Transcript
Year-End Results with Vladimir Putin
English includes full house translations. Review is pending; untranslated passages and selected digest glosses remain labelled.
| Русский | English |
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| Д.Песков: Всем добрый день, здравствуйте! Через несколько минут здесь будет Президент, и он начнёт подводить итоги уходящего, 2024 года. Хочу вам напомнить, что формат у нас совмещённый: это и пресс-конференция, и прямая линия с гражданами нашей страны. Прошу вас проявлять уважение к вашим коллегам, когда я даю вопросы журналистам, и задавать их максимально сжато, чётко. Это позволит Президенту ответить на большее количество вопросов. Модераторами, соведущими сегодняшней программы будут Александра Суворова и Дмитрий Кулько. Они будут общаться с Президентом, они проделали огромную работу, они лично просмотрели очень-очень много, наверное, десятки тысяч обращений граждан. Они понимают, что граждане спрашивают, и будут помогать Президенту обозначать те темы, которые в основном на повестке дня в нашей стране. Пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Good afternoon, everyone, hello! The President will be here in a few minutes and will begin reviewing the outgoing year, 2024. I would like to remind you that we have a combined format: both a press conference and a Direct Line with our country's citizens. Please show respect for your colleagues when I give journalists the opportunity to ask questions, and put them as concisely and clearly as possible. This will allow the President to answer more questions. The moderators and co-hosts of today's program will be Alexandra Suvorova and Dmitry Kulko. They will speak with the President; they have done an enormous amount of work and have personally reviewed very, very many submissions from citizens, probably tens of thousands. They understand what people are asking and will help the President identify the topics that are foremost on our country's agenda. Please, go ahead. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Good afternoon. This is the Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin. As usual, questions can be submitted in a number of ways until the end of our programme. Our colleagues continue working with the incoming questions. First, you can submit your questions by calling 8 (800) 200 4040 or sending an SMS or MMS message to 04040. Questions can also be submitted via the programme’s official accounts on Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki. You can also use the website and mobile app called москва-путину.рф. We have already received over 2.2 million questions, including 1.2 million via telephone, about 43,000 via SMS messages, and over 140,000 via the website. We can see that the number of questions is increasing in real time. Let me share some interesting facts and figures on the Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin programme since this format was created. There was a time when the Direct Line and the news conference were two separate events and formats. This is the third time we are having it in a hybrid format. The first time it happened was before the COVID pandemic, the second was a post-COVID event in 2023, and now we are in 2024. Once again, the programme is taking place in a hybrid format, which means that both the people of Russia and, of course, journalists get to ask questions. Here are some interesting statistics. For example, the event with the biggest number of questions took place in 2015 when the President received 2.25 million questions. This year, we have not reached this number. However, I believe that this could be attributable to the fact that regions hold their own direct lines, with governors answering questions from their people at the regional level. Therefore, some questions get resolved on the ground. One thing to note here is that if we add up all the time Vladimir Putin has spent answering questions during events of this kind, the total already exceeds 64 hours. People have been tuning in from the regions since 2001 when the very first programme of this kind took place. It goes without saying that there will also be people joining us via videoconference from the regions today. Throughout the years when we had the Direct Line and the Results of the Year, people have been proactively contributing to these events not only by raising various issues with the President, sharing their concerns or asking for something, but also by expressing their gratitude. This year, considering that we are holding this event on December 19, we also received New Year greetings. This is another trend I wanted to mention. Of course, social matters are in the spotlight today, judging by the submissions we have selected. Many questions deal with |
| А.Суворова: Добрый день! В эфире программа «Итоги года с Владимиром Путиным». Традиционно задать свой вопрос можно было сразу несколькими способами, и сделать это можно до конца программы, потому что мои коллеги продолжают обработку всех приходящих сообщений. Во-первых, по номеру телефона: 8–800–200–40–40. Также можно отправить СМС- либо ММС-сообщение на номер 0–40–40; задать свой вопрос через социальные сети «ВКонтакте» или «Одноклассники». Кроме того, есть сайт москва-путину.рф и одноимённое приложение. На данный момент, по свежей статистике, есть уже больше двух миллионов 200 тысяч обращений. При этом один миллион 200 тысяч – это телефонные звонки. СМС-сообщения – порядка 43 тысяч. Через сайт обратилось более 140 тысяч человек. Мы видим, как в режиме реального времени эти цифры продолжают увеличиваться. Есть и интересные факты за те годы, как проходит программа «Итоги года с Владимиром Путиным». Дело в том, что раньше был формат только прямой линии, она проводилась отдельно, и отдельно – пресс-конференция. Совмещённый формат проходит в третий раз. Вначале это было до ковида, потом после ковида, уже 2023 год, и сейчас, 2024 год, когда продолжение совмещённых форматов, где могут свои вопросы задать и граждане нашей страны, и, конечно, журналисты. Из статистики интересной есть такие цифры. Например, максимальное число вопросов, которые были заданы: в 2015 году два миллиона 250 тысяч обращений поступили в адрес Президента. Сейчас это число меньше. Но я думаю, что дело ещё и в том, что есть региональные прямые линии, когда на вопросы всех граждан отвечают губернаторы в регионах. И таким образом, часть вопросов уже снимается ещё на региональном уровне. Стоит отметить, что если сложить всё время, которое Владимир Путин отвечал на вопросы в ходе подобных форматов, то это уже более 64 часов. Включения из регионов, они проводятся с самого начала, с 2001 года, и стоит отметить, что этот формат будет, конечно, сегодня, безусловно, за те годы, что проходят и прямая линия, и итоги года, очень активно люди принимают участие и, конечно, не только какие-то вопросы, проблемы и просьбы присылают в адрес главы государства, но и слова благодарности. А сейчас, учитывая, что 19 декабря, ещё и с Новым годом поздравляют – есть ещё и такая тенденция. Безусловно, сегодня в центре внимания, учитывая те обращения, которые мы отобрали, огромный блок социальных вопросов, очень много вопросов, связанных со специальной военной операцией. Конечно, есть блок и международных тем. Итак, мы начинаем. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Good afternoon! You are watching the program “Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin.” As is traditional, there were several ways to submit your question, and you can do so until the end of the program, because my colleagues continue processing all incoming messages. First, by telephone: 8–800–200–40–40. You can also send an SMS or MMS message to 0–40–40, or ask your question through the VKontakte or Odnoklassniki social networks. In addition, there is the website москва-путину.рф and an app of the same name. At present, according to the latest statistics, there are already more than two million 200 thousand submissions. Of these, one million 200 thousand are telephone calls. SMS messages number around 43 thousand. More than 140 thousand people have contacted us through the website. We can see these figures continuing to rise in real time. There are also interesting facts from the years that “Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin” has been held. The thing is that previously there was only the Direct Line format, held separately, and a separate press conference. The combined format is taking place for the third time. First it was before COVID, then after COVID, in 2023, and now, in 2024, the combined formats continue, in which both our country's citizens and, of course, journalists can ask their questions. There are some interesting statistical figures. For example, the maximum number of questions submitted: in 2015, two million 250 thousand submissions were sent to the President. The number is smaller now. But I think this is also because there are regional Direct Lines, where governors in the regions answer all citizens' questions. In this way, some questions are already resolved at regional level. It is worth noting that if we add up all the time Vladimir Putin has spent answering questions in such formats, it is already more than 64 hours. Live links from the regions have been held from the very beginning, since 2001, and it is worth noting that this format will of course be present today; certainly, over the years that the Direct Line and Results of the Year have been held, people have participated very actively and, of course, send not only questions, problems and requests to the head of state, but also words of thanks. And now, given that it is December 19, they are also sending New Year greetings—there is that trend as well. Certainly, today's focus, given the submissions we have selected, is a huge set of social issues, and very many questions connected with the special military operation. Of course, there is also a set of international topics. So, we begin. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. For the third year in a row, volunteers from the Russian Popular Front have been helping prepare our programme and process the messages and calls. This year, they were also joined by veterans of the special military operation. For ten days since the free telephone line opened, they, too, have been taking phone calls. However, the Russian Popular Front’s work does not end today. In fact, we can say that it is only just beginning, because the moment the broadcast ends, the Popular Front volunteers will continue to work on the appeals people made to ensure that none of them is left unattended. |
| Д.Кулько: Президент Российской Федерации Владимир Владимирович Путин. Уже третий год в подготовке нашей программы и в обработке обращений принимают участие добровольцы Общероссийского народного фронта. Но в этом году к ним также присоединились и ветераны специальной военной операции. Все 10 дней с момента открытия телефонной линии они также принимали телефонные звонки, но сегодня работа ОНФ не заканчивается. Более того, можно сказать, что она только начинается, потому что сразу после эфира волонтёры народного фронта продолжат работу над этими обращениями, чтобы ни одно из них не осталось без внимания. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. For the third year now, volunteers from the All-Russia People's Front have been taking part in preparing our program and processing submissions. But this year, veterans of the special military operation have also joined them. They too took telephone calls throughout the 10 days since the phone line opened, but the People's Front's work does not end today. Moreover, one could say it is only beginning, because immediately after the broadcast, People's Front volunteers will continue working on these submissions so that not a single one goes unaddressed. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: I would like to add that some of the appeals have already been processed during the preparations for the Results of the Year programme, and some of the issues have been addressed by Popular Front volunteers and regional and federal authorities. There is one more aspect that is different this year. GigaChat, an AI model provided by Sber, has helped us process people’s appeals and questions. Mr President, I know that you have already seen it. |
