- 2 years ago
Watch the full speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin as he delivers new scandalous threats and warnings that have sent shockwaves through the U.S. and Western nations. In this compelling address, Putin discusses the geopolitical tensions, Russia's stance on international relations, and his response to recent actions by Western countries. Don't miss out on this crucial update on global politics.
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HASHTAGS: #VladimirPutin #PutinSpeech #Geopolitics #Russia #US #TheWest #InternationalRelations #OneindiaNews #GlobalTensions #WorldPolitics #PutinWarnings #BreakingNews #PoliticalUpdat
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NewsTranscript
00:00:00Thank you, Mr. President, for a very interesting intervention.
00:00:24I feel that they are not going more of speeches, but more of a discussion, because what you're
00:00:32saying sounds offensive to the government of the Russian Federation and to others as
00:00:36well.
00:00:43You said that we are doing something.
00:00:44I've been standing here for an hour and explaining what we are doing.
00:00:48Now, did you fall asleep?
00:00:51Maybe you took a nap, a cat nap, as they say, and you didn't hear what I said.
00:00:56For an hour, I was speaking about a whole program of ten items on the agenda.
00:01:03Therefore, we're not just doing something, we're working on a new development strategy,
00:01:11and we have it in place.
00:01:13And we've done it for more than a year, not alone, we've done it together.
00:01:19Those brains that you've mentioned, entrepreneurial community with their associations, we constantly
00:01:25have meetings and conferences.
00:01:28We didn't do anything behind closed doors.
00:01:33And you suggest to create certain structures, institutions.
00:01:36We have them in place, that central bank, the government of the Russian Federation,
00:01:40and part of the presidential administration in Russia.
00:01:47Now, as for the creation, on the margins or within the St. Petersburg International Economic
00:01:54Forum, a working group that could do something on the margins of the forum, it is well known.
00:02:04We know a famous saying, and we know who said it, if you want to fail something, you need
00:02:09to create a working group.
00:02:13But I have to admit, we have so many working groups right now, I don't know where to chair them.
00:02:22There's yet another working group, and you need to be the head of it.
00:02:27I said, all right, I will think about it.
00:02:30And here, on the margins, yes, we can do that, but in the summer, please, because it's so
00:02:38cold on the margins of St. Petersburg.
00:02:51But you're well known in our country, not only as an economist, but also as a political
00:02:55scientist, as a very outstanding person, and in certain dimensions of the thought, you're
00:03:02rather robust in your ways of thinking, and it's always interesting to listen to such
00:03:07people, and I say it without any flattery.
00:03:11Besides, I have to admit that sometimes I read what you write and what you say.
00:03:21Therefore, we're not refusing to have this discussion.
00:03:24We're prepared to discuss everything that would benefit the Russian economy.
00:03:34Very well.
00:03:35Of course, I will agree with my president, but with one clarification.
00:03:40What kind of a model are we building?
00:03:42Do we know?
00:03:45I think that a perfect model for Russia would be an authoritarian socialist capitalism.
00:03:51So, it is clear.
00:03:54Where are we going?
00:03:56Because it seems that we're going the right way, and before that, we followed the liberal
00:04:00path.
00:04:03I cannot really understand.
00:04:04Yes, we're doing something, and we're proud of what the government is doing.
00:04:08Finally, they've started to do it.
00:04:11Well, incidentally, when the thunderstroke, you know, but before that, nothing happened.
00:04:20Well, you know, we'll overcome all circumstances, you know, every difficulty.
00:04:33As for the model, I recently spoke during the meeting with the heads of news agencies
00:04:41from around the world.
00:04:43We need to look at what's happening around the world.
00:04:46For example, the Chinese model is believed by many experts to be more efficient than
00:04:54those models that existed before, including the North American or the European model.
00:04:59It is more efficient.
00:05:01It is true.
00:05:02That is basically what you've just said.
00:05:05It has the combination of planned economy and the market economy.
00:05:15The Chinese managed to do that in their conditions, and I agree with this evaluation.
00:05:21It is indeed so.
00:05:23The figures of economic growth speak for themselves.
00:05:28But that works for the Chinese society and for the Chinese economy.
00:05:36I can agree with the following.
00:05:40When you gave a characteristic of my colleague, you mentioned that economy is a science, but
00:05:48to a certain extent, it's an art.
00:05:51Possibly so.
00:05:54Such models, when they're rigid, when it's one size fits all for all countries who are
00:06:04in different conditions, different stages of its development, such rigid schemes do
00:06:11not work badly.
00:06:13And you always need to follow the reality of your country, and all things matter, the
00:06:18history, the culture, and the fabric of the society.
00:06:26Real development is crucial here.
00:06:28To look at what works efficiently in our society.
00:06:32Naturally, there are basic things, and we always consider them.
00:06:39For example, talking about challenges, but I think it was 3.6%.
00:06:48We haven't calculated it.
00:06:51We gave the final evaluations, but as for 4.5% growth in the first quarter of this year
00:06:57is also a good result of our joint work of the government, of the business community,
00:07:04the central bank, and the presidential administration to boot.
00:07:08This is the result of our targeted action.
00:07:13And as for what is the foundation of our model, well, I have just spoken.
00:07:19We are creating the backbone.
00:07:22And we are always making some decisions that have to do with adjustment of our economic
00:07:27model.
00:07:32The whole of Siberia, I agree with you in that we need to develop the eastern parts
00:07:40of Russia, western Siberia, eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East.
00:07:46We started with the things that were most urgent in terms of preserving our territories
00:07:57and developing them.
00:07:59We started with the Russian Far East because we were experiencing a fast depopulation,
00:08:06and there was no way we could afford that to continue.
00:08:11And we can see that a lot has been done over the last decades, the last 10 years, to be
00:08:18more precise, in terms of developing the Russian Far East.
00:08:20I'm not going to dwell on that right now, but we've had an extensive program to that
00:08:24end.
00:08:25And the same applies to Siberia in general.
00:08:28Both western Siberia and eastern Siberia.
00:08:30Western Siberia has been developing extensively, starting from the Soviet times, because, you
00:08:36know, it is the source of mineral resources the whole country utilizes.
