Putin Warns Russia Have Nowhere To Step Back

Russia’s only goal in dialogue with the West is to reach agreements ensuring the security of the country and its people, Vladimir Putin said.

"Our proposal [on security guarantees] is open and clear. We want people I Russia, in Ukraine, in Europe, and in the United States to understand our idea we want to implement during these negotiating process. I see nothing wrong about it," he said in an interview with the Moscow.Kremlin.Putin program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

"It sets certain limits for all participants in this [negotiating] process. But we have only one goal - to reach agreements ensuring the security of Russia and its people now and in the long-term perspective," he stressed.

According to the president, Moscow is afraid that the West may use its proposals as a possibility to create threats to Russia from the territories of neighboring countries.

"We do have fears that, as I have already said, any our initiative may be used to fill it with destructive agenda of creating threats to us on the territories of our neighboring countries," he said in an interview with Moscow.Kremlin.Putin program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

"They will indulge in endless talk about the necessity of negotiations but will do nothing but pump a neighboring country with state-of-the-art weapons systems and build up threats to Russia, and we will have to do something with these threats," he noted.

The Russian head of state recalled that he had spoken about the red line that cannot be crossed. "I want everyone both in our country and abroad, our partners to clearly understand: the matter is not in a line we don’t want anyone to cross. The matter is that we have nowhere to step back," he stressed.

"They have driven us to such a line, excuse my language, that we have nowhere to move," Putin said, adding that he has already pointed to the risks of new supplies of missile systems deployed at a distance of four to five minute’s flight to Moscow. "Well, where are you going to go now? They have simply driven us to the state when we must say: stop!," Putin said, adding that is why Russia’s initiative on security guarantees talks was made public.

Russia may choose various responses based on advice from military experts if US and NATO decline to provide security guarantees, Putin said.

"It may vary," he said in an interview with the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program. "It will depend on the proposals that our military experts will make to me."

The president said Russia will seek to achieve a positive outcome in the talks on security guarantees.

Russia made the proposals on the matter in order "to reach a legally binding outcome of diplomatic talks on the documents," he said. "That’s what we will strive for."

Putin said during his news conference on December 23 that Moscow will base its further steps on the need to achieve unconditional security for Russia in the long term, regardless of how talks with the US on security guarantees unfold. He said Russia made it clear it won’t tolerate NATO’s further eastward expansion.

The US has moved its missiles to Russia’s doorstep, he said, and wondered how the US would feel if Russia were to place its missiles in Mexico or Canada.

On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry released draft agreements on security guarantees addressed to the US and NATO. They had been handed over to a US representative at a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry on December 15.

Putin Plans To ‘Listen To The President’ Along With His Family On New Year’s

Vladimir Putin said on Sunday he plans to see in New Year with his family and listen to the president’s New Year address to the nation.

He shared his plans with the Moscow.Kremlin.Putin program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

When asked how he plans to spend the New Year night, the president said smilingly, "We will be sitting with the family, seeing in New Year, listening to the president."

Putin On New Ethic: Russia's Traditional Values Confront West Obscurantism

Russia’s peoples have enough deep immunity and protection systems against this obscurantism (new ethic of West), Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"And it should be countered not by direct instructions, slapdowns or accusations but rather by upholding our traditional values, which I always keep saying,"he added.

Putin said that with modern communications, the arrival of neoliberal Western values in Russia is inevitable.

"It is very much like the coronavirus pandemic. New strains keep popping up, and we can’t get away from it. What we need is to look for a proper antidote, Putin noted.

The Russian leader also gave examples of the application of these dubious values in the West, which is contrary to simple common sense.

"All the peoples of the Russian Federation have a certain inner moral protection against the obscurantism you mentioned. Let them do whatever they want over there. We must take the most progressive and the best which helps us develop, move on, be leaders in technology, in the economy, humanitarian areas,"Putin stressed.

Putin Says Donbass' Future Should Be Determined By Its Residents - Or 'Donbass Spring' Is Coming?

The future of Donbass must be determined by the people who live in Donbass ...There is no other way, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Isn't this statement by the Russian leader a rather transparent allusion to the self-determination of Donbass residents, following the example of the Crimeans? It looks like Putin is preparing the world community for the "Donbass spring," that is, for holding a referendum on self-determination and joining the Russian Federation this long-suffering territory.

Putin has repeatedly emphasized that Russia will not attack Ukraine (which is absolutely inconsistent with the hysteria in the Western media about this), but he will not be weak-willed to look at the military solution of this issue by the Kiev regime.

The President gives examples of the activities of the current Ukrainian authorities, which are directed in the opposite direction from the Minsk agreements, that is, from the peaceful solution of this issue, which also shows, in my opinion, a high probability of the scenario described above.

Putin Says Today It’s Impossible To Build Good Neighborly Relations With Ukraine

Russia is willing to establish good-neighborly relations with Ukraine, but it is almost impossible due to the actions of the current administration in Kiev, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"What is the problem for us? We want to build good-neighborly relations with Ukraine and, moreover, we want it, I should say, at any cost and we are in fact doing everything possible in this regard," he said during his traditional end-of-the-year news conference in Moscow.

"However, how can we build these relations with the present-day administration [in Ukraine] considering what they are doing at the moment? This is practically impossible," the Russian president said.

Putin said that Moscow was ready to work with the Ukrainian authorities, "who are ready to build relations with Russia in a good-neighborly atmosphere."

"What’s happening with these authorities? We see extrajudicial killings, sanctions against their own citizens, which contradict the laws and the Constitution of Ukraine, or simply murders right in the street. Nobody is searching for these murderers."

The Russian president recalled the horrors of the 2014 Odessa Trade Union House tragedy.

"Did anyone lift a finger to find the criminals? Not at all," he continued. "Therefore, we have no chances to team up and work with those, who want to establish relations [with Russia], they are being eliminated. These are the people, who want to work with us. This is the problem."

On May 2, 2014, Ukrainian nationalist extremists, including members of the Pravy Sektor organization (or Right Sector, outlawed in Russia) torched the Trade Union House in the city of Odessa, where protesters against Ukraine's coup had found refuge.