| А.Суворова: Ну и отмечу, что в ходе подготовки к программе «Итоги года» уже часть обращений были обработаны и часть вопросов решены совместно волонтёрами народного фронта с региональными и федеральными властями. Есть и ещё одно отличие этого года. Нам в работе с этими обращениями и вопросами помогал искусственный интеллект от «Сбера» – GigaChat. Я знаю, что вы, Владимир Владимирович, с ним уже тоже успели познакомиться. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: I would also note that, during preparations for the “Year in Review” program, some submissions have already been processed and some issues resolved jointly by People's Front volunteers and regional and federal authorities. There is another difference this year. Sber's artificial intelligence, GigaChat, helped us work with these submissions and questions. I know that you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, have also already had a chance to become acquainted with it. |
| В.Путин: Точно. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Exactly. |
| Д.Кулько: Да, GigaChat сделал вывод. Эта технология позволяет не только расшифровывать аудиосообщения в текст, но и выделять смысл и суть проблемы, поэтому обработка обращений в этом году значительно ускорилась. И вот эти выводы GigaChat вы сможете в течение всей программы видеть на экране. Это главные темы обращений граждан как по стране, так и в каждом регионе. И конечно, к этому виртуальному помощнику мы будем обращаться в течение всей программы. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Yes, GigaChat reached a conclusion. This technology makes it possible not only to transcribe audio messages into text but also to identify the meaning and essence of a problem, so the processing of submissions has become significantly faster this year. You will be able to see these GigaChat findings on the screen throughout the program. These are the main topics of citizens' submissions, both nationwide and in each region. And of course, we will turn to this virtual assistant throughout the program. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Yes, GigaChat has drawn conclusions. This technology can do more than transcribe audio files into text – it can also extract the message and the essence of the problem, which has significantly accelerated the processing of requests this year. You will be able to see GigaChat’s insights on the screen throughout the programme. You will see the key subjects of people’s appeals, across the country and in each region. We will be using this virtual assistant during the programme today. Anna Suvorova: Before we start taking questions from our people and our colleagues, journalists, I would like to ask the first general question. In recent time, everyone has been feeling a disturbing sense that the world is going crazy, or already has, because the potential for conflict is off the charts in every part of the world, and the global economy is struggling. How does Russia manage not only to stay afloat, but also to continue growing in this situation? |
| А.Суворова: Но, прежде чем мы начнём задавать вопросы, которые есть у граждан и, конечно, у наших коллег – журналистов, хочется первый, общий вопрос со своей стороны задать. Сейчас такое ощущение, что мир либо уже сошёл с ума, либо сходит, потому что конфликтный потенциал во всех точках мира фактически сейчас зашкаливает, мировая экономика тоже находится в сложной ситуации. Как России удаётся не только удержаться на плаву, но и продолжать свой рост? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: But before we begin asking the questions that citizens and, of course, our journalist colleagues have, I would like to ask an initial, general question of my own. Right now, it feels as though the world has either already gone mad or is going mad, because the potential for conflict is now effectively off the charts everywhere in the world, and the global economy is also in a difficult situation. How does Russia manage not only to stay afloat but also to keep growing? |
| 1 Economic Growth and Inflation | |
| В.Путин: Знаете, когда у нас всё спокойно, размеренно, стабильно, нам скучно. Застой. Хочется движухи. Как только начинается движуха, всё свистит у виска: и секунды, и пули. К сожалению, и пули сейчас свистят. Так нам страшно, «ужас-ужас». Ну «ужас». Но не «ужас-ужас-ужас». Всё измеряется экономикой. Традиционно с экономики начинаем. Несмотря на ваш несколько провокационный вопрос, зайдём на экономику. Всё на экономике, это основа основ. На этом и жизненный уровень граждан, на этом стабильность, на этом обороноспособность – всё на экономике. С экономикой в целом в России у нас ситуация обстоит нормально, устойчиво. Мы развиваемся, несмотря ни на что, несмотря ни на какие внешние угрозы и попытки воздействия на нас. В прошлом году, как известно, рост экономики у нас был 3,6 процента, в этом году будет 3,9, а может быть, и четыре даже. Надо будет посмотреть, потому что подсчёт результатов конца года досчитывается практически в I квартале следующего, 2025-го в данном случае, года, и, может быть, будет и четыре. Это означает, что за два года рост экономики составил около 8 процентов, потому что, как эксперты говорят, я сегодня с утра ещё мнениями обменивался, десятые, сотые процента – это виртуальная вещь. Около восьми за два года. В Штатах – 5–6 процентов, в Еврозоне – 1 процент, в ведущей экономике Еврозоны, в Германии, – ноль. Судя по всему, и на следующий год будет ноль. Международные финансово-экономические институты поставили Россию на первое место в Европе по объёму экономики, по паритету покупательной способности, и на четвёртое место в мире. Впереди Китай, Соединённые Штаты, Индия. Мы обогнали ещё в прошлом году ФРГ и в этом году обогнали Японию. Но это не такой показатель, на котором мы должны заснуть и успокоиться. Нет конечно. Всё развивается, всё активно движется вперёд. Если Еврозона заснула, то есть другие центры мирового развития, они тоже двигаются вперёд. Да и в Еврозоне, и в Штатах ситуация тоже меняется. Мы должны сохранить набранный темп, менять качество нашей экономики. Есть и другие показатели, которые в целом являются, мягко говоря, удовлетворительными. Во-первых, один из таких серьёзных показателей для всех стран мира, для всех экономик – это уровень безработицы. Она у нас находится на рекордно низком уровне – 2,3 процента. Такого никогда не было. Это первое. Второе – это рост отдельных отраслей производства, промышленности. У нас рост промышленности составил 4,4 процента, а перерабатывающая промышленность – 8,1 процента, причём в разделе по отраслям – по некоторым ещё больше. Да, конечно, тревожным сигналом является инфляция. Я вчера только, когда готовился к сегодняшнему мероприятию, разговаривал и с Председателем Центрального банка. Эльвира [Набиуллина] мне сказала, что где-то уже 9,2–9,3, но заработные платы выросли на 9 процентов в реальном выражении. Я хочу это подчеркнуть, именно в реальном, за минусом инфляции. И располагаемые доходы населения тоже подросли. Так что в целом эта ситуация стабильная, повторяю, и надёжная. Здесь есть некоторые проблемы, повторяю, с этой инфляцией, такой разогрев экономики у нас, и Правительство, и Центральный банк ставят уже задачу несколько приземлить эти темпы, и на следующий год, я думаю, по разным оценкам, должны у нас быть там где-то 2–2,5 процента. Такая мягкая посадка, для того чтобы сохранить макроэкономические показатели. Это то, к чему мы должны стремиться. И мы ещё поговорим, наверное, об этом в ходе нашей сегодняшней встречи. В целом ситуация стабильная и надёжная. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: You know, when everything is calm, measured, and stable with us, we are bored. Stagnation. One wants some action. As soon as the action begins, everything whistles past the temple: both the seconds and the bullets. Unfortunately the bullets are whistling now too. Then we are frightened, "horror-horror." Well, "horror." But not "horror-horror-horror." Everything is measured by the economy. Traditionally we begin with the economy. Despite your somewhat provocative question, let us go into the economy. Everything rests on the economy; this is the foundation of foundations. The standard of living of citizens rests on this, stability rests on this, defense capability rests on this — everything rests on the economy. With the economy on the whole in Russia our situation is normal, stable. We are developing despite everything, despite any external threats and attempts to exert influence on us. Last year, as is known, our economic growth was 3.6 percent; this year it will be 3.9, and perhaps even four. One will have to look, because the count of the results of the end of the year is finished practically in the first quarter of the next year, 2025 in this case, and perhaps it will be four too. This means that over two years economic growth came to about 8 percent, because, as the experts say — I was still exchanging opinions this morning — tenths and hundredths of a percent are a virtual thing. About eight over two years. In the States it is 5–6 percent; in the eurozone 1 percent; in the leading economy of the eurozone, in Germany, zero. By all appearances next year too it will be zero. International financial and economic institutions have put Russia in first place in Europe by the volume of the economy, by purchasing-power parity, and in fourth place in the world. Ahead are China, the United States, India. We overtook the FRG back last year, and this year we overtook Japan. But this is not an indicator on which we should fall asleep and calm down. No, of course not. Everything is developing; everything is actively moving forward. If the eurozone has fallen asleep, there are other centers of world development; they are moving forward too. And in the eurozone and in the States the situation is changing too. We must preserve the pace we have gained and change the quality of our economy. There are other indicators too that on the whole are, to put it mildly, satisfactory. First, one of such serious indicators for all the countries of the world, for all economies, is the level of unemployment. With us it is at a record low level — 2.3 percent. There has never been anything like it. That is the first thing. The second is the growth of individual branches of production, of industry. Our industrial growth came to 4.4 percent, and manufacturing industry 8.1 percent, and in the breakdown by branches, in some, still more. Yes, of course, inflation is an alarming signal. Only yesterday, when I was preparing for today's event, I spoke with the Chair of the Central Bank too. Elvira [Nabiullina] told me that it is already somewhere around 9.2–9.3, but wages have grown by 9 percent in real terms. I want to emphasize this, precisely in real terms, minus inflation. And the disposable incomes of the population have grown too. So on the whole this situation is stable, I repeat, and reliable. There are some problems here, I repeat, with this inflation, such a heating-up of the economy with us, and the Government and the Central Bank are already setting the task of bringing these rates down to earth somewhat, and next year, I think, by various estimates, we ought to have somewhere around 2–2.5 percent there. Such a soft landing, in order to preserve the macroeconomic indicators. This is what we must strive for. And we will probably talk of this further in the course of our meeting today. On the whole the situation is stable and reliable. |