00:08:40Still, gradually, the center of economic development is moving eastwards and northwards, you know.
00:08:50You know who said that, that Russia is going to grow through Siberia.
00:08:53Right now, we can say that Russia is going to be growing through the Arctic as well,
00:08:58because the bulk of mineral resources is located over there in the north.
00:09:03Yes, it's expensive and difficult to develop those resources, but still, it's a promising
00:09:08avenue to pursue, and this is precisely what we're doing.
00:09:11I have just spoken about the development of the eastern polygon, the railroad.
00:09:19We started this work a long time ago, you know, when the Trans-Siberian mainland was
00:09:26constructed before the Russian-Japanese war, and then, you know, the Baikal-Amur mainland
00:09:33during the Soviet times, and right now, in the new history of Russia, we set the goal
00:09:41for the development of this avenue.
00:09:43Yes, we had some miscalculation.
00:09:47We didn't think it would be as much in demand.
00:09:50That's what the government had thought, so it has prolonged the development of the eastern
00:09:56polygon, but still, this development is moving forth.
00:10:01It is happening, not to the scale initially planned, but we will be doing that, just that
00:10:06under the current circumstances, we can't afford to do it in the way that it was done
00:10:10during the Soviet time or even during the reforms of Stolypin.
00:10:14All he had to do is to hand out land.
00:10:16Why?
00:10:17The major means of production back then was land.
00:10:19Right now, the major means of production is human brains.
00:10:23We need to develop technologies.
00:10:25We need to build universities and train and educate proper people for that, and that's
00:10:31what we're focused on as well.
00:10:33During my speech, I mentioned student campuses in 40 universities that are to be created.
00:10:40We talked about development of science and education.
00:10:43I talked about the necessity of use of robotization, AI.
00:10:50Well, to a large degree, all of it will be happening in Siberia.
00:10:56This is our approach, and this is where we're going to move our biggest companies.
00:11:05Unfortunately, you can't do it purely through the administrative effort.
00:11:11I already mentioned some companies that operate in Siberia anyway, specifically RusHydro.
00:11:18This is one of the largest, if not the largest hydropower company in the world, and the manager
00:11:24of this company, when I appointed him, I told him there is one condition.
00:11:27You have to move over to Siberia.
00:11:29This is where the headquarters would be, and he agreed.
00:11:32Will the family go with you?
00:11:33He said it would, and clearly, it's not just about building a house.
00:11:39You have to hire people there, and this particular manager was ready to go to Siberia straightaway,
00:11:45but hiring the right people there, it's no easy story.
00:11:48Some people are ready to relocate.
00:11:50Some are not.
00:11:51Some you can't afford to lose.
00:11:53This is a process, and this process has to evolve organically, but undoubtedly, this
00:12:01is the goal we have.
00:12:02I fully agree with you on that, and we have to pursue it very consistently because the
00:12:07centers of the world development is there, and we have to be closer to those centers.
00:12:12Peter the Great was breaking the window, building the window to Europe because the center of
00:12:17development was in Europe back then.
00:12:20The centers of the world development right now are shifting towards Asia.
00:12:25There is no doubt about it, and we have to be closer to those centers.
00:12:29You're right.
00:12:30I would like to have a quick follow-up question that I've been preparing for a long time.
00:12:41Well, Peter the Great is renowned for establishing close ties between Russia and Europe, opening
00:12:49up Russia to Europe.
00:12:50Back then, that was the most promising market.
00:12:54Why don't we create the third capital in Russia so that we stand on three pillars somewhere
00:13:04around one of the largest cities?
00:13:06This is where young, talented people would be ready to relocate that are truly energetic.
00:13:15This is where we would create new elite.
00:13:18Based on your order, we could move some ministries there, and you've just said it yourself.
00:13:23Administrative resource alone can't do all of it, but still it can do much, and many
00:13:29companies would be forced to relocate to follow high salaries if you decide so.
00:13:35Don't you want to repeat the great deed of Peter the Great?
00:13:40He did it well.
00:13:42Peter the Great is a truly historic figure, and he was Tsar of Russia and then Russian
00:13:52Emperor.
00:13:53The conditions there were entirely different.
00:13:56The state of the society was entirely different.
00:14:02The process of goal-setting back then was entirely different.
00:14:08In today's world, we need to use those means that would be effective today.
00:14:19No matter how close we are mentally to taking fast decisions and act through administrative
00:14:26resource, I still believe it is crucial to think carefully how successful can we be if
00:14:34we simply try to issue instructions and orders to the society.
00:14:38I believe we need to act differently.
00:14:40First and foremost, we need to get society interested in making progress.
00:14:44You need to get the society excited, and if we create the right conditions for development,
00:14:50then the centers of economic activity would be automatically shifting there on their own,
00:14:55just to cite the example of the Far East.
00:14:59Many years ago, I visited the shipbuilding enterprise there.
00:15:07It was close to Vladivostok, and back then it was in a dire condition.
00:15:13And this is when I said that here we are not just going to recover what we used to have,
00:15:20but we are going to establish new competences.
00:15:22We're going to build new ships there.
00:15:25I have seen people standing around me back then.
00:15:27Those were regular workers and engineers.
00:15:29They looked very skeptical.
00:15:32And I have to tell you, it took massive effort to build the cluster that is being created
00:15:40there right now.
00:15:42It's not just about money that would be constantly embezzled, and unfortunately I have to acknowledge
00:15:47that.
00:15:48We tried to approach this project several times, twice or even three times, and the
00:15:53current leader of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, has put his hands on that and created a large
00:15:59whole ship construction and shipbuilding enterprise there, and it took massive effort.
00:16:07It's not an easy thing, but what I'm trying to say is that we finally have the right talent
00:16:12there.
00:16:13Since the salaries are high, people are ready to move, and the level of salaries went up,
00:16:20the level of technological culture is now much more advanced.
00:16:24There is cooperation with the neighbouring countries in the region, and right now the
00:16:33leadership of shipbuilding industry is all around VTB Bank.