According to official estimates, the violence killed 48 people, most of whom lost their lives in the Trade Union House tragedy, while 240 more people were reported to have been injured in the inferno and its aftermath.

Zakharova Shows Absurdity Of US Claims About Russia’s Import Substitution

The claims by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai about Russia’s import substitution in the IT sector and its alleged general non-compliance with the principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are unfounded and beyond absurdity, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Friday.

"We’ve grown accustomed to the United States’ unfounded accusations against us, but this one exceeded all our expectations. Attacking us for import substitution, while we’ve had to listen for many years that they’re plotting against us here and there. [Threatening] to unplug us from SWIFT or something else. I’m sorry, but this is just beyond the boundaries of absurdity," the diplomat said.

The spokeswoman underscored Tai's claim that Russia maintains restrictions on non-scientific imports in the agricultural sector and refuses to accept other countries' guarantees on export capacity.

"Have they heard in Washington about their own sanctions or about the EU’s sanctions, Brussels adopted under pressure from Washington? Every time shortly before the New Year - apparently, this is becoming their tradition - Washington, with enviable permanence and with minimal adjustments, duplicates a set of claims against our country in the area of trade, while adopting more and more unilateral sanctions and making more and more threatening statements, in particular directly in the economic and financial spheres," Zakharova said.

On Tuesday, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the United States intends to use the WTO to hold Russia accountable for its alleged trade activities. She made this statement after her office released its "2021 Report on the Implementation and Enforcement of Russia’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Commitments."

According to that report, "Russia maintains restrictive at-the-border measures, institutes behind-the-border measures to inhibit trade, and implements an industrial policy seemingly driven by the guiding principles of import substitution and forced localization."

Zakharova: 'US Cannot Put Up With Inevitable Loss Of Its Leadership'

The United States has got used to feeling its exclusiveness and is now afraid of losing its leading role in international affairs, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

According to Zakharova, the United States wants to be always be a leader on the international arena and cannot put up with the inevitable loss of its leadership. In her words, these fears are clearly seen in US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent statement that the Americans are doomed to be the leaders as, otherwise the world will plunge into chaos or their place will be taken by those who don’t share their values.

"It means that very many things done by the United States today rest on fear of losing its own exclusiveness, its leading role. It has little to do with real leadership," she said, adding that the most dangerous thing about this situation is not that the United States has got used to see itself "as a master of everything around" but that its current behavior "stems from the fair to lose everything."

"It means that the United States doesn’t actually understand that it has no leadership skills at this stage. They don’t actually see that the world is now built on other conceptual approaches," she stressed. "After all, when a political elite is afraid of anything and demonstrates this fear, it has lost."

Putin: 'Those Who Do Not Let Nord Stream 2 Operate Are Acting Stupid'

Vladimir Putin believes that those who do not let the Nord Stream 2 project operate are acting stupid.

"As for Nord Stream 2 — yes, I agree with your remark. It is also stupid of those who do not allow this system to work, because deliveries of additional gas volumes to the European market would certainly lower the price on the exchange, on the spot market," Putin said, speaking at a joint meeting of the State Council and the Council for Science and Education and commenting on the report of the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

Zhirinovsky said that Europeans "are not opening Nord Stream 2 to us, and now they will be freezing." "They make their own lives worse," Zhirinovsky stressed.

Putin noted that many countries, including Ukraine, did not want to buy gas directly from Russia. "It was their choice. They do not want to buy it directly from us. [Otherwise] the price would have dropped significantly from them. They are biting the hand that feeds them. It's amazing, but, okay, it's their choice," the President went on.

He also mentioned the situation with the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline.

"Gazprom owns 45% in it, but the Polish side pushed us away from managing this system. They manage it like this - some consumers do not order additional gas, while others launched it in reverse mode, in the opposite direction," the head of state said.

"Actually, this is our, but this does not increase the quality of Russian gas on the European market, so the price is growing. So let them do it, these are their decisions, their deeds, but it’s surprising that they are accusing us of this. It’s just nonsense. They put everything upside down," Putin concluded.

On Thursday, at his annual press conference, Putin noted that the reverse supplies allowed Europeans to resell gas they purchased under long-term contracts. He also noted that Gazprom did not reserve the capacity of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, because there were no applications from European consumers.

Putin Wishes Cabinet A Happy New Year!

With all my heart, I would like to wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for your work, Vladimir Putin said at the traditional meeting with Government members ahead of the New Year holidays on Friday.

"I do understand and I can see that all of you have had to shoulder an additional burden. you have been managing this workload quite efficiently, acting in a concise manner and staying united as a team, as true professionals,"he noted.

Putin Links Likelihood Of Russian-Ukrainian Conflict With Russia's Security Guarantees

Answering Irada Zeynalova's question about the "Russian plans to invade Ukraine" constantly circulating in the Western media, Vladimir Putin recalled the history of the development of the situation in this country.

"The aggravation began in 2014. Before that, even though the Soviet Union had ceased to exist and part of historically Russian territories with a historically Russian population, primarily in Ukraine, had found themselves living outside Russia, we accepted that as a fact of life and felt more or less comfortable about it. We even helped those new republics to get back on their feet, and we worked, were ready to work and are still working together with their governments, whatever their foreign policy priorities,"he said.

"But what happened in 2014? A bloody coup, people were killed and burned alive. I am not talking now about who was right and who was to blame. Obviously, Ukrainian citizens were rightfully indignant and displeased at what was happening in the country. The then president, Yanukovych, had agreed to everything. Three foreign ministers – of Poland, Germany and France – guaranteed the peaceful development of the situation and the peace process. I talked with the US president at that time at his initiative. He asked me to support this process as well. Everyone agreed but then a coup took place in a day or two. What for? There is no answer. Why was it needed? President Yanukovych agreed to everything anyway. He was ready to give up power anytime. The elections and the victory of the opposition were inevitable. Everyone knew this very well. Why was it done then?"Putin noted.

