadley Gamble discussed even cryptocurrencies. According to the Russian president, so far they are too unstable and this prevents them from being used for calculations. However, dollar inflation this year is also higher than usual. On the eve, US Congress, another decision was made to raise the government debt ceiling. And this, according to the Russian president, makes all participants in the global market be on the alert.