00:16:37And Mr Kostin, who is seated here in the front row, I am really pleased to see that he is
00:16:44very much engaged into this business.
00:16:46It looks like as if he has never been in finance, and he will dedicate all of his life to shipbuilding.
00:16:52Right now we're thinking where else we could create one more enterprise of a kind, and
00:16:56we also see that it could be somewhere on the ocean coastline or close to the coastline.
00:17:03And through that kind of natural – and I'm sorry, I'm really worried I may traumatise
00:17:14your imperial mindset, but we're trying to pursue that through the market ways and market
00:17:18approaches.
00:17:23And this is a good promise for success.
00:17:26Of course this work is complicated, but it would be really substantial.
00:17:30And when I mentioned Stolypin, yes, back then it was all about strict orders and commands,
00:17:37and we all remember the tough measures that were imposed up to extreme and death sentences.
00:17:42But back then it was economically feasible and meaningful to act in this particular manner.
00:17:48You provide people with a major means of production.
00:17:51You provide them with land.
00:17:52You provide them with the right conditions, and then it would work.
00:17:55Right now giving orders and commands is not enough.
00:17:58I guess the approach that I'm suggesting is much more substantial, and this is where we
00:18:02are very likely to succeed.
00:18:04But otherwise, you're right, of course we need to focus on this particular area.
00:18:10Well, this is no longer an imperialist idea.
00:18:14Well, I'm not sure that they would be ready to recognise this kind of system.
00:18:17Look, Bretton Woods system is long dead.
00:18:20In 1976, and it was replaced by a Jamaica system, but at the same time Bretton Woods
00:18:28system was largely based on the gold equivalent.
00:18:31In 1976, or around this date, a number of other decisions were being made,
00:18:38and back then the United States decided to step away from the gold equivalent,
00:18:42and this is how Jamaica system was established.
00:18:46And this system decided to detach US dollar from gold equivalent.
00:18:53And what is the foundation for this Jamaica system?
00:18:58This is still in force up until now.
00:19:00This one is based on trust towards US economy.
00:19:05What is happening right now in reality?
00:19:11There is no other promise, no other collateral rather than trust towards US economy.
00:19:18There is nothing else to support that in the world financial system, and right now
00:19:23the United States are exploiting and abusing their dominant position
00:19:29on the world financial market.
00:19:32And this exploitation is generating them a lot of money.
00:19:36According to the data that we have publicly available,
00:19:41the United States own the world economy about 54.3 trillion US dollars.
00:19:51This is the level of their debt.
00:19:53What is this number comprised of?
00:19:56This is 12.6 trillion US dollars.
00:19:59This is what individuals hold on their bank accounts,
00:20:04literally in their pockets or under mattresses, as we say it in Russia,
00:20:09outside of the borders of the United States,
00:20:12plus 10 more trillion is borrowed by the US companies.
00:20:22So this is 22.6 trillion of US dollars that are not backed by anything
00:20:31rather than trust towards US economy, belief in the US economy.
00:20:35And the remaining 54.3 is what the residents of other countries decided to invest
00:20:41into US companies, and that kind of investment in the US company
00:20:45is backed by reliability and valuation of those companies.
00:20:50But, of course, their security and reliability is strongly dependent
00:20:53on the US economy and US system as well.
00:20:56So what is happening in the world in this regard?
00:21:00The US economy is shrinking in size,
00:21:05and the foundation, the major pillars of the economy are no longer that strong.
00:21:14There are cracks on them.
00:21:16I'm not only talking about the state that is massive,
00:21:19but they are not always coping with the goals they set themselves
00:21:22in terms of inflation targeting.
00:21:24They have targets on inflation of 2%,
00:21:27but as we've seen it lately during the pandemic,
00:21:29they go well above 7.8%, which is undermining trust towards the US economy.
00:21:36Well, what is backing US economy if it is still shrinking?
00:21:39Well, there is nothing to back it, and this is a problem.
00:21:43Undoubtedly, this is a problem for all holders of US dollars
00:21:50and US money base and assets.
00:21:54So the fact that the US economy is shrinking,
00:21:57its share in the global economy is being reduced,
00:22:01and it is entirely natural,
00:22:04and this is our shift towards multipolarity in the world economy
00:22:08and world finance.
00:22:13We could definitely come up with alternative systems,
00:22:17but the importance, the role of a given currency
00:22:22is strongly dependent on the economy where it's circulating.
00:22:27So what we do right now is that together with our BRICS partners,
00:22:32we are designing this work together,
00:22:36and the role of Russia in this regard can be quite meaningful.
00:22:42We have established the New Development Bank.
00:22:45We have established our own currency tools,
00:22:51and a large part of the participants of economic activity
00:22:55are switching over to settlement in national currencies.
00:22:59Take example of China.
00:23:0190 percent of our trade is settled in renminbi and Russian rubles.
00:23:12If you look at the territory of post-Soviet countries,
00:23:15the share of Russian rubles is also getting close to 70 percent.
00:23:19So our role in this regard is quite meaningful,
00:23:23but we have to do it together.
00:23:25That would make it all more substantial.
00:23:28What the U.S. financial authorities are doing right now,
00:23:31we've been discussing it yesterday with some of our colleagues
00:23:33until late yesterday.
00:23:35We've been discussing the composition of our today's session
00:23:38and the potential topics,
00:23:40and we came to conclude that the U.S. authorities,
00:23:42just like what was happening in the U.K.,
00:23:45they've been intentionally breaking the equipment,
00:23:48the hardware they've been using themselves,
00:23:50that kind of sabotage,
00:23:52and this is what exactly the U.S. authorities are doing themselves.
00:23:56They are destroying and breaking down the mechanism
00:23:58of ensuring their dominance and their supremacy.
00:24:02And U.S. dollar is a mechanism of U.S. supremacy today.
00:24:05And with their own hands,
00:24:07they are fostering the road to step away from the use of U.S. dollar.
00:24:15And that would be happening anyway due to the shrinking U.S. economy.
00:24:19But through those actions,
00:24:21they are only accelerating this process,
00:24:23and it's only logical that new payment mechanisms are emerging,
00:24:27let's say financial instruments of the central banks
00:24:30that we're talking about within the BRICS format.