| А.Суворова: Один уточняющий вопрос, потому что действительно очень много вопросов связано с ростом цен, мы к нему ещё вернёмся. Вы сейчас как пример привели Германию и Японию. На Германии хочу остановиться, что там ноль процентов, Вы привели как раз как один из вариантов того, где раньше был экономический рост. Как Вы считаете, связано ли это, наверное, с политикой и с суверенитетом, потому что Вы не так давно, выступая на Форуме ВТБ «Россия зовёт», вспоминали, как на дне рождения Герхарда Шрёдера все песни были на английском, на немецком не было. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: One follow-up question, because a very large number of questions really do concern rising prices, and we will come back to that. You have just cited Germany and Japan as examples. I would like to focus on Germany, where the figure is zero percent; you cited it precisely as one example of a place that used to have economic growth. Do you think this is perhaps connected with politics and sovereignty, because not long ago, speaking at the VTB “Russia Calling!” Forum, you recalled how all the songs at Gerhard Schröder's birthday celebration were in English, with none in German. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: I have a follow-up question, given the numerous questions surrounding price growth, to which we will return. You have cited Germany and Japan as examples. I wish to focus on Germany having a zero percent growth rate, which you mentioned as a case previously known for its economic expansion. Do you believe this is perhaps linked to politics and sovereignty? Not long ago, at the VTB Forum Russia Calling!, you reminisced about Gerhard Schroeder's birthday celebration, remarking how all the songs were in English, with none performed in German. |
| В.Путин: Были. Вот любопытный такой эпизод. Это было уже давно, у Герхарда был день рождения, он пригласил, я приехал. Был небольшой концертик, и действительно все коллективы исполняли песни на английском языке. Я и тогда сказал: «Даже хор девочек Ганновера пел на английском». Но был один коллектив, который пел на немецком. Это Кубанский казачий хор. Который я привёз с собой. Более того, для меня было полной неожиданностью, я у них спросил: «Откуда вы это знаете?» Они мне сказали: «Из уважения к немцам, из уважения к нашим хозяевам, принимающей стороне, мы выучили по дороге и пели на немецком языке, в том числе и песни этого региона, где мы находились». Потом многие ко мне подходили в перерыве (я говорю то, что было на самом деле), подходили и говорили: «Нам стыдно, честное слово, нам стыдно, что тут только русские казаки пели на немецком». Я сказал коллеге, который был на этом мероприятии, о котором сейчас вспомнили. Вы знаете, суверенитет – очень важная вещь, он должен быть внутри, в сердце. Я думаю, что за послевоенные годы у немецкого народа вытравили это чувство – чувство своей родины и суверенитета. Ведь кто такие европейцы? Они все гордятся, что они европейцы. Но они прежде всего французы, немцы, итальянцы, испанцы, а потом уже европейцы. Они всё стараются сгладить, что-то зашлифовать. И в конце концов это отражается на всём, в том числе и на экономике. Я говорил о росте нашей экономики – это в значительной степени результат укрепления суверенитета, в том числе проецируемого и на экономику. С нашего рынка ушли многие производители. К чему это привело? Наши предприниматели начали сами производить эти товары, это вызвало к жизни необходимость подключить, проводить какие-то дополнительные исследования, институты подключить, в том числе институты развития. Всё это – и мы об этом говорим – укрепление технологического суверенитета. Суверенитет разный: и оборонный, и технологический, и научный, образовательный, культурный. Это очень важно. Для нашей страны это особенно важно, потому что при утрате суверенитета мы теряем государственность. В этом самое главное дело. Укрепление суверенитета – это тоже результат роста экономики. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: There were. Here is a curious episode of this kind. This was already long ago; Gerhard had a birthday, he invited me, I came. There was a small concert, and indeed all the ensembles performed songs in English. I said even then: "Even the girls' choir of Hanover sang in English." But there was one ensemble that sang in German. This was the Kuban Cossack Choir. Which I had brought with me. Moreover, it was a complete surprise to me; I asked them: "Where do you know this from?" They told me: "Out of respect for the Germans, out of respect for our hosts, the receiving side, we learned them on the way and sang in German, including songs of this region where we were." Afterward many people came up to me during the break (I am saying what actually happened), came up and said: "We are ashamed, honestly, we are ashamed that only the Russian Cossacks sang in German here." I told the colleague who was at this event, which has now been recalled. You know, sovereignty is a very important thing; it must be inside, in the heart. I think that over the postwar years this feeling was etched out of the German people — the feeling of their homeland and of sovereignty. After all, who are the Europeans? They are all proud of being Europeans. But they are above all French, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, and only then Europeans. They try to smooth everything, to polish something away. And in the end this is reflected in everything, including the economy. I spoke of the growth of our economy — this is to a significant degree the result of the strengthening of sovereignty, including as projected onto the economy. Many producers left our market. What did this lead to? Our entrepreneurs began to produce these goods themselves; this brought to life the necessity of connecting, of conducting some additional research, of connecting institutes, including development institutes. All of this — and we speak of this — is the strengthening of technological sovereignty. Sovereignty is of different kinds: defense, and technological, and scientific, educational, cultural. This is very important. For our country this is especially important, because with the loss of sovereignty we lose statehood. That is the most important thing. The strengthening of sovereignty is also a result of the growth of the economy. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, я предлагаю перейти к вопросам от наших граждан. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I suggest we move on to questions from our citizens. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, I suggest we move on to questions from our citizens. |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please. |
| Д.Кулько: Вы говорите о росте экономики. Действительно, если взглянуть на экономические показатели, а они выглядят неплохо, большинство российских предприятий сейчас загружены, зарплаты реально растут, но они не успевают за ростом цен. Об этом нам писали многие россияне, и наш искусственный интеллект проанализировал все эти обращения и составил рейтинг регионов, где жители чаще задавали вопросы о росте цен. Это как восточные регионы, например Камчатский край, Сахалинская область, так и самый западный регион страны – Калининградская область. С ростом цен также было связано большинство обращений жителей Иркутской области. То есть тема актуальная. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: You speak of economic growth. Indeed, if we look at the economic indicators—and they look quite good—most Russian enterprises currently have work, and wages really are rising, but they are not keeping up with rising prices. Many Russians wrote to us about this, and our artificial intelligence analyzed all these submissions and compiled a ranking of regions whose residents more frequently asked questions about rising prices. These include eastern regions, such as Kamchatka Territory and Sakhalin Region, as well as the country's westernmost region, Kaliningrad Region. Most submissions from residents of Irkutsk Region also concerned rising prices. So this is a pressing issue. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: You spoke about economic growth. It is true that a look at our economic indicators, which do look good, shows that the majority of Russian enterprises are working to capacity and wages are rising, yet they cannot keep pace with price increases. Many Russian citizens have written about this, and AI has analysed all the requests and compiled a list of regions where more questions concerned price growth. These are eastern regions, such as the Kamchatka Territory and the Sakhalin Region, and also our westernmost territory, the Kaliningrad Region. Also, the majority of questions from the Irkutsk Region concern price growth. In short, it is a topical issue. |
| А.Суворова: Безусловно, актуальная. Сейчас озвучу ещё несколько цифр, которые приводятся в том числе сейчас нашим ГигаЧатом, с которым мы работаем. Самые популярные обращения связаны с подорожанием хлеба, рыбы, молока, яиц, масла. Кроме того, говорят ещё и про рост цен на топливо. Вот это только папочка из того, что мы отобрали, – обращения граждан, которые были на эту тему. И если посмотреть даже официальную статистику Росстата, вчера вечером пришла, то мы видим, что цены на плодоовощную продукцию за последнюю неделю выросли на 3,4 процента, в том числе, например, огурцы подорожали на 10 процентов при подорожании в ноябре на 43 процента. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: It certainly is a pressing issue. I will now give a few more figures that are also currently being provided by our GigaChat, which we are working with. The most frequent submissions concern increases in the price of bread, fish, milk, eggs and butter. People also talk about rising fuel prices. This is just one folder of the submissions from citizens that we selected on this subject. And if we look even at the official Rosstat statistics that arrived yesterday evening, we see that fruit and vegetable prices rose by 3.4 percent over the past week, including, for example, a 10 percent rise in cucumber prices after a 43 percent increase in November. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: It is topical indeed. I will cite the figures which have also been provided by GigaChat, which we are using. The most frequent questions have to do with the rise in prices of bread, fish, milk, eggs and butter. People also write about the growth of fuel prices. This file contains some of the citizens’ questions about price growth. If we look at the official data of the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), we got it last night, we will see that the prices of fruits and vegetables have increased by 3.4 percent over the past week. For example, the price of cucumbers has grown by ten percent after rising by 43 percent in November. |