According to the Russian President, the situation with Crimea and Donbass was a consequence of these events.

"Then Crimea happened. But how could we turn down the request of Sevastopol and Crimea, the people who lived there, to take them under our protection, under our wing? It was not possible. We were simply put in a situation where we could not have acted differently. Or were we supposed to just look on passively at what was happening in the southeast, in Donbass, which has only ever thought of itself as part of Russia, even during the formation of the USSR in 1922–1924? But Lenin and his comrades wedged Donbass in there by force. At first, they decided to make it part of Russia and then said the decision had to be revised,"he said.

"They revised it and created a country that had never existed before. We will not talk about it now, but this is what happened then. They crammed in there the historical lands of people whom nobody asked how or where they wanted to live. All right, this is what happened, we agreed. But we had to do something in 2014 and this led to the crisis that is unfolding today,"Putin added.

Putin recalled that the Ukrainian authorities twice tried to solve the problem of Donbass by force, although Russia tried to persuade them not to do so.

"I personally persuaded Mr Poroshenko: Anything but military operations! Yes, yes, he said and then resorted to force. What was the result? Encirclement, losses and the Minsk agreements. Are they good or not? I think they are the only possible way out. So, what is the problem? There is no desire to implement them. They adopted a law on indigenous people and announced that the Russian people who lived on this land, on their own land, were not indigenous,"he added.

Language came next. The Russians and the Russian-speaking population are being forced from their historical lands – that is what is happening.

Putin said that the impression is that Kiev is preparing for a third attempt to resolve the Donbass issue by military means.

Russia must take care of our own security, not only today and not only next week, but also in the short term.

"How is Russia to live with all this? Do we always have to stay on guard, watching what happens there and when a strike might come? This is not our choice, and we do not want this" Putin stressed. It is for this reason that Putin responded to President Biden's proposal, who proposed that officials be appointed to negotiate strategic stability.

"We must understand how to ensure our security. With this in mind, we spoke out clearly and directly against any further eastward expansion by NATO. The ball is in their court. They need to respond in one way or another,"Putin noted.

Putin Says Prison Torture Is World Problem

Torture of convicts in prisons is a world problem, Vladimir Putin told the customary year-end news conference on Thursday.

"As far as torture and cruel treatment of convicts in penitentiaries are concerned, they are not only Russia’s problem, but a world one. If you take a look at what is happening in such establishments in other countries, you will see that such problems there are as frequent. It is a world problem," Putin said in reply to a question from journalist Ksenia Sobchak.

He stressed that such institutions in some countries looked decently only at first sight.

"But in Europe, say, in France, and in the United States there are many places of a kind that, I believe, no longer exists in third world countries," he stated.

Putin said that the conditions in the penitentiary system were high on the agenda. As an example, he mentioned a new detention center in the Leningrad Region, built after his visit to the old facility on his instructions.

"This must be done because even simple conditions that lie on the surface are of importance," he stressed.

Putin's Harsh Response To Sky News Reporter

During the press conference, the reporter of Sky News TV channel had the opportunity to ask a question to the President of Russia. Diana Magni addressed Putin in English.

She asked if the Russian Federation was going to "attack" Ukraine. Let us remind you that the West has been concerned about this topic for a long time.

Putin sharply answered the question of the British journalist. He said that Moscow does not threaten anyone, unlike the United States and NATO, and demanded from the Alliance immediate guarantees of Russia's security.

"Many countries require guarantees from Russia, while they themselves do not give them,"Putin stressed.

Putin Fulfills Dream Of 7-Year-Old Yegor Ride On T-90

On Thursday, Vladimir Putin fulfilled the dream of 7-year-old Yegor Fomenko to ride a tank as part of the New Year Tree of Wishes national campaign.

Putin Reveals Fraudulent Scheme For Resale Of Gazprom’s Gas By European Operators

European buyers are reselling gas they receive from Gazprom under long-term contracts at spot prices, which are up to 7 times higher than contract prices, Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference on Thursday.

He noted that there is every reason to believe that, in particular, such deliveries are being organized for Ukraine from Germany through Poland.

"They switched this route (Yamal-Europe) to reverse mode, that is, from Germany to Poland. And they have been pumping [gas] from Germany to Poland for several days. Why? Simply because we supply gas to Germany under long-term contracts that are four, six, and seven times cheaper than on spot [market]," the head of state noted.

According to him, the resale of 1 billion cubic meters of gas can pull in about $900 million.

The Russian leader stressed that consumers in Europe and Germany need to know what's going on. "I have every reason to believe that this gas will eventually go to Ukraine," President Putin explained. He advised European consumers to contact their respective officials for clarification.

The head of state recalled that there is a connection between the Polish gas pipeline system and the Ukrainian one, which makes it possible to pump about 3 million cubic meters of gas per day. And it is this amount that is now being pumped in reverse from Germany to Poland.

"Instead of pumping [gas] to Poland and then to Ukraine, helping somebody not to lose their pants, it would be better to continue supplies to Europe, in particular to Germany, and influence the price on the spot market. Because the larger the product’s volume is on the market, the lower the price will be. But they started reverse-pumping, and that’s the problem. So, what does Gazprom have to do with it?" Putin asked.

"They shouldn’t think that they are so smart and assume that God is not watching them. The problems they created for themselves should be solved by them alone. And we are ready to help them. We are doing this. It seems to me that I have convincingly shown this now," he stressed.

Putin Answers BBC's Question About Navalny, Foreign Agents Law, Power

Over centuries, Russia’s opponents have been saying that this country is impossible to conquer and can only be destroyed from within, Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference on Thursday.

"I would like to reiterate what our opponents have been saying for centuries: Russia is impossible to conquer, it can only be destroyed from within. Which was successfully done during World War One, to be more precise, as a result of it, and also in the 1990s when the Soviet Union was destroyed," the head of state said in response to a question by a BBC reporter.

According to Putin, this was done by those who "served other, foreign interests not related to the interests of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation."

Western countries have given no evidence to prove allegations about Russian blogger Alexey Navalny’s possible poisoning, Putin said.