00:24:33There are also some other thoughts on that.
00:24:35For example, right now our colleague from Zimbabwe
00:24:39mentioned the importance of attracting investment.
00:24:42Yes, that can be done and should be done,
00:24:44and not just for Zimbabwe,
00:24:46but for other African countries and countries of South and Southern Asia in particular
00:24:55and all developing countries.
00:24:57But we need to create the right instruments
00:24:59that would provide guarantees for this investment and their returns.
00:25:03What else can we use other than gold
00:25:05when it can be guaranteed through the quality of the investment projects?
00:25:10If we are to provide for high quality of the investment projects,
00:25:13then we have to do that together.
00:25:15Quality and stability of political regimes,
00:25:20well, this is that can allow us to establish settlement system
00:25:24that would be entirely protected from volatility and inflation.
00:25:30It can be done,
00:25:32and we've been discussing it with my friend and colleague,
00:25:36President Xi, during my visit to China.
00:25:40We are going to discuss it.
00:25:42In the 90s, we simply did not spend away.
00:25:46We destroyed all of that capacity.
00:25:48I know that fully well.
00:25:50I remember it because I used to work here in St. Petersburg.
00:25:53Seventy percent of the city's economy
00:25:58was made up by the military and defense industry.
00:26:01Almost all of it was destroyed to the ground.
00:26:06Naturally, from the beginning of 2000s,
00:26:09we had to start working on rebuilding that.
00:26:12A lot was done already on up-to-date industrial basis,
00:26:19but we always believed that we would need to think about the conversion,
00:26:26not simply about conversion,
00:26:28but we need to think about the development of these productions in a modern way.
00:26:34What do I mean by that?
00:26:37Because around the world,
00:26:39those who produce special equipment and munitions, military equipment,
00:26:45they also produce civilian-oriented products,
00:26:49and that has tremendous synergy in not only raising investment,
00:26:53but also attracting high technologies.
00:26:57And we're quite successful.
00:26:59We have a plan.
00:27:01It is always in place and always being executed.
00:27:04For example, take last year.
00:27:08Defense industry produced about 25 percent of civilian production,
00:27:16about 25.1 percent, or maybe 0.2 percent.
00:27:23That was in 2022.
00:27:25And last year, that civilian production stood at 29-something percent, almost 30.
00:27:31Therefore, this process is always taking place.
00:27:36We also must think about our military expenditure
00:27:41and that they are in line with the needs of today
00:27:43and the level of development of our economy
00:27:45because we cannot parasitize on anything,
00:27:49as it is, for example, being done in the United States.
00:27:57Last year, balance of payments deficit, their trade balance,
00:28:02is at about one trillion U.S. dollars per year.
00:28:07Try to imagine that.
00:28:10Everyone here in the audience can really understand what that is.
00:28:16This is neocolonialism in its modern issue.
00:28:22Using the monopoly of dollar,
00:28:25the United States are consuming by one trillion per year more than they produce,
00:28:33pumping out the resources from other countries.
00:28:38We were thinking back to the pandemic and the times of the pandemic,
00:28:43what was done back then.
00:28:45I don't remember how much money they printed.
00:28:47I think about five and something trillion dollars.
00:28:53And Europe printed about 3.4 trillion euros.
00:28:58What was done next?
00:29:00They distributed this paper around their country.
00:29:04Later, they started to buy up food goods like a vacuum cleaner.
00:29:11They cleaned out the whole world.
00:29:15For the first time for many years, they were not exporters,
00:29:22but net importers of food.
00:29:28Right away, the food inflation skyrocketed around the world.
00:29:32But we cannot behave this way.
00:29:34We don't have this monopoly on the world currency as the U.S. does.
00:29:40And we've never behaved ourselves as colonialists or neocolonialists.
00:29:45Here, we need to use the capacity of the economy
00:29:49and to have a realistic evaluation of it.
00:29:52That is precisely what we do.
00:29:54And we try to balance out the situation in the industry,
00:29:58in the real sector of economy, and for the future.
00:30:00Naturally, we're thinking about diversification.
00:30:02That is how we work.
00:30:04Thank you. Wonderful.
00:30:09Yet another question about economy,
00:30:11because I know that this question is very important for a major part of the audience.
00:30:17I'm not as bothered by it, but still, I can feel the vibe.
00:30:24We're conducting partial nationalization.
00:30:30Some say that it is being done to amend those terrible mistakes
00:30:34or whatever that was during the round of privatization.
00:30:40Those reforms, indeed, were rather dumb.
00:30:45Now we have a matter of private property,
00:30:49and that was the reason for tremendous corruption,
00:30:52because there was a matter of corruption and organized crime.
00:30:59Well, now we have a reverse correction of privatization.
00:31:03But where is the limit?
00:31:06Where is the limit for that deprivatization?
00:31:09Can we define them finally?
00:31:12Because if we say that we correct those mistakes that were done back in the 1990s,
00:31:18then all mistakes were made, because everything that we did was illegal.
00:31:24It was done illegal with violations.
00:31:30We have to deal with those economic processes,
00:31:32because science did not give me any wages, and I had to keep my family up.
00:31:38So I know what was happening back in the day.
00:31:44So everyone needs to be deprivatized right now.
00:31:49But that would undermine the foundation for our success.
00:31:53We saw the way private capital, including in our complex war conditions,
00:32:00is very flexibly finding and filling new niches
00:32:06and gives us a much more flexible economy if it was purely state-based.
00:32:12Should we stop somewhere?
00:32:14Maybe we can say that the mineral resources are being taken away by the state,
00:32:19we prohibit the outflow of capital,
00:32:22and we declare private property sacred after a certain extent.
00:32:27And the KPI of governance and all leadership
00:32:32would be based on the level of defense of private property.
00:32:39As for mineral resources, even right now they're the property of the state.
00:32:47That is the way it works.
00:32:49Sometimes they're leased to be managed by the companies.
00:32:55Still, it's a property of the state.
00:32:59Second thing, you spoke about criminal or wrongful privatization of the 90s.