| В.Путин: Я, во-первых, прошу прощения у аудитории, особенно у тех, кто нас слушает сегодня, видит, следит за нашей работой по различным средствам массовой информации, в интернете. Когда я сказал, что рост цен, инфляция где-то девять процентов с небольшим – 9,2–9,3, а есть рост заработных плат и располагаемых реальных доходов населения, это усреднённые цифры. И конечно, страна огромная. И где-то кто-то меня послушает, скажет: ну что ты несёшь, какое повышение благосостояния, у меня как было, так и есть. А кто-то скажет: у меня меньше стало. Такое, конечно, бывает, такое есть. Я говорю об усреднённых цифрах, потому что, когда мы что-то планируем, мы должны оперировать чем-то, на что-то опираться, и мы не можем опираться ни на что другое, кроме как на усреднённый показатель. Но по поводу роста цен: здесь существуют вещи и объективного характера, и субъективного. И самое главное, предложение на рынке должно соответствовать доходам населения, или доходы населения, покупательная способность должны соответствовать объёму производимых в стране товаров. У нас доходы и заработные платы росли более быстрыми темпами, чем нарастание этой товарной массы и выпуск продукции. Объясню. Скажем, у нас постоянно растёт производство продуктов питания, я ещё об этом скажу, наверняка будут какие-то вопросы по сельскому хозяйству. Сейчас, забегая вперёд, скажу: плюс три процента ежегодно. По мясу мы полностью себя обеспечиваем, 100 процентов. Это хороший показатель. Но это с чем связано? У нас потребление мяса в год – примерно 80 килограмм на человека, а в мире – 42 примерно, усреднённый показатель. Вроде бы хватает, но всё равно. Потребление мяса у нас выросло в два раза за последнее время, понимаете? В два раза. По молоку. У нас каждый год увеличивается производство молока, но увеличивается и потребление молока, не хватает его для того, чтобы производить масло. Рост цен на масло, я знаю, 33–34 процента, в некоторых регионах примерно так, может, там где-то и больше. Просто продуктов не стало настолько больше, насколько возросло потребление – это первое. Здесь, конечно, нужно просто работать в отраслевом смысле, я сейчас ещё скажу об этом. Вторая объективная причина – это урожай. Третья объективная причина – рост мировых цен на некоторые продукты. И конечно, в известной степени сказываются те внешние ограничения, санкции и так далее. Они не имеют ключевого значения, но всё-таки так или иначе отражаются, потому что удорожают логистику и так далее. Но есть и субъективные, есть и наши недоработки. Например, некоторые эксперты полагают, что Центральный банк мог бы эффективнее и раньше начать использовать определённые инструменты, не связанные с повышением ключевой ставки. Да, ЦБ начал это делать где-то летом. Но, повторяю, эти эксперты считают, что это можно и нужно было бы делать раньше. Их много, я сейчас не буду перечислять, и нашу аудиторию нет необходимости утомлять этими соображениями по поводу различных способов регулирования Центрального банка. Правительство у нас работает эффективно, вполне удовлетворительно и очень много делает, когда думает о будущем, а о будущем нужно думать всегда. У нас даже в самые тяжёлые времена Великой Отечественной войны, мы знаем эти примеры, думали о будущем. И делали, как выяснилось потом, правильно. Правительство наше думает о будущем: формулирует задачи, национальные цели развития, национальные проекты, – прекрасно, но неплохо было бы поработать своевременно и в отраслевом плане, в отраслевом разрезе, думать о развитии отдельных отраслей производства, товаров широкого спроса. Сейчас не буду их повторять, может быть, ещё будут вопросы по отдельным отраслям. Нужно было бы принимать эти своевременные решения. Рост цен – это вещь неприятная и плохая на самом деле. Но надеюсь, что, в целом сохраняя макроэкономические показатели, мы и с этим тоже справимся, потому что макроэкономика лежит в основе здоровья экономики в целом. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I, first, ask the audience's pardon, especially those who are listening to us today, seeing us, following our work through various mass media, on the internet. When I said that the rise in prices, inflation, is somewhere around nine percent and a little — 9.2–9.3 — and that there is growth in wages and in the real disposable incomes of the population, these are averaged figures. And of course the country is enormous. And somewhere someone will listen to me and say: what are you talking about, what rise in well-being; with me it was as it was, and so it is. And someone will say: with me it has become less. Such a thing, of course, happens; such a thing exists. I am speaking of averaged figures, because when we plan something we must operate with something, lean on something, and we cannot lean on anything other than an averaged indicator. But as regards the rise in prices: things of both an objective and a subjective character exist here. And the most important thing is that supply on the market must correspond to the incomes of the population, or the incomes of the population, purchasing power, must correspond to the volume of goods produced in the country. Our incomes and wages grew at a faster pace than the buildup of this mass of goods and the output of production. I will explain. Say, our production of food products is constantly growing; I will say more of this, there will surely be some questions on agriculture. Now, running ahead, I will say: plus three percent annually. In meat we fully provide for ourselves, 100 percent. This is a good indicator. But what is this connected with? Our consumption of meat a year is roughly 80 kilograms per person, and in the world roughly 42, an averaged indicator. It seems to be enough, but all the same. Our consumption of meat has grown twofold of late, do you understand? Twofold. On milk. Every year our production of milk increases, but the consumption of milk increases too; there is not enough of it to produce butter. The rise in prices for butter, I know, is 33–34 percent, in some regions roughly so, perhaps somewhere even more. There simply did not become as much more product as consumption grew — that is the first thing. Here, of course, one simply needs to work in the sectoral sense; I will say more of this now. The second objective reason is the harvest. The third objective reason is the rise in world prices for some products. And of course, to a known degree, those external restrictions, sanctions, and so on have an effect. They do not have key significance, but all the same they are reflected one way or another, because they make logistics more expensive, and so on. But there are subjective ones too; there are our shortcomings too. For example, some experts suppose that the Central Bank could have begun earlier and more effectively to use definite instruments not connected with raising the key rate. Yes, the Central Bank began to do this somewhere in the summer. But, I repeat, these experts consider that this could and should have been done earlier. There are many of them; I will not list them now, and there is no necessity of wearying our audience with these considerations about various ways of regulation by the Central Bank. Our Government works effectively, quite satisfactorily, and does a great deal when it thinks about the future, and one must always think about the future. Even in the hardest times of the Great Patriotic War, we know these examples, they thought about the future. And they did, as it turned out afterward, rightly. Our Government thinks about the future: it formulates tasks, national development goals, national projects — splendid, but it would not be bad to work in a timely way in the sectoral plan too, in the sectoral cross-section, to think about the development of individual branches of production, of goods of wide demand. I will not repeat them now; perhaps there will be further questions on individual branches. These timely decisions ought to have been taken. A rise in prices is an unpleasant thing and a bad one in fact. But I hope that, on the whole preserving the macroeconomic indicators, we will cope with this too, because macroeconomics lies at the basis of the health of the economy as a whole. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, у нас сегодня совмещённый формат: прямая линия и пресс-конференция. Сейчас предлагаю задать вопрос нашим коллегам – журналистам. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, today we have a combined format: a Direct Line and a press conference. I now suggest giving our journalist colleagues the opportunity to ask a question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, we are holding today’s event in a combined format, a direct line and a news conference. I now suggest that our journalist colleagues ask a question. |
| А.Суворова: Мы чувствуем, как зал жаждет задать вопрос. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: We can feel how eager the audience is to ask a question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: We can sense that those present in the hall are eager to ask their questions. |
| Д.Песков: Зал действительно жаждет, давайте я… Вопрос (из зала): … | English translation not available for this passage |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Indeed, the audience is quite eager. Allow me … A question from the audience. You know, if we behave this way, it would be disrespectful towards everyone else. |
| Д.Песков: Вы знаете, если мы будем вот так делать, то, к сожалению, мы проявим неуважение ко всем остальным. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: You know, if we do things this way, then, unfortunately, we will be showing disrespect to everyone else. |
| В.Путин: Тем не менее… Давайте мы больше так не будем делать, но начнём. Как Вас зовут? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Nevertheless… Let us not do that anymore, but let us begin. What is your name? |
| А.Хасцаева: Алина Хасцаева информационный портал «15-й регион», Северная Осетия. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Хасцаева: Alina Khastsayeva, the 15th Region news portal, North Ossetia. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alina Khastsayeva: My name is Alina Khastsayeva, I represent the 15 th Region information website in North Ossetia. |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста, Алина, прошу Вас. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please, Alina, I ask you. |