"You speak about a man who was allegedly poisoned. We have issued numerous official inquiries from the Russian prosecutor’s office asking for any documents proving the poisoning. Not a single paper, not a single evidence of this Novichok, or whatever you call it," he said

According to the Russian leader, Moscow suggested sending Russian specialists "there to work together." "I personally told the French president and the German chancellor: Let our specialists work, let us take sample, check grounds to open a criminal case. Nothing in response. Nothing," he said, describing the contacts on this matter.

"Stop talking about it. Let us turn over this page, if you have nothing to tell us," he noted.

Alexey Navalny was rushed to a local hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk on August 20, 2020, after collapsing on a Moscow-bound flight from Tomsk. He fell into a coma and was put on a ventilator in an intensive care unit. On August 22, he was airlifted to Berlin and admitted to the Charite hospital. On September 2, the German government claimed that the blogger had been affected by a toxic agent belonging to the Novichok family. Russia’s authorities pointed out that no poisonous substances had been detected in Navalny’s system prior to his transfer to Berlin and repeatedly expressed readiness for all-round cooperation to investigate this case.

The amount of organizations designated as foreign agents in Russia is the same as in the United States, but the punishment for those who violate it is lighter, Putin pointed.

"A total of 74 organizations out of 200,000 NGOs have been labeled as foreign agents here, that’s 0.034%, the same as in the US, but there aren’t any tough regulations [here] like those in the US, which particularly include criminal responsibility," he highlighted.

"If you don’t stop your activities there [in the US], you may face criminal prosecution and up to five years in prison. It can happen even when you end your activities and shut down your organization, you can’t escape criminal responsibility. [You’d face a] five-year term. We don’t have anything like that here. We don’t ban the activities of such organizations. We only want the organizations involved in domestic political activities to clearly state what their sources of funding are. That’s all. And they can continue their work. Our law is far more liberal," Putin emphasized. He added, however, that there were some issues with the law, particularly related to the understanding of the notion of "political activities" and rules regulating this work.

And in the end, the choice of the organization of society and the state will be determined by the Russian people, and not by those whom you serve today, Putin ansvered to BBC correspondent.

Lavrov Reacts To NATO's Stoltenberg Arrogant Statements

If Mr Stoltenberg thinks that NATO members can brush off this principle, which has been formalised in the documents signed at the top level, he should indeed look for a new job, because he is clearly underperforming in his current position, Sergey Lavrov said during interview with RT television channel on Wednesday.

"NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg regularly makes inadequate statements. He is planning to leave this post soon, though. His term will expire at the end of the year. The rumour is that he will become Norway’s next central bank governor (or at least he is applying for this post). A central bank governor must clearly and precisely comply with the organisation’s fundamental operating principles. European and Euro-Atlantic security is based on several principles that were coordinated and signed at the top level in the form of political commitments, including the fundamental principle of equal and indivisible security. According to it, as the heads of state and government agreed explicitly, no single state or group of states in the Euro-Atlantic region and the OSCE space will strengthen its security by infringing on the security of others,"he added.

Shoigu Reports On Real NATO's Threats Near Russia's Borders

Tensions are growing on the western and eastern borders of Russia, Sergei Shoigu said at the annual expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board on Tuesday.

"The deterioration of the military-political situation in the world continues,"he added.

The United States is intensifying its military presence at Russian borders. In the countries of Eastern Europe, American units with a total strength of about 8,000 troops are deployed on a rotational basis. In the grouping of US forces on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, the command of fire destruction in the theater has been recreated. Until 1991, it was responsible for the use of medium-range missiles.

Multi-sphere brigade was formed, which is planned to be armed with various systems of strike missile weapons.

In Poland, an infrastructure is being created to accommodate the US armored brigade, and the Aegis Ashore anti-missile system is nearing completion. In Romania, a similar missile defence facility is already on combat alert duty.

The deployment of the Pacific segment of the American global missile defence system continues. To conduct operations and control ocean communications in the North Atlantic and Arctic in Norfolk, a joint command of the NATO Joint Armed Forces was created.

The United States and NATO are purposefully increasing the scale and intensity of military training activities near Russia. Increasingly, they involve strategic aviation, carrying out simulated launches of nuclear missiles at our facilities. The number of their flights near the Russian borders has more than doubled.

NATO pays special attention to the issues of the transfer of troops to the eastern flank of the alliance, including from the continental part of the United States. The exercises are practicing various options for using coalition groups against Russia with the use of non-aligned states - Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

The desire of the North Atlantic Alliance to involve the Ukrainian armed forces in its military activities poses a threat to security, taking into account the attempts of Kiev to solve the problem of Donbass by force.

The military development of the territory of Ukraine by NATO countries continues. The situation is aggravated by the supply of the United States and its allies with helicopters, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, and ATGMs.

The presence of more than 120 employees of American PMCs in Avdeevka and Priazovskoe settlements in Donetsk region has been reliably established. They equip firing positions in residential buildings and at socially significant facilities, prepare Ukrainian special operations forces and radical armed groups for active hostilities.

To commit provocations, tanks with unidentified chemical components were delivered to Avdeevka and Krasny Liman cities.

The number of attacks by Ukrainian servicemen on peaceful areas of Donbass and the positions of the people's militia of the LPR and DPR is not decreasing, provoking them to retaliate.

The destabilization of the situation in Afghanistan creates the risks of exporting terrorism and drugs to the territory of the CSTO states.

"We closely monitor the situation and promptly respond to all threats to military security,"Shoigu stressed.

Putin Sets 5 Tasks For Russia's Armed Forces In 2022

In 2022, Russian Armed Forces will have to focus on five main tasks, Vladimir Putin said at the annual expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board on Tuesday.

"It is important to continue planned, steady, systemic development of the Armed Forces, including in line with their priorities, set forth in the latest version of the National Security Strategy and the Concept for Building and Developing the Armed Forces through to 2030,"he added.

First, it is necessary to continue the planned and well-balanced procurement of modern weapons and equipment for military units and to devote special attention to deliveries of high-precision systems, cutting-edge reconnaissance, navigation, communications and control systems.