00:33:05You know, however hurtful it might be for many in the country.
00:33:13Still, I would not use such terms.
00:33:16I would not call it illegal or criminal.
00:33:20I don't think that it was done deliberately for criminal ends,
00:33:25but it was largely erroneous.
00:33:28It was based on the opinion of the economists with world-renowned names,
00:33:34also with Russian background.
00:33:38They said that everything needs to be privatized as soon as possible,
00:33:43even if it costs $1.
00:33:45Most importantly, that it lands in the hands of effective managers,
00:33:51and a state cannot be a successful manager.
00:33:55Life has proven to us that in our country, in the conditions before and now,
00:34:00that's not quite the correct approach, to put it mildly,
00:34:04to receive the top result and to have the most efficiency.
00:34:10It turns out that the state can also be an effective owner,
00:34:15can show it in multiple situations,
00:34:18especially in major industries that require tremendous investments,
00:34:23because back in the day, no one had something to invest.
00:34:30Therefore, come the fraudsters with their schemes.
00:34:35During this false privatization, which is basically pillaging of state property,
00:34:41money was borrowed from the state banks.
00:34:45They took it for half a penny for the asset.
00:34:49After it fulfilled its goal, they returned the asset or returned the loan.
00:34:54Basically, that's pillaging.
00:35:01Now, maybe it was economically incorrect,
00:35:04but still legal solutions that have to do with privatization.
00:35:07I would not revise that.
00:35:11The prosecutor's office deals only with matters that are criminal
00:35:16in terms of privatization of state-owned property.
00:35:20But you're quite correct in the sense that there should be some healthy limit lines.
00:35:28We speak about that with the business community.
00:35:31And I'm a proponent of making a decision,
00:35:35not at the level of a presidential decree or a governmental decree, but as a law.
00:35:40Right now, we are thinking about that with the business community.
00:35:43And I'm sure that we will find a solution.
00:35:49Yes, it is so.
00:35:52As Joseph Stalin said, but I don't have anything else, anybody else for you.
00:35:58When he spoke about the writers in the USSR,
00:36:01when yet another time Beria came over and said that he's dissatisfied with Soviet writers,
00:36:06and Stalin said, no substitutes for you.
00:36:14And we'll need to achieve such agreements and such conditions
00:36:18A, in line with our interests, and B, be reliable.
00:36:22You're quite right that it's very hard to agree with such people.
00:36:27They're always deceiving you.
00:36:29They say one thing and do another thing.
00:36:31That is quite sad.
00:36:34But all armed conflicts and with certain peace agreements.
00:36:42One of the leaders of major European countries said that
00:36:49such agreements can be based on a military defeat or a victory.
00:36:58Naturally, we will achieve a victory. That is clear.
00:37:11The matter of legitimacy of the status of those who we have to agree with.
00:37:16Yes, indeed, there are some issues because it seems that the incumbent authorities,
00:37:21if you take a quick look at the legislation of the Ukraine,
00:37:27it seems that the executive authorities of Ukraine have lost their legitimacy.
00:37:31Article 103 of the Ukrainian constitution states that the election is done for only five years.
00:37:38Article 83 of the Ukrainian constitution says that during the martial law,
00:37:45the mandate of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament, may be extended.
00:37:53And nothing is said about the extension of the mandate of the president.
00:37:58Now, there is also a law about the martial law and the way it works.
00:38:07It is said that during the martial law, the presidential elections are not being held,
00:38:15but it is not said that they are extended.
00:38:18I have graduated from St. Petersburg University as a legal professional,
00:38:23and that is very important.
00:38:25If it is not mentioned in the law, it does not exist.
00:38:28The penal code has the relevant article about the usurpation of the power,
00:38:33and it seems that it is indeed the case.
00:38:37Still, you can negotiate because I think that according to the article 110 or 1109,
00:38:46the mandate is transferred to the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament.
00:38:51Therefore, we can find someone to negotiate with,
00:38:58but I can repeat that only on those conditions that we have agreed on
00:39:03when we started those negotiations in Minsk and later in Istanbul,
00:39:08and not just some notions.
00:39:15So, if we take as a basis those Istanbul agreements,
00:39:19we still need to proceed from the reality of today.
00:39:24Major brushstrokes.
00:39:27As far as nuclear escalation is concerned, we never were the ones to start this rhetoric.
00:39:34I do not remember who was that lady.
00:39:37It was the former UK Prime Minister.
00:39:40When she became the Prime Minister, she said she was willing to push the nuclear button.
00:39:49We never said we were.
00:39:51We only said that we have to treat this matter very seriously, and we did that.
00:39:56Everyone was accusing us of saber-rattling using the nuclear weaponry.
00:40:02We're not doing that.
00:40:04Now, as far as the use or non-use of nuclear weapons is concerned,
00:40:08we've got the nuclear doctrine which says it all.
00:40:11Just the day before yesterday, I spoke to the heads of news agencies,
00:40:17and I explained this to them.
00:40:20I said we've got the nuclear doctrine which says that we can only use the nuclear weapons
00:40:26in emergency cases when our sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened.
00:40:33I do not think we're there.
00:40:35I see no need for that.
00:40:38But the nuclear doctrine is a living document,
00:40:42and we are carefully following what is currently happening across the world and around us,
00:40:48and we do not rule out the possibility of making amendments to the doctrine.
00:40:53Now, moving on to the nuclear tests.
00:40:57In the past, we signed the treaty and ratified it,
00:41:02whereas the U.S. did sign the treaty but didn't ratify,
00:41:09so that's why we withdrew the ratification if need be we can conduct the nuclear tests.
00:41:15But so far there is no need for that because we've got the computers
00:41:19and the information systems that allow us to do that virtually.
00:41:27Now, you spoke about the speed, the outcomes.
00:41:32You said that incumbent upon me is great responsibility.
00:41:36That's true.
00:41:38Can we speed up the decision-making processes?
00:41:41Yes, we can.
00:41:43But it will accordingly bring up the possible losses,
00:41:50and that's why I take into account what the proposals from the general staff are saying.