| А.Хасцаева: В сегодняшних реалиях вопрос кадрового военного потенциала становится очень важным. На Северном Кавказе было много учебных заведений, которые готовили военных специалистов. В частности, в Северной Осетии это Северо-Кавказский военный институт внутренних войск. Вуз, без преувеличения, легендарный, семеро его выпускников – Герои Советского Союза, четырнадцать – Герои России. По сей день его выпускники продолжают выполнять успешно боевые задачи нашего государства. Среди выпускников экс-министр МВД Анатолий Куликов, из последних выпускников – Сергей Хайрутдинов стал Героем России во время участия в спецоперации. Есть ли возможность возродить это учебное заведение, которое сегодня так необходимо не только Северному Кавказу, но и всей России? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Хасцаева: In today’s circumstances, the issue of military personnel capacity is becoming very important. There were many educational institutions in the North Caucasus that trained military specialists. In particular, in North Ossetia there was the North Caucasus Military Institute of the Internal Troops. This institution is, without exaggeration, legendary: seven of its graduates are Heroes of the Soviet Union, and fourteen are Heroes of Russia. To this day, its graduates continue successfully carrying out combat missions for our state. Its graduates include former Interior Minister Anatoly Kulikov, and among its recent graduates, Sergei Khairutdinov became a Hero of Russia while taking part in the special operation. Is there any possibility of reviving this educational institution, which is so necessary today not only for the North Caucasus but for all of Russia? Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alina Khastsayeva: The issue of professional service personnel has become increasingly important. Multiple schools, including the North Caucasus Military Institute of Interior Troops in North Ossetia, used to train military specialists in the North Caucasus. Quite literally, a legendary institute: seven of its graduates became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 14 more received the title of Heroes of Russia. To this very day, its graduates are successfully carrying out missions set by our state. Its graduates include former Interior Minister Anatoly Kulikov, and Sergei Khairutdinov, a recent graduate, became Hero of Russia while taking part in the special military operation. Is it possible to reinstate this institute at a time when the North Caucasus and the whole of Russia need it so much? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Алина, спасибо Вам за этот вопрос. Так что это хорошее открытие, не сердитесь на Алину. И вот почему. Во-первых, Северная Осетия всегда была форпостом России на этом направлении, на Кавказе, и во все времена оправдывала это своё высокое предназначение. Мы знаем, как жители республики относится и к своей малой родине, и к нашей большой общей Родине, к России, всегда стояли на её защите и исполняли эту функцию очень достойно, блестяще. Вы сказали о сокращении училищ. Связано это не с тем, что в Осетии именно решили закрыть. Связано с тем, что сеть училищ вообще военных, как посчитали военные специалисты, военные ведомства, она была переразмеренной и не нужно было столько специалистов, столько военных для такой армии, какой армия России была. Сейчас мы увеличиваем армию и силовые подразделения в силу целого ряда обстоятельств до полутора миллионов человек. Я не могу сейчас сказать: да, мы сделаем завтра. Но я вам обещаю, что мы это точно проработаем. Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Alina, thank you for this question. So this is a good discovery; do not be cross with Alina. And here is why. First, North Ossetia has always been an outpost of Russia in this direction, in the Caucasus, and in every age has justified this high calling of its own. We know how the inhabitants of the republic regard both their small homeland and our great common Motherland, Russia; they have always stood in its defense and have performed this function very worthily, brilliantly. You spoke of a reduction in the colleges. This is connected not with a decision to close them in Ossetia in particular. It is connected with the fact that the network of colleges, military ones in general, was, as the military specialists reckoned, as the military departments reckoned, oversized, and so many specialists were not needed, so many military men, for an army such as Russia's army then was. Now we are increasing the army and the security units, by force of a whole set of circumstances, to one and a half million people. I cannot say now: yes, we will do it tomorrow. But I promise you that we will certainly work this through. Thank you. |
| Д.Песков: Продолжаем с залом работать. Давайте мы всё-таки вернёмся к самому центру. ИТАР-ТАСС, пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us continue taking questions from the hall. Let us return to the very center after all. ITAR-TASS, please. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: We continue working with the audience. Let us go back to the centre after all. ITAR-TASS, please. Mikhail Petrov: Mikhail Petrov, Editor-in-Chief, TASS. Mr President, before I ask my question, I would like to thank you. This year, TASS is celebrating its 120 th anniversary. We are this country’s oldest news agency. Earlier this year, in August, you signed an Executive order on awarding TASS the Order for Valiant Labour. On behalf of our large team and at their instructions, I want to take a message of many thanks to you. This is a high praise for our work. Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Mikhail Petrov: As for the question, I think this issue is of concern for all of us today. Incidentally, TASS correspondents sent reports from the fronts during the Great Patriotic War. Today, too, our men are working in the special military operation zone, and they are concerned as well. How do you assess the progress in the special military operation, which has lasted for nearly three years now? Is the victory nearer? |
| М.Петров: Михаил Петров, главный редактор ТАСС. Владимир Владимирович, прежде чем задать вопрос, я хочу поблагодарить Вас. ТАСС в этом году отмечает 120-летие. Мы старейшее информационное агентство страны. В этом году, в августе, Вы подписали указ о награждении коллектива ТАСС орденом «За доблестный труд». От всей большой команды тассовцев по их поручению я хочу передать Вам большое спасибо. Это высокая оценка нашей работы. |
Full house translation — pending review М.Петров: Mikhail Petrov, editor-in-chief of TASS. Vladimir Vladimirovich, before asking my question, I want to thank you. TASS is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. We are the country’s oldest news agency. This year, in August, you signed a decree awarding the TASS staff the Order “For Valiant Labor.” On behalf of the entire large TASS team, at their request, I want to convey our sincere thanks to you. This is high recognition of our work. |
| В.Путин: Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Thank you. |
| М.Петров: Что касается вопроса, то, я думаю, этот вопрос волнует сегодня всех. Кстати говоря, когда тассовцы во время Великой Отечественной войны передавали сводки с фронта, наверное, было так же, и сегодня, когда наши ребята работают в зоне специальной военной операции, их это волнует. Как Вы оцениваете ход специальной военной операции, которая продолжается уже без малого три года? Стала ли ближе победа? |
Full house translation — pending review М.Петров: As for the question, I think this question concerns everyone today. Incidentally, when TASS staff transmitted reports from the front during the Great Patriotic War, it was probably the same, and today, when our people work in the special military operation zone, it concerns them. How do you assess the progress of the special military operation, which has now been going on for almost three years? Has victory come closer? |
| В.Путин: Безусловно, я рассчитывал на вопросы подобного рода. Их много в том объёме, который поступил за предыдущие дни. Больше того, я и Вам тоже благодарен за это, потому что это даёт нам возможность показать, что происходит и что делают наши ребята на линии боевого соприкосновения. Вы знаете, мне бойцы, с которыми общаюсь регулярно, передают свои сувениры, передают шевроны, передают оружие какое-то и так далее. Совсем недавно бойцы 155-й бригады морской пехоты Тихоокеанского флота передали мне копию своего боевого знамени. Кого можно попросить ассистировать? Подходите ко мне, пожалуйста, и кто-нибудь – с этой стороны. У меня к вам большая просьба: встаньте, пожалуйста, здесь, а Вы – здесь, и вот это знамя разверните, пожалуйста, с обеих сторон. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Of course I counted on questions of this kind. There are many of them in the volume that came in over the preceding days. More than that, I am grateful to you for this too, because it gives us a chance to show what is happening and what our guys are doing on the line of contact. You know, the fighters I speak with regularly pass me their souvenirs, pass me their chevrons, pass me some weapon or other, and so on. Quite recently the fighters of the 155th naval infantry brigade of the Pacific Fleet passed me a copy of their battle colors. Whom can I ask to assist? Please come up to me, and someone from this side. I have a great request of you: please stand here, and you here, and unfurl this banner, please, from both sides. |
| Д.Кулько: Морпехи Тихоокеанского флота. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Marines of the Pacific Fleet. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, I have just returned from the Kursk Region. We have been working with the units and formations you mentioned, which are currently undertaking the noble duty of liberating our homeland. For several weeks, we have been on the front lines, filming reports. Notably, the 155 th brigade has liberated several residential areas, and we have discussed this. Our reports illustrate that once the enemy is expelled from a residential area, they begin bombarding these streets with drones and artillery, almost as if in retaliation. We visited the recently liberated Borki, Snagost, and Lyubimovka. The footage clearly shows the houses intact initially, only to be targeted by Ukrainian shells afterwards. Consequently, the residents of this border region now find themselves with nowhere to return to and are striving to build new lives somehow. I propose we connect with Tatyana Zibrova by telephone. She is currently residing in temporary accommodation in the Kursk Region. Ms Zibrova, can you hear us? |
| 2 Special Military Operation and Kursk Region | |
| В.Путин: Да. Я специально взял его с собой. Во-первых, хотел ребят поблагодарить за этот подарок. Второе. Будем считать, что это знамя 155-й бригады морской пехоты Тихоокеанского флота здесь представляет все боевые знамёна наших бойцов, которые сражаются сейчас за Россию, за Родину на всей линии боевого соприкосновения. Должен сказать, что ситуация меняется кардинально. Вы это хорошо знаете, и это просто хочу подтвердить. Движение идёт по всей линии фронта каждый день. И, как я уже говорил, речь идёт о продвижении не на 100, 200, 300 метров, наши бойцы возвращают территорию квадратными километрами. Хочу подчеркнуть, каждый день. Почему это происходит? Во-первых, за предыдущий год, это в принципе классика развития боевых действий, сначала противник лезет, ему наносят серьёзное поражение в технике, боеприпасах, в личном составе, а потом начинают сами движение вперёд. Именно так у нас и происходит. Боевые действия – сложная вещь, и поэтому загадывать вперёд трудно и ни к чему. Но происходит именно так. И мы движемся, как мы сказали, к решению наших первостепенных задач, которые мы обозначили в начале специальной военной операции. Что касается ребят, то они действуют, постоянно об этом говорю и буду повторять, потому что для этого есть все основания, действуют героически. Возможности Вооружённых Сил возрастают. Сейчас 155-я бригада воюет в Курской области, выдавливает, выбивает противника с нашей территории. Конечно, они там не одни, там воюет ещё 810-я бригада морской пехоты Черноморского флота, 76-я и 106-я дивизии ВДВ, мотострелки, мотопехота группировки «Север». Все воюют в прямом смысле слова героически. И в данный момент они ведут бой. Пожелаем им всем – и тем, кто воюет в Курской области, и тем, кто воюет на всей линии фронта, – удачи, победы и возвращения домой. Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. I brought it with me on purpose. First, I wanted to thank the guys for this gift. Second. Let us consider this banner of the Pacific Fleet's 155th Marine Brigade here to represent all the battle banners of our fighters who are now fighting for Russia, for the Motherland, along the entire line of combat contact. I must say that the situation is changing radically. You know this well, and I simply want to confirm it. Movement is taking place along the entire front line every day. And as I have already said, we are not talking about advances of 100, 200 or 300 meters; our fighters are reclaiming territory by the square kilometer. I want to emphasize: every day. Why is this happening? First, over the previous year—this is basically a classic pattern in the development of combat operations: first the enemy pushes forward, suffers a serious defeat in terms of equipment, ammunition and personnel, and then the other side begins advancing itself. This is exactly what is happening with us. Combat operations are complicated, and therefore it is difficult and unnecessary to speculate ahead. But this is exactly what is happening. And we are moving, as we said, toward accomplishing the priority tasks that we set out at the start of the special military operation. As for the guys, they are acting—I constantly say this and will repeat it because there is every reason to do so—they are acting heroically. The Armed Forces' capabilities are growing. Right now the 155th Brigade is fighting in the Kursk region, pushing and driving the enemy out of our territory. Of course, they are not alone there: the Black Sea Fleet's 810th Marine Brigade, the 76th and 106th Airborne Divisions, motorized rifle troops and the motorized infantry of the North force grouping are also fighting there. Everyone is fighting heroically in the literal sense of the word. And they are in combat at this very moment. Let us wish them all—both those fighting in the Kursk region and those fighting along the entire front line—good luck, victory and a return home. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Tatyana Zibrova: Yes, I can hear you. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, я только что вернулся из Курской области. С теми частями и соединениями, о которых Вы говорили и которые выполняют сейчас священный долг – освобождают нашу землю, мы работали несколько недель на передовых позициях, снимали репортажи. 155-я бригада, в частности, освободила несколько населённых пунктов, об этом мы тоже говорили. Мы в репортажах показываем, что когда противника выбили из населённого пункта, то он как бы в отместку начинает бить по этим улицам дронами, артиллерией. Мы приезжали в только что освобождённые Борки, Снагость, Любимовку. И это видно на кадрах – дома целые, а потом в них прилетают украинские снаряды. То есть жителям приграничья сейчас просто некуда возвращаться. Они пытаются как-то построить жизнь заново. Я предлагаю связаться по телефону с Татьяной Николаевной Зиборовой. Она сейчас вынуждена жить в пункте временного размещения в Курской области. Татьяна Николаевна, Вы нас слышите? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I have just returned from Kursk Region. We spent several weeks working on the front lines and filming reports with the units and formations you mentioned, which are now carrying out their sacred duty of liberating our land. The 155th Brigade, in particular, liberated several settlements; we spoke about that too. In our reports we show that when the enemy is driven out of a settlement, it starts striking these streets with drones and artillery, seemingly in retaliation. We visited the newly liberated Borki, Snagost and Lyubimovka. And it is visible in the footage: the houses are intact, and then Ukrainian shells hit them. So residents of the border areas now simply have nowhere to return to. They are trying somehow to rebuild their lives. I suggest we contact Tatyana Nikolayevna Ziborova by telephone. She is now forced to live in a temporary accommodation center in Kursk Region. Tatyana Nikolayevna, can you hear us? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Please direct your question to the President. |
| Т.Зиборова: Да, слышу. |
Full house translation — pending review Т.Зиборова: Yes, I can hear you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Tatyana Zibrova: Good afternoon, Mr President. |
| Д.Кулько: Задавайте Ваш вопрос Президенту. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Please ask the President your question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Hello. |
| Т.Зиборова: Здравствуйте, уважаемый Владимир Владимирович! |
Full house translation — pending review Т.Зиборова: Hello, esteemed Vladimir Vladimirovich! |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Tatyana Zibrova: I am a resident of the Kursk Region, Bolshesoldatsky District. I have a question on behalf of all residents of the Kursk Region. When will our region be fully liberated? When will the Ukrainian armed forces be pushed back so far that they will not even dare to show themselves or look in our direction? When will we be able to return to our homes or have our own accommodation somewhere? Additionally, will the small villages that were destroyed be rebuilt, and will infrastructure be restored? The residents of Bolshesoldatsky District are particularly concerned: will we be included on the list of those eligible to receive housing certificates? Currently, we are not |
| В.Путин: Здравствуйте. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Hello. |
| Т.Зиборова: Я жительница Курской области, Большесолдатского района. У меня к вам такой вопрос от всех жителей Курской области. Когда вообще освободят наши Курскую область? Когда отгонят ВСУ настолько далеко, чтобы они даже не смели нам показаться и чтобы даже не могли посмотреть в нашу сторону? Когда мы сможем вернуться в свои дома или где-то, что-то, чтобы было у нас своё жильё? И ещё одно. Будут ли восстанавливать малые сёла, которые были разбиты, будет ли восстановлена инфраструктура? Именно от жителей Большесолдатского района у нас такой вопрос: будут ли включены жители Большесолдатского в список на получение жилищных сертификатов? Сейчас нам их не выдают, так как к нам не заходили ВСУ и мы не числимся в списках для получения сертификатов. |
Full house translation — pending review Т.Зиборова: I am a resident of Kursk Region, Bolshesoldatsky District. I have this question for you on behalf of all residents of Kursk Region. When will our Kursk Region finally be liberated? When will the Ukrainian Armed Forces be driven so far away that they will not even dare show themselves to us or even be able to look in our direction? When will we be able to return to our homes, or somewhere, somehow, so that we have housing of our own? And one more thing. Will the small villages that were destroyed be rebuilt, and will the infrastructure be restored? Specifically, the residents of Bolshesoldatsky District have this question: will the residents of Bolshesoldatsky be included on the list for receiving housing certificates? They are not issuing them to us now, because the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not enter our area and we are not listed as eligible to receive certificates. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, our military personnel who are currently liberating the Kursk Region do not have the status of a participant in the special military operation. |
| В.Путин: Татьяна Николаевна, сомнений нет. Я сейчас не могу и не хочу называть конкретную дату, когда выбьют. Ребята воюют, прямо сейчас идёт бой, бои серьёзные. Я уже говорил, не понятно зачем, военного смысла не было никакого заходить вооружённым силам Украины в Курскую область, держаться сейчас там, как они делают, бросая туда на убой свои лучшие штурмовые группы и подразделения. Тем не менее это происходит. Мы совершенно точно их выбьем, абсолютно точно. По-другому быть не может. Вопрос о конкретной дате – извините, я сейчас просто не могу. Я представляю, я знаю, есть же планы. Они мне докладываются на регулярной основе. Но сказать, к такому числу, – так не делается. И ребята же меня слышат. День-два, назову такую дату, они пойдут во что бы то ни стало к этой дате, не будут считаться с потерями. Мы не можем так поступать. День-два в данном случае не имеет большого значения, но: а) точно выбьют, и б) после этого можно будет оценить ущерб; но что самое главное: в) всё будет восстановлено. Даже не может быть никаких сомнений. Будем восстанавливать и дорожную сеть, и коммунальную инфраструктуру, и объекты социального назначения (школы, детские сады), будем восстанавливать клубы, жильё, конечно, и будут выдаваться и сертификаты на восстановление жилья. Тому, кто хочет переехать, будем помогать переезжать в другие регионы. Уже сейчас выделено на эти цели, если мне память не изменяет, где-то 108 миллиардов рублей. Первые деньги, я знаю, уже получены. Работать администрация будет все праздники, будет встречаться с людьми и решать вопросы, в том числе и по сертификатам. Я понимаю, что в этом ничего хорошего нет, в том, что происходит с вами, люди несут тяжёлые утраты, потери и неудобства такие бытовые, особенно связанные с детьми. Но мы обязательно всё сделаем, не сомневайтесь, Татьяна Николаевна, всё восстановим, и все, кто нуждается в восстановлении жилья, будут удовлетворены в этом смысле, все всё получат, что причитается. И очень рассчитываю на то, что и новый руководитель региона, который назначен в Курскую область, он, в принципе, человек опытный, умеющий работать напрямую с людьми, я поэтому туда его и назначал, он длительное время работает в Государственной Думе, со своими избирателями напрямую работает, умеет это делать. Вот надеюсь, что так и будет, индивидуальная работа с каждым будет налажена. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Tatyana Nikolaevna, there is no doubt. I cannot and do not want now to name a specific date when they will be driven out. The fellows are fighting; a battle is going on right now, serious battles. I have already said: it is not clear why; there was no military sense at all in the armed forces of Ukraine entering Kursk Oblast, in holding on there now, as they are doing, throwing their best assault groups and subunits in there to the slaughter. Nevertheless this is happening. We will drive them out with complete certainty, absolutely certainly. It cannot be otherwise. The question of a specific date — forgive me, I simply cannot now. I picture it; I know; there are plans, after all. They are reported to me on a regular basis. But to say, by such and such a date — that is not how it is done. And the fellows hear me, after all. A day or two, if I name such a date, they will go toward that date at all costs and will not reckon with losses. We cannot act that way. A day or two in this case does not have great significance, but: a) they will certainly drive them out, and b) after that the damage can be assessed; but what is most important: c) everything will be restored. There cannot even be any doubts. We will restore both the road network and the municipal infrastructure and social facilities (schools, kindergartens); we will restore clubs, housing, of course, and certificates for the restoration of housing will be issued too. For those who want to move, we will help them move to other regions. Already now there has been allocated for these purposes, if my memory does not fail me, somewhere around 108 billion rubles. The first money, I know, has already been received. The administration will work through all the holidays, will meet with people and settle questions, including on the certificates. I understand that there is nothing good in this, in what is happening to you; people are bearing heavy losses, losses and such everyday inconveniences, especially those connected with children. But we will certainly do everything; do not doubt, Tatyana Nikolaevna; we will restore everything, and everyone who needs the restoration of housing will be satisfied in this sense; everyone will receive everything that is due. And I count very much on the new head of the region who has been appointed to Kursk Oblast; he is, in principle, an experienced person, able to work directly with people; that is why I appointed him there; he has worked for a long time in the State Duma, works directly with his voters, and knows how to do this. So I hope it will be so, and individual work with each person will be arranged. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, у наших бойцов, которые прямо сейчас освобождают Курскую область, нет статуса участника СВО. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, our fighters who are liberating Kursk Region right now do not have the status of participants in the special military operation. |