Second, combat and tactical training programmes should prioritise efforts to master modern weaponry, as well as new forms and methods of combat operations. In this connection, combat training programmes should be modified, so that they can be taken into account during exercises next year, including the Vostok 2022 strategic command post exercise.

Third, all-out success in many spheres now directly depends on well-thought-out and rapid decision-making. In the military sphere, during combat operations, decisions are made in minutes or even seconds. It is therefore necessary to develop systems to support the decision-making process by commanders at all levels, especially at the tactical level, and to introduce elements of artificial intelligence into these systems.

Fourth, it goes without saying that effective operational algorithms should be established at all levels, and advanced automatic systems should also be introduced. At the same time, we can see that modern military conflicts do not take place under pre-set patterns. As before, commanders play a key role in these conflicts. A lot depends on their knowledge, experience, personal qualities, and those who make truly unconventional decisions win battles. Consequently, during operational and combat training, it is necessary to train versatile commanders who possess knowledge in all fields. They should be listed in the personnel pool of top military commanders, and it is necessary to keep an eye on them even now, to guide them and to provide them with opportunities for subsequent promotion.

Finally, here is the fifth aspect. Given the complicated international situation, it is necessary to develop military and military-technical cooperation with states that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and to pay special attention to strengthening the defence capability of the Russia-Belarus Union State.

Putin Joins Video Linkup Ceremony Of Delivering Latest Nuclear Subs To To Russian Navy

Vladimir Putin gave the start via a video linkup to the ceremony of raising the naval flags aboard the latest nuclear-powered submarines Knyaz Oleg and Novosibirsk during the Defense Ministry’s enlarged board meeting on Tuesday.

The ceremony of hoisting the naval flags aboard the improved Project 955A (Borei-A) first serial-built strategic nuclear-powered underwater cruiser Knyaz Oleg and the Project 885M (Yasen-M) first serial-built nuclear-powered sub Novosibirsk was held in Severodvinsk in Russia’s northwest. Putin watched the ceremony via a video linkup while Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov and Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko were present at the subs’ launch site.

"Today the naval flags are being hoisted aboard the nuclear-powered submarines Knyaz Oleg and Novosibirsk and the new missile-carrying submarines are entering service with the Navy," the head of state said.

The Russian leader thanked the workforce of the Sevmash Shipyard where the two cutting-edge nuclear-powered subs had been built. Putin called the submarines’ armaments "a formidable strike force" and specified that the sub Knyaz Oleg was furnished with Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles while the multi-purpose underwater cruiser Novosibirsk carried Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles and was capable of both fighting naval targets effectively and delivering precision strikes against ground facilities.

The nuclear-powered subs Knyaz Oleg and Novosibirsk will soon join the Russian Pacific Fleet, "substantially boost its combat potential, provide Russia’s security and reliably defend its national interests in the World Ocean," the Russian president stressed.

As the Russian president said, the construction of submarines of the 885M and 955A series will continue and the Sevmash Shipyard will build and deliver another five Borei-A and six Yasen-M nuclear-powered underwater cruisers to the Navy.

"We will be ramping up the pace of upgrading the Navy and will be building up advanced surface ships and underwater vessels of various projects and classes and simultaneously developing coastal defense infrastructure and, of course, enhancing military personnel’s social guarantees and raising the prestige of military professions," Putin said.

The Russian leader cited the example of Captain First Rank Maksim Shpirko, the Novosibirsk underwater missile cruiser commander, in whose family seven members served in the Navy in various years and all of them were officers. As the head of state said, this a true example of keeping the Navy’s glorious traditions, devotion and faithfulness to the Fleet and the Motherland.

The Knyaz Oleg is the first serial-built strategic missile submarine cruiser of the modernized Project 955A (code Borei-A). It was laid down on July 27, 2014 and floated out on July 16, 2020. As part of state trials, the nuclear-powered sub successfully test-fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the White Sea against the Kura proving ground on the Kamchatka Peninsula on October 21, 2021. Compared to the baseline Borei series, Borei-A subs feature better acoustic stealth, maneuvering and deep-sea running capabilities and an improved armament control system.

Out of 10 subs targeted for construction (three Borei and 7 Borei-A submarines), five underwater cruisers have been built (with four of them operational in the Russian Navy) and another five are under construction. Each sub carries 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Novosibirsk is the first serial-built nuclear submarine of Project 885M (code Yasen-M), laid down on July 26, 2013 and floated out on December 25, 2019. Seven Project 885M submarines are at various stages of their construction at the Sevmash Shipyard in Russia’s northwest. The seventh and eighth hulls of the nuclear-powered submarines of this Project, the Voronezh and the Vladivostok, were laid down on July 20, 2020. The Project Yasen-M lead submarine Kazan was delivered to the Russian Navy on May 7, 2021. The Severodvinsk, which is the Project 885 (Yasen) lead and sole underwater cruiser, was delivered to the Russian Navy on June 17, 2014. Project 885/885M submarines are armed with Kalibr-PL and Oniks cruise missiles as their basic strike weapons.

Putin Fulfills Dream Of 14-Year-Old Mark As Part Of New Year Tree Of Wishes

OnTuesday, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with 14-year-old Mark Koblenev from the Moscow Region, a participant in the New Year Tree of Wishes national campaign.

The President, who is taking part in the campaign for the fourth time this year, made Mark’s New Year wish come true and gave him a guitar.

Apart from the musical instrument and a guitar training course the boy received, Mark and his mother got to visit the Igor Krutoy Academy. After touring the academy, Mark attended a tutorial organised by composer and Distinguished Artist of Russia Viktor Zinchuk.

The boy shared his impressions of the visit during his telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin and discussed his first guitar lesson.

Earlier, the President fulfilled the wish of 13-year-old Tanya from the Stavropol Territory: the girl saw the ballet Swan Lake at the Mariinsky Theatre.