00:41:57Speed is important, but the most important thing is to care for the lives
00:42:02and for the safety of our guys who are fighting at the front lines.
00:42:09That is why the military are doing their work starting from beginning of this year.
00:42:17Forty-seven settlements have been liberated around 880 square kilometers.
00:42:25We are pushing the adversary from the territory of Donbass and the adjacent territories.
00:42:30The general staff and the Ministry of Defense have the requisite plans for us to achieve.
00:42:36All our plans, all the goals we have set forth,
00:42:39I'm confident that all of these plans will be implemented.
00:42:48Well, you'll bring out the heat.
00:42:50I think everyone has got scared already.
00:42:54Well, you've spoken about the Europeans.
00:42:57There can be different types of logic.
00:43:03But God forbid it should come to some kind of strike.
00:43:08Everyone needs to understand that we have the early warning system for missile attacks.
00:43:17The same system as something the U.S. has.
00:43:20No one else has such a well-developed system.
00:43:23Europe has no such early warning system.
00:43:26So in that sense, they are more or less defenseless.
00:43:30Second, the power, the might of the strikes.
00:43:33Our tactical nukes are three or four times more powerful than the bombs the Americans used against Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
00:43:45three or four times.
00:43:47And as far as their number goes, we've got dozens of times more of those on the European continent,
00:43:56even if the Americans were to bring theirs over to Europe from the U.S.
00:44:01We still have more.
00:44:03So God forbid it happens.
00:44:05I do hope it never happens.
00:44:08A sign of the cross for that.
00:44:10But you say it will help save lives.
00:44:13But, you know, it might on the country lead to numerous numberless losses.
00:44:27And, you know, if the Americans were to get involved in that exchange of strikes using their strategic weapons,
00:44:35well, I don't think they would get involved.
00:44:39And the Europeans have to think about that as well.
00:44:43But be that as it may, I am hopeful that it will never come to that point.
00:44:49And there is no need on our part for that to happen because our military are gaining experience, raising their efficiency.
00:44:59Our defense industry is performing admirably.
00:45:09I've spoken about that extensively.
00:45:12We have raised the production of munitions 20 times, which is many times as much as our adversary is capable of in terms of aircraft,
00:45:26in terms of armored vehicles, and so on and so forth.
00:45:32We are superior.
00:45:33So there is no need for us even to contemplate such a possibility.
00:45:37So, please, I would like to address everyone.
00:45:40Do not mention such things idly.
00:45:50My decisions and the decisions of my colleagues I'm working with on these matters do not involve any hesitation.
00:46:05There is no room for hesitation.
00:46:08And there is none in reality.
00:46:11All of our decisions are based upon the objective and biased analysis of the current developments.
00:46:17And this is how we are moving forward.
00:46:22Or at least we shouldn't be saying that out loud.
00:46:25As far as aircraft carriers are concerned, you said they're useless.
00:46:29No, they're not.
00:46:33They are useless in a global conflict from the strategic point of view.
00:46:39But as far as geopolitics tasks are concerned, as a tool of geopolitics, you know,
00:46:45to move them closer to territories where Americans or the French or the British want to fight or to force someone to do something,
00:46:56yes, carriers can be useful.
00:47:01But, of course, given the fact that China and Russia have their disposal of precision-guided hypersonic weapons,
00:47:08yes, the sense of aircraft carriers is disappearing.
00:47:12You say they shouldn't spend money on that.
00:47:14But let them.
00:47:15Let them spend money on aircraft carriers.
00:47:18Well, I am addressing our friends in India and China.
00:47:22They are also spending money.
00:47:25Well, I said there might be some geopolitical rationale involved.
00:47:31Of course, they are no longer useful as strategic weapons, but they still have other uses.
00:47:37And as far as other countries are concerned, let them spend money on those aircraft carriers.
00:47:43Now on to weapons supplies.
00:47:49We're not doing that yet.
00:47:51But we do reserve the right to do that, to provide weapons to countries or legal structures who are experiencing certain pressure,
00:48:06including military pressure from the countries that are providing weapons to Ukraine
00:48:12and are calling for these weapons to be used against Russia and against the Russian territory.
00:48:18If they provide such weapons to the battlefield and if they call for these weapons to be used against us,
00:48:25why don't we have the right to mirror that, to act in kind and do the same?
00:48:31But I would go as far as to say that we're going to do that tomorrow
00:48:43because any such supplies would involve a number of factors that in this or that way would have a bearing on certain regions of the world,
00:48:57and we have to give it a lot of thought.
00:49:00Well, if we were to follow the recommendations coming from you, if we were to follow as fast as possible,
00:49:07if we were to go forward as fast as possible, then the current level of troops wouldn't be enough.
00:49:17But we are following a different rationality.
00:49:19We are pushing the adversary out of the regions that have to come under our control,
00:49:24and that means there is no need for us to have any mobilization, and we have no plans for that.
00:49:30The mobilization cycle we had when we caught up to 300,000 people, it happened.
00:49:38But last year, without any mobilization, on a voluntary basis, our men, true patriots of the country,
00:49:46volunteered to the draft centers, and the number of those people stood at more than 300,000 people.
00:49:58Those who volunteered last year, this year, starting from the beginning of the year,
00:50:07the draft centers have seen an influx of more than 160,000 people.
00:50:15On a daily basis, there is another 1,000 volunteers coming to the draft centers and signing the contracts.
00:50:26We see what the Russian character is, what the character, the spirit of a Russian citizen involves.
00:50:36When we fully understand that, when we see it, then we see that we do not have any need for nuclear weapons to achieve final victory.
00:50:49And I can add that we are currently witnessing the forceful mobilization in Ukraine.
00:50:58I am confident that they are going to bring down the draft age, down.
00:51:05We have accurate data from the Ukrainian sources that the Americans are conditioning their support
00:51:15on this lowering of draft age to 23 years, to 21, maybe to 18 years, maybe in one go to 18 years, maybe gradually.
00:51:25Then the leadership of Ukraine is going to be replaced.
00:51:28This is something I spoke about before.
00:51:31But what's important, they're only drafting 30,000 or 50,000 people.