| В.Путин: Что-что? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: What, what? |
| Д.Кулько: Нет статуса участника СВО. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: No status as a participant in the special military operation. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Because they are participants in the counter-terrorism operation. This also affects the payments they receive. We received several requests, mostly from the wives of the military personnel: “My husband serves in an assault company in the Kursk Region and is carrying out combat missions. In October and November, he received a pay allowance of 42,000 rubles, even though he is on battle positions. Many soldiers have not received combat daily payments for three or four months. It has been argued that they are in the zone of a counter-terrorism operation, not the special military operation.” Another appeal: “In the Kursk Region, they are paid a monthly salary of 25,000 rubles, not the 210,000 rubles promised in the Ministry of Defence contracts.“ Can this situation be corrected? |
| В.Путин: Почему? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Why? |
| Д.Кулько: Потому что они участники контртеррористической операции. Это сказывается в том числе и на выплатах, которые они получают. Нам написали несколько обращений, в основном жёны военнослужащих: «Мой муж служит в штурмовой роте, находится в Курской области, выполняет боевые задания. В октябре и ноябре получил денежное довольствие 42 тысячи рублей, хотя он на боевых позициях. Многие бойцы уже по три-четыре месяца не получают боевые суточные выплаты. Аргументируют тем, что они находятся в зоне КТО, а не СВО». Ещё одно обращение: «В Курской области платят денежное довольствие в размере 25 тысяч рублей ежемесячно, а не 210 тысяч рублей, как обещают в контрактах Министерства обороны». Можно ли исправить эту ситуацию? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Because they are participants in the counterterrorist operation. This also affects the payments they receive. We have received several appeals, mostly from servicemen’s wives: “My husband serves in an assault company, is in Kursk Region and carries out combat missions. In October and November he received monetary allowances of 42 thousand rubles, although he is in combat positions. Many fighters have not received daily combat allowances for three or four months already. The reason given is that they are in the counterterrorist operation zone, not the special military operation zone.” Another appeal: “In Kursk Region they pay monetary allowances of 25 thousand rubles a month, rather than the 210 thousand rubles promised in Defense Ministry contracts.” Can this situation be corrected? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Thank you very much. |
| В.Путин: Можно и нужно. Это наше упущение. Для меня это неожиданная информация. Я понимаю, о чём идёт речь. Те бойцы, наши военнослужащие, которые воевали на других участках фронта, являются участниками боевых действий. Если их переместили в Курскую область, они всё получают, должны получать. Я проверю. Наверное, есть категория, которая раньше не принимала вообще никакого участия, не воевала на линии боевого соприкосновения, сразу попала в Курскую область и не попала в категорию участников специальной военной операции. Честно говоря, мне это в голову не приходило. Я прошу прощения, но это всё будет исправлено. Жалко, что и военное ведомство не обратило на это внимания – всё-таки это прежде всего их обязанность. Всё поправим, все получат всё, что причитается военнослужащим, которые исполняют свой долг перед Родиной на линии боевого соприкосновения. Пересчитаем и задним числом. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: One may, and one must. This is an omission of ours. For me this is unexpected information. I understand what is being spoken of. Those fighters, our servicemen who fought on other sectors of the front, are participants in combat operations. If they were moved to the Kursk region, they receive everything; they ought to receive it. I will check. There is probably a category that previously took no part at all, did not fight on the line of contact, went straight into the Kursk region, and did not fall into the category of participants in the special military operation. To tell the truth, this had not entered my head. I ask forgiveness, but all of this will be put right. It is a pity that the military department did not pay attention to it either — this is their duty first of all, after all. We will put everything right; everyone will receive everything due to servicemen who are doing their duty to the Motherland on the line of contact. We will recalculate, including retroactively. |
| Д.Кулько: Спасибо большое. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Thank you very much. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: I personally know a few soldiers who are eager to get an answer right now. |
| В.Путин: Обязательно, сомнений нет. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Certainly, there is no doubt. |
| Д.Кулько: Я знаю лично бойцов, которые сейчас очень ждут такого ответа. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: I personally know fighters who are very much waiting for such an answer right now. |
| В.Путин: Да-да. Хочу, чтобы ребята меня услышали. Ребята, не беспокойтесь, и семьи ваши пускай не беспокоятся: всё будет пересчитано, и все положенные выплаты, и боевые, всё, что положено, всё будет исполнено. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, yes. I want the guys to hear me. Guys, do not worry, and let your families not worry either: everything will be recalculated, and all the payments that are due, including combat pay, everything that is due, will be carried out. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, Вы уже сегодня говорили, что ВСУ отправляет просто на убой свои спецподразделения в Курскую область. Действительно, потери там колоссальные, это буквально бросается в глаза. Я такое количество брошенных тел противника, честно говоря, никогда не видел, действительно ими завалены все лесопосадки. А сколько натовской техники наши бойцы там наколотили: и Abrams, и Bradley, и Leopard. Знаете, как говорят: сейчас Курская область, на этой курской земле находится самое большое в мире кладбище натовской техники. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, you have already said today that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are simply sending their special units into Kursk Region to be slaughtered. Indeed, the losses there are enormous; they literally catch the eye. To be honest, I have never seen so many abandoned enemy bodies; all the shelterbelts really are littered with them. And how much NATO equipment our fighters have knocked out there: Abrams, Bradley and Leopard. You know what people say: now Kursk Region, this land of Kursk, is home to the world’s largest graveyard of NATO equipment. |
| В.Путин: Может быть, да. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Perhaps, yes. |
| Д.Кулько: Но единственный такой момент… |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: But there is just one point… |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Please, could I ask, could I put in a word for the fighters, for those who destroyed that equipment: will they receive the promised reward? |
| В.Путин: Сейчас количество бронетехники, подбитой в Курской области, уже, по-моему, переросло количество техники, уничтоженной нашими ребятами за весь прошлый год на всей линии боевого соприкосновения, примерно сопоставимые цифры. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Right now the quantity of armored equipment knocked out in the Kursk region has already, I think, exceeded the quantity of equipment destroyed by our guys over the whole of last year along the entire line of contact; the figures are roughly comparable. |
| Д.Кулько: Разрешите спросить, замолвить словечко за бойцов, вот за тех самых, которые побили эту технику: а получат ли они обещанное вознаграждение? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Allow me to ask, to put in a word for the fighters, those very fighters who destroyed this equipment: will they receive the promised reward? |
| В.Путин: За подбитую технику? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: For knocked-out equipment? |
| Д.Кулько: Да. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Yes. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: To be honest, they are facing some difficulties. That is surprising. I know that the Defence Minister is listening to our conversation now, and this will definitely be done. No one should have any doubt about this. |
| В.Путин: Должны, конечно. А что, есть проблемы с этим? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Of course they should. Why, are there problems with that? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Thank you. |
| Д.Кулько: Тяжеловато идёт, честно говоря. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: It is going rather slowly, to be honest. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Shall we move on to questions from the audience? |
| В.Путин: Странно. Я знаю, что и Министр обороны слушает сейчас нашу беседу, это всё будет сделано. Даже сомнений в этом не должно быть ни у кого. Всё будет сделано. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Strange. I know that the Minister of Defense is also listening to our conversation now; all of this will be done. No one should have any doubt about this. Everything will be done. |
| Д.Кулько: Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Thank you. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Since we are talking about military issues, let’s start with the Zvezda television channel. |
| Д.Песков: Может быть, мы в зал перейдём? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Perhaps we could move on to the hall? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Konstantin Kokoveshnikov: Good afternoon. Konstantin Kokoveshnikov, Zvezda TV channel. |
| В.Путин: Да. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. |
| Д.Песков: Поскольку военная тематика, давайте телеканал «Звезда», пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Since we are discussing military matters, let us hear from Zvezda television, please. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Konstantin Kokoveshnikov: I cannot but ask you about the statements that we have heard over the past few weeks concerning the footage of the first combat tests of the latest Oreshnik missile, which has been shown all over the world. One gets the impression that it really has no drawbacks, but the West continues to refer to Oreshnik as a modification of old Soviet weapons, claiming that this missile can be shot down by air defence even at the launch stage. How would you comment on this? Does it have any shortcomings? If you do not mind, I have a clarifying question: what meaning did the creators of the Oreshnik put into the name – hazel tree? There are several versions. |
| К.Коковешников: Добрый день! Телеканал «Звезда», Коковешников Константин. |
Full house translation — pending review К.Коковешников: Good afternoon! Zvezda television, Konstantin Kokoveshnikov. |