This good tradition is already three years old. The all-Russian campaign "NY Wish Tree" was launched by Vladimir Putin. Anyone can make a gift to orphans, toddlers or elderly people with a serious illness. The head of the Central Election Commission, the Speaker of the Federation Council and deputies of the State Duma have already joined the action this year.

Putin Warns 'Russia Ready To Take Military Technical Measures To Counter NATO Expansion'

Draft agreements on security guarantees proposed by Russia are not an ultimatum as ill-wishers call it, Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

"Everybody is discussing them now. Certainly, this is discussed by the armed forces in the first instance - drafts of our treaties and agreements sent to leaders of the United States and NATO on strategic stability support issues," the head of state said.

"We already see that some of our ill-wishers, let me say directly, are interpreting them [drafts] as an ultimatum from the Russian side. Is it an ultimatum or not? Certainly not," Putin noted.

The President recalled the US’ actions in prior years, when they supported their alleged interests and their alleged security thousand miles away from their national territory. "They did the toughest and the most blatant things without any sanction from the US Security Council," the Russian leader added.

Russia is ready to take military-technical measures, if NATO expands close to its borders, Putin said. "In case of clearly aggressive policy continued by Western colleagues, we will take adequate military-technical measures and respond toughly to unfriendly steps," the Russian president warned.

As Putin stressed, Russia "has the full right" to measures intended to ensure its security and sovereignty.

As the Russian president emphasized, Moscow does not demand any special exclusive terms for itself. "Russia stands for equal and indivisible security in the entire Eurasian space," Putin said.

Russia calls for resolving disputes by political means, Putin said.

"Armed conflicts and bloodshed are not our choices, absolutely. We do not wish this march of events.

We wish to address issues by political and diplomatic means, provided we have clear and well-formulated legal guarantees," Putin said at the Defense Ministry’s board meeting.

He pointed out that this was the gist of Russia’s proposals for security guarantees, addressed to the United States and NATO.

RT's Simonyan: 'Tough Proposals On Russia's Security Guarantees Are An Ultimatum To NATO'

Tough proposals on security guarantees for Russia are a real ultimatum to NATO and the United States, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan said on Russia 1 TV show 60 minutes.

"On the basis of what we see and know, and also on the basis of what we do not know, because I believe that a significant part of such information constitutes a state secret. so, if Russia has become so strong that it can do this (and we know that our President is a very cautious person, and he always measures his actions against his own strengths and capabilities, then this is very cool! This is very good news. And I congratulate our dear fellow citizens on this!"she added.

Putin Instructs Promsvyazbank To Support Defense Industry In Diversification

Necessary to prop up defence industry enterprises when resolving diversification issues, Vladimir Putin said at the working meeting with Promsvyazbank CEO Petr Fradkov on Monday.

Moscow Expects Clear US Response On Russia's Security Guarantees

Russia believes that the United States understands the seriousness of the situation in the security sphere and the necessity of taking steps on the basis suggested by Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Monday.

"We believe that our American colleagues are fully aware that the situation is quite difficult and tense and that a responsible approach is needed," he said. "It is necessary to act on the platform, on the basis we have suggested in line with President [Vladimir] Putin’s instructions."

"We expressed the hope that as part of the implementation of the Russian president’s instructions we will be able to evoke a clear response from the West, first of all from the United States, and begin the process of elaborating legally binding guarantees of Russia’s security in the format of two agreements, which are interlinked and cannot be, so to say, torn apart into fragments, elements," he said.

On December 17, the Russian foreign ministry released two Russian draft agreements in security guarantees from the United States and NATO.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on NATO to begin substantive talks on reliable long-term security guarantees to Russia. He stressed that Russia needs legally binding guarantees because the West has failed to fulfill its verbal commitments.

According to Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov Ushakov told US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that Moscow was ready to begin talks on draft documents on security guarantees. Russia will be represented at these talks by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

Putin Thanks Russian Special Agencies’ Officers For Preventing Terrorist Attacks

Russia’s security agencies managed to achieve a decline in the terrorist threat, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that 32 terrorist attacks have been prevented over an 11-month period this year.

"Over recent years, there are significant progress and positive dynamics in this challenging, extremely responsible area [the fight against terrorism]. There has been a dramatic decline in the terrorist threat," the Russian head of state said in a video statement on the occasion of the Security Agency Worker Day.

According to Putin, "over the past eleven years, more than 200 terrorist attacks have been foiled, the number of terrorist crimes has decreased dramatically over this period." "The vast majority of such crimes are nipped in the bud," he added. "Over an 11 month-period this year, 61 crimes have been prevented, including 32 terrorist attacks, thanks to your effectiveness and coordination. This is a good result, but there are still many issues," the Russian president addressed the employees of the security agencies.

Putin said that the fight against terrorism should be tough and uncompromising. "At present, there is a challenging international situation. The nature and scale of current challenges and risks make higher demands on the work of special services. First of all, a tough and uncompromising fight against terrorism is your main, priority task," the president stressed.

Putin said that the fight against terrorism should be tough and uncompromising.

"At present, there is a challenging international situation. The nature and scale of current challenges and risks make higher demands on the work of special services," he noted.

"First of all, a tough and uncompromising fight against terrorism is your main, priority task," Putin addressed employees of the special services.

Everything Will Be As Usual: 'Peskov shut up' And Putin Himself Will Continue His Press Conference

Talking about Putin's upcoming annual press conference, which will take place next Thursday, December 23, Dmitry Peskov joked that everything will be as usual: "I will start holding a press conference, then Putin will tell me to shut up, and President himself will continue to conduct it."

Peskov's Remarks About Navalny's Pardon & Khodorkovsky's Futile Efforts To Rock Russia

Possible issue of Navalny’s pardon to be decided on legal basis, and, Khodorkovsky spares no expense to rock Russia, but fails, Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with RTVI's Tina Kandelaki on Friday.

The issue of pardoning convicted blogger Alexey Navalny, if it emerges, will be resolved according to legal procedures.