00:51:38Last month, it was around 70,000 people, and there's going to be a lowering of that number.
00:51:44And it means everything they're drafting, everyone they're drafting is only going to be enough to replenish their losses.
00:51:53There's going to be a slight increase.
00:51:57You can have different types of calculations.
00:52:00I'm not going to cite the figures, even though we have those.
00:52:05But, you know, it's different in Russia.
00:52:08We've got volunteers who come of their own accord, of their own volition to draft centers, and there is no need for mobilization.
00:52:16Well, we're not writing off any ideas or any arguments.
00:52:19We do take them all into account.
00:52:21Thank you for your recommendations.
00:52:24And now I'd like to move over to the question.
00:52:28We're getting back to the agenda of the world economy, and this is the matter that you addressed earlier.
00:52:37So both you and I have experienced communist ideology, so this is probably not where we're willing to get back to.
00:52:45But nonetheless, a true great state cannot do without national ideology or a grand idea.
00:52:54And those states, those countries that were losing this national idea or national ideology would be inevitably falling apart,
00:53:03and the world could be considered a graveyard full of shadows of that kind of countries.
00:53:08And, by the way, our country experienced it twice.
00:53:11First, we lost our belief in the Russian Tsar and our motherland, and second time when we lost our faith in communism.
00:53:19And now we are trying to oppose to introduction of a rigid state ideology.
00:53:25Clearly, the ideology could be shaped and phrased easily.
00:53:30You've done it yourself partially in your speeches.
00:53:33Maybe that kind of ideology does not have to be mandatory, but maybe it has to be mandatory at least for those people who want to be leaders of this country,
00:53:45who want to be elite of this country.
00:53:47This is a code of honor, and this code of honor could be written easily because we know it.
00:53:55And, by the way, we are working on it.
00:53:58It is very close to the Confucius idea of an honorable man, and we've been discussing it with religious leaders, both from Orthodox Church and Muslim leaders.
00:54:12They all agree that this kind of code of honor could be created and written down.
00:54:17Not for everyone.
00:54:18If people want to lead ordinary lives, let them live.
00:54:22That's all right.
00:54:23But if you want to lead, if you want to succeed in the society, then you absolutely need to stick to clear rules, and those rules have to be made clear.
00:54:35I'm not going to name them just in order not to waste time.
00:54:39Those are pretty obvious.
00:54:42But I'm still wondering, while we are hiding away, there is no need to make amendments to the Constitution.
00:54:49Why not introduce a single state ideology that is mandatory for everyone who is willing and ready to serve the country and society?
00:54:58Well, we are not afraid of anything.
00:55:01We are not shying away.
00:55:03We are not afraid of anything.
00:55:05It's just that there is a Constitution that you mentioned yourself, and the Constitution stated that there should be no ideology.
00:55:12We used to have a state ideology.
00:55:14You mentioned yourself the time of the Soviet Union.
00:55:17But availability of that kind of dominating ideology didn't stop the Soviet Union from collapsing.
00:55:24So the idea that would unite a multinational country should be there.
00:55:33It's needed.
00:55:34But you said it yourself that at first we lost our faith in the Tsar and our motherland, but later in communism.
00:55:42Well, we've lost our faith in the Russian Tsar, but we definitely haven't lost our faith in this country, in our motherland.
00:55:50It's just that those types of beliefs were different, and those were different assessments of what is good or what is bad for our motherland.
00:55:57And this is a different question.
00:55:58In this regard, we need ideas.
00:56:00As for faith in communism, it was lost, but not by everyone.
00:56:04Otherwise, we would not be having the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
00:56:08And it has a lot of supporters.
00:56:10That's a fact.
00:56:11And I believe we need to treat it with respect.
00:56:14But you're right in saying that we need ideas that would unite us.
00:56:19And that kind of uniting idea, and the events of today are showing it, could be the true patriotism, the true genuine patriotism.
00:56:32And those people who voluntarily go to the front line are ready to suffer their lives.
00:56:37Their health is the best confirmation of this fact.
00:56:40This is the actual true patriotism.
00:56:42But you have to approach it in a very reasonable manner.
00:56:48You need to present it properly, reasonably, in a really beautiful manner.
00:56:53Please help us with that.
00:56:54That would be my pleasure.
00:56:55And I agree it has to be done.
00:56:57And I'd like to assure you that I remember the time when the communist ideology was dying out.
00:57:06I wasn't sorry about it.
00:57:09But because of the death of the communist ideology, that country back then died.
00:57:16And that is because vacuum emerged.
00:57:20And there must be no vacuum.
00:57:22We need to fill it with clear things.
00:57:24Give us an order, and we will act on it.
00:57:31But then we need to present it to the society, to the elite, to make it more or less mandatory.
00:57:37And then it would work.
00:57:39By the way, the way the communist ideology worked, that was mandatory for everyone.
00:57:45And for a very long time, for many years, there were many beautiful things about it.
00:57:50And it was helping our country to move forward.
00:57:53It helped us win in a horrendous, dramatic war.
00:57:57So we do need ideology.
00:57:59You know what?
00:58:00I suggest we do not go any deeper into this discussion.
00:58:04We do not make it any more extreme.
00:58:06I'm happy to discuss it with you.
00:58:08But it's not just this communist ideology, although it played an important role in our victory in the Second World War.
00:58:16But if that would be the only thing uniting this multinational country, well, yeah, it could be.
00:58:22But then my question is, why would that be the case that people would be carrying icons on aircrafts above Moscow to give it protection?
00:58:34Why church was brought back to this country?
00:58:38Well, just as like we hear it today out there in the battlefield, there are no soldiers who do not believe in God.
00:58:46And the same happened back then.
00:58:48Of course, ideology played a role.
00:58:50People were going to the front line for their motherland, for Stalin.
00:58:54But motherland would always come first.
00:58:57We must not forget about it.
00:59:05Well, I have nothing to object to that.
00:59:08You're right.
00:59:09Although as for the possibility of exciting people from Afghanistan coming to our country, well, we have to think about it.
00:59:16Right now, there is a number of exciting personalities coming from other countries to Russia.