"Listen, I don’t know," he said in response to a question on the possibility of Navalny’s pardon and his future life abroad. "This is the prerogative of a convict serving time, the commission, first at a colony, then in the region, then the central one, then the head of state. There is a certain order defined by the law: the convict submits a petition, he says that he admits guilt, which guilt he admits, and then it follows a chain [of events], the way the law prescribes it," the Kremlin official explained.

Navalny, who received two suspended sentences over the Yves Rocher case, was declared wanted for numerous violations of the terms of his suspended sentence. On January 17, he was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport having arrived from Berlin. On February 2, Moscow’s Simonovsky District Court converted Alexey Navalny’s suspended sentence to 3 years and 6 months in a medium-security prison.

Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky violated many agreements and spares no expense to rock Russia, but he will fail due to his complete lack of understanding of the situation in the country, Peskov said.

"He violated many agreements. He was pardoned earlier than he was supposed to be released [from prison]. He does not spare his own money to rock our country, and, probably, will continue doing it. But he is not too successful, because he is spiritually, situationally, informationally, and on the gut feeling level is completely separated from Russia," the spokesman said, answering a question why Khodorkovsky is not on agenda.

This man does not realize what is happening in Russia, Peskov claimed.

Peskov: 'Ukraine Completely Lost For Russia As partner And Ally'

Ukraine is completely lost for Russia as a partner and ally, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Have we lost Ukraine as a partner, ally and so on? At this point, yes, completely," he said in an interview with RTVI. In this context, he noted "the Ukrainian authorities’ hostility toward Russia."

According to the Kremlin spokesman, the Ukrainian authorities are doing their utmost "to cut the cord linking it to Russia in any way." "They are simply cutting everything, from the capillary vessels to the central arteries of our bilateral relations. They have already cut them, to be more precise. That is why we have no relations as such," he said, adding that Russians and Ukrainians will nevertheless remain brotherly nations. "A brotherly people cannot be lost, it will always be a brotherly people," he said. "Yes, [Ukraine’s] authorities may keep on trying to cheat on their people, to imbue them with hatred for Russians, for Russia, to strip them of the chance to get first-hand information from our mass media. They can ban our mass media, ban our internet websites, but the two brotherly people cannot lose one another."

The Kremlin spokesman noted that Ukraine "is declaring its intention to join NATO openly, officially, actually at a legislative level." "It is very bad for us because this way NATO’s military infrastructure will inevitably begin drifting toward our borders. Without [Ukraine’s] membership in NATO, we now see how the alliance is gradually beginning to absorb, intrude into Ukraine," he said.

NATO began with supplies of defensive weapons, then it began to supply offensive weapons, then - double-use weapons, then it began to send instructors who teach Ukrainian soldiers how to use these advanced weapons.

"NATO’s creeping intrusion into Ukraine is already taking place and Russia cannot stay indifferent to it. That is why Putin’s position is quite tough on the one hand and coherent and peaceful on the other. His initiative to agree to some binding security guarantees is a very constructive proposal, which can fence us off from the tension which has emerged on the European continent over the Ukrainian problem," Peskov said.

He noted that "rhetoric, which seemed like it would never return: detente and the like, is now being used again." "We thought that it was lest in the Cold War era and will never be back. And here it is again," he added.

Peskov Says Putin And Biden Not Friends But Speak In Mutually Respectful Tone

Talks between Russian and US Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, are held in an atmosphere of mutual respect rather than in a friendly atmosphere, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"I did not say ‘friendly tone.' It was a mutually respectful, constructive and business-like tone. They are not friends. After all, they haven’t had many contacts yet," he said in an interview with RTVI.

He recalled that Putin and Biden had seen each other when Putin was Russia’s prime minister. "Back then, they had a meeting at the White House, at various international events, but they haven’t had many opportunities to speak to each other," he noted.

According to Peskov, contacts between the leaders of great powers cannot but be mutually respectful, but the leaders may not always agree with each other. "Here, we can state a very serious gap in the conceptual approaches on issues of paramount importance. Putin spoke about red lines and our national interests. Biden, in turn, spoke about his unpreparedness to recognize red lines. But the atmosphere was business-like and respectful," he said, adding that no more differences emerged between the sides but they "fixed them to the extent that they had already been."

The Kremlin spokesman noted that Putin feels equally comfortable with everyone he speaks with thanks to his expertise in international affairs and a vast record of contacts with world leaders. However, Peskov refuted allegations that there were hopes for an improvement in relations between the two countries under the United States’ previous president, Donald Trump. "Such expectations were cherished by anyone but professionals. Don’t forget that under Biden we maintain various communications channels and there was no communication under Trump. It was actually frozen," Peskov explained.

"It should be borne in mind that Trump is not a professional politician. It is a kind of phenomenon that broke into the United States’ politics, made a lot of fuss and quit politics. Biden is a professional politician who has gone through all the difficulties of American politics, from the very bottom to the very top. So, his expertise and professionalism cannot be overestimated. At least, I can say that it is comfortable for Putin and Biden to speak with each other because they get their positions across to each other, speak about the problem and give a clear answer - either ‘yes’ or ‘no,’" the Kremlin spokesman stressed.

Putin Says Sanctions Turn Into Tool Of Competitive Struggle

Sanctions have turned into a tool of competitive practices, Vladimir Putin said on Friday at the meeting of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

"The same refers to various restrictions of political nature, the so-called sanctions. Indeed, something may occur initially as a political tool but we see now that often this is simply a tool of competitive struggle," Putin said.

Russia will respond to attempts of dominating the environmental topics to achieve competitive advantages, the President said. "All such aspirations related to the attempt of harnessing the environmental topics for achievement of competitive advantages should encounter a certain response from our side. And we will definitely do that," Putin added.

Putin Urges Russians Not To Forget About Anti Covid Measures After First New Year's Toast

You know how it happens: after the first toast, everyone forgets about any precautions. However, this is not the case today. You need to carefully look at these [anti covid] recommendations and do everything in order to comply with them, Vladimir Putin said on Friday at the meeting of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

President Putin Greets 30th RSPP Congress

Vladimir Putin greeted all the participants in the Congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs on Friday.

"I would like to congratulate the RSPP on the anniversary. this year your highly respected organisation which united the country’s biggest, leading companies and enterprises, celebrates its 30th anniversary,"he said.

Thise years was a complicated, difficult period in the development of new social relations, a period of “moving into adulthood” of the domestic market economy – the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs has earned a reputation of a reliable partner of all branches of government and all civil society institutions.

Russia Ready To Begin Talks On Security Guarantees With US Immediately

Russia is ready to begin talks on security guarantees with the United States immediately and suggests Geneva as a venue for such talks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday.

"As for us, we are ready to begin talks with the United States in a third country immediately, literally already tomorrow, on Saturday, December 18. We have already offered the Americans to meet in Geneva to launch these important talks on the basis, on the platform of the two draft documents we have, which we plan to promote while waiting for a constructive response from the United States," he said.

Earlier on Friday, the Russian foreign ministry released two Russian draft agreements in security guarantees from the United States and NATO.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on NATO to begin substantive talks on reliable long-term security guarantees to Russia. He stressed that Russia needs legally binding guarantees because the West has failed to fulfill its verbal commitments.

According to Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov Ushakov told US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that Moscow was ready to begin talks on draft documents on security guarantees. Russia will be represented at these talks by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

Putin Visits ASI Exhibition Of New Promising Projects

Vladimir Putin visited an exhibition presenting new projects of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) on Thursday.

It was created at the suggestion of Vladimir Putin to support promising ideas for the work of medium-sized businesses, improve the business climate, develop young managers and work in the social sphere. Then the head of state chaired a meeting of the Agency's supervisory board.

Putin's Meeting With Mongolia's Counterpart In The Kremlin

Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin with the President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, who arrived in Russia on a working visit on Thursday.

Zakharova Сalls West’s Actions Towards Assange ‘Cannibalism’

The Western countries’ actions towards the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, are aimed at "annihilating" him, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Wednesday.

"The actions taken by our Western partners over the past few years smack of cannibalism. All this is not about some double standards or defiance of lofty principles and ideals. It’s about the annihilation of an individual, revenge for his stance, for his courage and for the fact that he deemed it necessary, apparently aware of the potential risks, to share with the world some crucial information that shed light on the lies and deceit committed by a number of states," she said.

Zakharova expressed surprise that the international community’s reaction to the inhuman treatment of Assange was so slack.

"Everybody can see that this man is being annihilated. He looks like two different people. Everybody can see his current condition, not to mention the campaign of victimization the champions of democracy have organized against him."

Assange has been in custody in London’s Belmarsh Prison since April 2019, after the embassy of Ecuador revoked his asylum, which he had enjoyed for seven years. In January, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court refused to extradite Assange to the United States where he faces 18 criminal charges, but at the same time ruled that he should stay in custody until the US appeal has been considered. On December 10, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales upheld the US Department of Justice’s appeal filed in the case of the WikiLeaks founder’s extradition to the US.

In the United States, Assange is charged with a number of offenses in connection with the largest disclosure of classified information in US history. If convicted on all counts, he may be handed a 175-year prison term.

Putin Fulfills The Dream Of A 13-Year-Old Sick Girl

On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with 13-year-old Tatyana Trotsenko from the Stavropol Territory, who attended a performance of the ballet Swan Lake at the Mariinsky Theatre.

On December 5, while attending the International Volunteer Forum, the President joined the New Year Tree of Wishes national campaign for the fourth time. Vladimir Putin fulfilled the dream of 13-year-old Tanya from the town of Izobilny, Stavropol Territory, who is currently undergoing treatment in St Petersburg.

The girl was taken on a guided tour of the Mariinsky Theatre, after which she watched a ballet, Swan Lake. She also talked to the cast.

In addition, the President suggested that the girl and her parents see the Swan Lake ice show in Moscow.

Vladimir Putin ended the conversation by wishing Tanya a happy New Year, good health and high spirits.

Putin-Xi Virtual Summit 'A Sample Of Genuine Interstate Cooperation In 21st Century'

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held a virtual summit on Wednesday. The conversation began at 11:07 Moscow time and lasted a little over an hour - to 12:21 MSC.

At the beginning of the virtual summit, Putin waved his hand as a welcoming gesture and referred to Xi Jinping as his "dear friend". The Chinese leader responded with the same gesture and a broad smile.

Putin noted that current meeting "makes it possible to discuss the development of Russian-Chinese comprehensive strategic partnership."

The President described the relations between Moscow and Beijing as "a sample of genuine interstate cooperation in the 21st century." According to him, a new model of interaction has been shaped between two countries "based among other things on such principles, specifically, as non-interference in domestic affairs and respect for one another’s interests, determination to turn the shared border into a belt of everlasting peace and good neighborliness." Putin added that the close coordination between Russia and China on the global stage and a responsible joint approach to solving relevant world issues has become a tangible factor of stability in international relations.

Putin also stressed that Moscow and Beijing have consistently supported each other over international sports cooperation, including the non-acceptance of any attempts to politicize sports or the Olympic movement. He was confident that the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing would be held at the highest level as "China knows how to do it."

The Russian leader hoped that next February he would finally be able to meet with Xi Jinping in person in Beijing, where they are scheduled to hold negotiations, and then take part in the opening ceremony of 2022 Winter Olympics. He thanked his Chinese counterpart for the invitation to visit such a symbolic event." Xi Jinping responded that he looked forward to "the Olympic meeting" with Putin.

Putin: 'When West Creates A Real Hypersonic Weapon, Russia Will Already Have An Antidote'

I think that we will be able to "pleasantly surprise" our "partners" when they have this [hypersonic] weapon, (with a high degree of probability), we will already have a means of dealing with this weapon, Vladimir Putin said in an interview for a documentary entitled "Russia: Its Recent History" aired on the Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

Putin: "Only Heartless Does Not Regret USSR Collapse & Only Headless Wants To Recreate It'

Vladimir Putin said what he thinks about the collapse of the Soviet Union during interview for a documentary entitled "Russia: Its Recent History" aired on the Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.