00:59:21But you're right.
00:59:22You're right that kind of reasonable, well-thought-through policy is not yet available.
00:59:29We used to have one agency for that, but it was later merged with the Ministry of Internal Affairs due to security reservations we've had.
00:59:38Whether this is a problem or not is a question.
00:59:41We are discussing it with our colleagues.
00:59:43And I said ago to the Russian government and the Security Council, it is important to revisit this matter as soon as possible.
00:59:54We cannot pretend that the problem does not exist.
00:59:57It is there.
00:59:59This is the importance of engaging labor workers, migrant workers with virtually zero unemployment rate right now.
01:00:09And shortage of workers is an important limiting factor to the economic growth.
01:00:15And you're right in saying that it's not just that we need labor migrants, but we need people of a certain qualification and training,
01:00:25proper command of Russian language and understanding of Russian culture.
01:00:29And my colleagues very well understand it.
01:00:31Our colleagues from the countries where most of migrant workers are coming to Russia.
01:00:36And together, we are discussing what is the best way to facilitate this work and how to train and educate those migrant workers in terms of the command of Russian language
01:00:48and being aware of Russian legislation so that the migrant workers are feeling comfortable.
01:00:52And most importantly, local population is not experiencing any difficulties, be that in the labor market or in their daily lives.
01:01:00Because where most migrant workers are settling is whenever there is economic life that's happening.
01:01:05This is Moscow, Moscow region, here in St. Petersburg, in some cities of Siberia where the salaries are higher.
01:01:12We definitely need to do a lot in this area.
01:01:15We are fully agree with you.
01:01:16Now, as for the possible loss of certain elements of European culture or genes, as you mentioned, genes of European culture due to the fact that we are turning towards East and Asia.
01:01:37First of all, we are not turning around due to some short-term notions of today.
01:01:48This turn is happening around the world in general due to the rise of new centers of economic development.
01:02:01We have started this work long before the tragic events of today in Ukraine.
01:02:07I have said it at the very beginning.
01:02:11The economy is shrinking and the impact on the global economy is shrinking of the previously standing economic centers.
01:02:23The overall GDP of BRICS countries is higher than accumulated GDP of the so-called G7.
01:02:30And these trends are not only present, but they are speeding up.
01:02:39They are accelerating, I mean, the economic growth for today and for the nearest future.
01:02:47This is unavoidable, unavoidable phenomenon.
01:02:57And nothing can be done about it.
01:02:59No one can do anything about it.
01:03:01Whatever happens, this trend will continue.
01:03:06And just like before, as we have discussed it, Peter I opened a window into Europe because this was the promise of the future markets, technologies.
01:03:20He put some boots as it was done in the Netherlands before.
01:03:30It was an example.
01:03:32But the world is becoming more diverse, and we try to respond to that.
01:03:36As for the elements of European culture, we are not losing them, the elements and European genes and the culture.
01:03:44But that part of Europe that is called the Western Europe, where is that European culture?
01:03:51It will soon be gone.
01:03:53It will be just architectural monuments.
01:03:56But the culture, first and foremost, is the consciousness of people.
01:04:01Today it is being poisoned by global liberalists.
01:04:07They are prioritizing not the interests of their own nations and their cultural code, national code,
01:04:14and some notions far removed from reality, something about global liberalism.
01:04:23I think that this is key.
01:04:25By definition, to a certain extent, we are becoming a center of traditional European culture and traditional European values.
01:04:34And if we think back and look into the history, even for those who are non-believers, it is first and foremost based on the Christian culture.
01:04:51For us, for Russia, with many religions, I don't know who was the author of the words.
01:05:00He said that, first and foremost, this is the military machine for the Russian nation.
01:05:05Whoever said it, I don't agree with that, because initially Russia was coming together as a nation with multiple religions.
01:05:15Think back to the orders of Catherine the Great or other leaders, as they would have called them, czars and emperors.
01:05:24When they acquired new territories, they always told to respect the local population, their traditions and their beliefs.
01:05:32That's how Russia came together.
01:05:35Naturally, a major part of Russian culture is European culture.
01:05:41And we become the carriers of that culture while it is being killed off in the European states.
01:05:48Today, being aware of that, many Europeans try to develop using their own traditional values.
01:05:57Whether they succeed or not, we will see as the results of the election to the European Parliament, the EU Parliament.
01:06:06What needs to be done is to develop our country using those historical traditions of the past that brought it together as a multinational, multi-confessional state.
01:06:21You spoke about the role of St. Petersburg.
01:06:26It is indeed what we are doing right now.
01:06:29All our cultural activities are being developed in many dimensions, including with our friends and partners from around the world, from all continents, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and so on.
01:06:42You mentioned St. Petersburg, and I'm looking at the picture to the left, to the right.
01:06:48Look, in the centre of this picture, well, to my right, there is St. Isaac's Cathedral, even more to the right, Senate and Synod, the Admiralty.
01:07:02This is the view from the university where I used to study, from the 12 Colleges building, the first government of Russia.
01:07:11To the right, the Menshikov Palace.
01:07:13And over here, this is the spit of Basil's Island, rostral columns, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the stock market.
01:07:24This is the view from the Hermitage.
01:07:26But if we cross over and look back to the 12 Colleges building or the Hermitage, it will be just as beautiful.
01:07:34Why?
01:07:41Because all of it was built on the most important principle and the law, which is called harmony.
01:07:54And we will build our policy on this, on harmony.
01:08:00And Russia, of course, will be a part of this multipolar, harmonious world.
01:08:09It is quite natural for us that we will be following, to a major extent, the European culture,
01:08:20because the Russian nation is part of that, but we will treat with the same respect the culture and traditions of other nations of the Russian Federation.
01:08:29And we are powerful through this unity.
01:08:38Thank you.
01:08:56Thank you very much.
01:09:02Thank you.
01:09:04Thank you.
01:09:07Colleagues, friends, this was a very interesting intellectual and political event.
01:09:15And I hope that it was interesting for our audience.
01:09:18Thank you very much, Mr. President.
01:09:21I would like to thank our guests and our moderator.
01:09:25Thank you.
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