| В.Путин: Здравствуйте! |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Hello! |
| К.Коковешников: Не могу не спросить про заявления, которые мы слышали последние несколько недель, говоря о растиражированных на весь мир кадрах первых боевых испытаний новейшей ракеты «Орешник». Складывается впечатление, что у неё действительно нет недостатков, но на Западе, например, продолжают называть «Орешник» модификацией старого советского оружия и говорят о том, что эту ракету может сбить ПВО даже на стадии пуска. Как бы Вы это могли прокомментировать, есть ли у неё недостатки? Если позволите, уточняющий вопрос: какой всё-таки смысл вкладывали создатели «Орешника» в его название? Потому что на этот счёт существуют разные варианты. |
Full house translation — pending review К.Коковешников: I cannot help asking about the statements we have heard over the past few weeks concerning the footage, circulated worldwide, of the first combat tests of the newest Oreshnik missile. One gets the impression that it really has no shortcomings, but in the West, for example, they continue to call Oreshnik a modification of an old Soviet weapon and say that air defenses can shoot down this missile even at the launch stage. How would you comment on this, and does it have shortcomings? If I may, a follow-up question: what meaning did Oreshnik’s creators actually intend in its name? Because there are different versions on that score. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Konstantin Kokoveshnikov: Why this name? |
| 10 Military Technology – Oreshnik Missile | |
| В.Путин: Первое, по поводу того, насколько это старое либо новое оружие, современное. Это современное, очень новое оружие. Всё, что делается в любой сфере деятельности, опирается на какие-то прежние разработки, на прежние достижения, а потом люди делают шаг вперёд. Всё то же самое по «Орешнику». Да, были разработки, причём, кстати говоря, разработки уже российского периода времени. Вот на этой базе учёные, конструкторы, инженеры думали, что сделать ещё, согласовывали свою позицию с Министерством обороны, с заказчиком. В конце концов это до меня дошло, и я тоже принял участие в окончательном решении по поводу того, производить, не производить, в каком объёме, когда, как. Это новое оружие. Повторяю ещё раз: это оружие средней и меньшей дальности. Вы сказали о том, что некоторые эксперты на Западе полагают, что такая ракета легко сбивается, уничтожается, особенно на начальной траектории полёта. Что можно сказать таким экспертам? Существует несколько видов систем ПВО, как вы знаете, вы же из «Звезды», – это Patriot, это более современные системы THAAD. Не знаю, есть они на Украине или нет, по-моему, нет. Если американцы решат поставить, пусть поставят, пускай THAAD поставят. Это более современные, схожие с нашим С-400. Если Patriot можно соотносить с российской системой С-300, то THAAD – это С-400, характеристики послабее, но в целом С-400. Пускай поставят, мы наших ребят на Украине попросим, чтобы они нам подсказали, какие там есть современные, ценные для нас решения. Когда я говорю «наших ребят», я говорю без иронии, нам есть с кем разговаривать на Украине, и там много наших ребят, которые тоже вместе с нами мечтают о том, чтобы избавить свою страну от неонацистского режима. Есть и другие средства поражения – это система ПРО, противоракетной обороны, о которой много говорили, много дискутировали. Мы упрашивали когда-то американцев не разворачивать эту систему, чтобы нам не нужно было создавать систем преодоления. В конце концов мы это сделали. У нас появился планирующий блок «Авангард», который не летит по траектории, а стелется по земле, не выходит в космос, не баллистическая ракета и так далее. Мы много чего сделали для преодоления ПРО. В целом, с точки зрения интересов американских налогоплательщиков, вся эта история – затратная вещь, дающая мало что для обеспечения безопасности их страны. Но эта система тем не менее создана в значительном объёме. Создано два позиционных района: один – в Румынии, один – в Польше. И там, и там на боевом дежурстве уже стоит под 24 противоракеты. Я уже не помню, по-моему, называются они «Стандарт-3». В Румынии это, по-моему, модификация «1B». Дальность поражения – 300 километров, высота поражения – от 80 до 250 километров. В Польше более грозное оружие, поновее. Там дальность перехвата уже тысяча километров, а высота 500 километров. Но «Орешник» у нас – это оружие средней дальности, а оружие средней дальности – это тысяча, тысяча пятьсот, три и больше, до 5,5 тысячи. Дальность вот какая. Теперь представим себе, что наша система стоит на удалении две тысячи километров. Просто даже противоракеты, расположенные на территории Польши, до него не достанут. Да, на первом участке, на разгонном участке, говорят, уязвимость большая. Во-первых, туда ничего не долетит, даже если эти позиционные районы не защищены, а они, конечно, защищаются. Ничего не долетает, нет таких систем, которые туда долетают. Второе – всё-таки, чтобы долететь на такое расстояние, нужно время, а у нас через несколько секунд начинается разведение боевых блоков – и всё, поезд ушёл. Так что шансов никаких нет для того, чтобы сбить эти ракеты. Если те западные эксперты, про которых Вы сказали, так полагают, пусть они предложат нам и пусть предложат тем на Западе и США, кто им платит за их анализ, произвести некий технологический эксперимент, скажем, высокотехнологичную дуэль XXI века. Пусть определят какой-то объект для поражения, скажем, в Киеве, сосредоточат туда все свои силы ПВО и ПРО, а мы нанесём туда удар «Орешником», и посмотрим, что будет. Мы к такому эксперименту готовы. Готова ли другая сторона? Мы в любом случае этого не исключаем, имея в виду, что все системы ПРО и ПВО всё равно находятся у них в работе. Для нас будет интересно. То, что я вам рассказал, – это мне рассказывают инженеры, учёные, военные специалисты. На уровне политического руководства в Штатах тоже что-то рассказывают. Проведём такой эксперимент, такую технологическую дуэль, и посмотрим, что получится. Интересно. Думаю, что будет полезно и для нас, и для американской стороны. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: First, regarding how old or new, how modern this weapon is. It is a modern, very new weapon. Everything done in any field of activity builds on earlier developments, on earlier achievements, and then people take a step forward. It is exactly the same with Oreshnik. Yes, there were earlier developments—and, incidentally, developments from the Russian period already. Building on this, scientists, designers and engineers considered what else could be done and coordinated their position with the Ministry of Defense, the customer. Eventually it reached me, and I too participated in the final decision on whether to produce it or not, in what quantities, when and how. It is a new weapon. I repeat once again: it is an intermediate- and shorter-range weapon. You said that some experts in the West believe such a missile can easily be shot down and destroyed, especially along the initial part of its flight path. What can be said to such experts? There are several types of air defense systems, as you know, since you are from Zvezda: Patriot and the more modern THAAD systems. I do not know whether they are in Ukraine; I think not. If the Americans decide to supply them, let them do so, let them supply THAAD. These are more modern, similar to our S-400. If Patriot can be compared with the Russian S-300 system, then THAAD is an S-400, with somewhat weaker specifications, but generally an S-400. Let them supply it; we will ask our guys in Ukraine to tell us what modern design solutions of value to us are in it. When I say “our guys,” I am speaking without irony: we have people to talk to in Ukraine, and there are many of our guys there who also dream, together with us, of freeing their country from the neo-Nazi regime. There are other means of engagement too: the missile defense system, about which much has been said and debated. We once pleaded with the Americans not to deploy this system so that we would not need to create systems to penetrate it. In the end, we did so. We acquired the Avangard glide vehicle, which does not fly along a trajectory but skims along the ground, does not go into space, is not a ballistic missile, and so on. We have done a great deal to penetrate missile defenses. Overall, from the standpoint of American taxpayers' interests, this whole undertaking is an expensive affair that does little to ensure their country's security. Nevertheless, a substantial portion of this system has been built. Two deployment areas have been established: one in Romania and one in Poland. In both places, close to 24 interceptor missiles are already on combat duty. I do not quite remember; I think they are called Standard-3. In Romania, I believe it is the 1B variant. Its engagement range is 300 kilometers and its engagement altitude is from 80 to 250 kilometers. In Poland, the weapon is more formidable and newer. Its interception range is already a thousand kilometers, and its altitude is 500 kilometers. But our Oreshnik is an intermediate-range weapon, and intermediate-range weapons have ranges of a thousand, fifteen hundred, three and more, up to 5.5 thousand. That is the range. Now imagine that our system is located two thousand kilometers away. Even the interceptors stationed in Poland simply cannot reach it. Yes, they say it is highly vulnerable during the initial, boost phase. First, nothing will reach there, even if these deployment areas are undefended—and of course they are defended. Nothing reaches it; there are no systems that can reach it. Second, after all, it takes time to cover such a distance, whereas our warheads begin separating after a few seconds—and that is it, the train has left the station. So there is no chance whatsoever of shooting these missiles down. If those Western experts you mentioned think so, let them propose to us, and to those in the West and the United States who pay them for their analysis, that we conduct a technological experiment, say, a high-tech duel of the XXI century. Let them select a target to be struck, say, in Kyiv, concentrate all their air and missile defense forces there, and we will strike it with Oreshnik and see what happens. We are ready for such an experiment. Is the other side ready? In any case, we do not rule this out, bearing in mind that all their missile and air defense systems are operating anyway. It would be interesting for us. What I have told you is what engineers, scientists and military specialists tell me. At the political leadership level in the States, they also say things. Let us conduct such an experiment, such a technological duel, and see what happens. Interesting. I think it would be useful both for us and for the American side. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Why this name? Honestly? I do not know. |
| К.Коковешников: Почему такое название? |
Full house translation — pending review К.Коковешников: Why that name? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Let’s take one more question from the audience. Let’s go over there. I can see. Rossiyskaya Gazeta. A question on peace perhaps? Aisel Gereikhanova: Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Aisel Gereikhanova. Mr President, you signed an executive order changing the nuclear doctrine recently. Do you think the West correctly took the signal and understood it properly? |
| Д.Песков: Почему такое название? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Why that name? |
| В.Путин: Честно? Не знаю. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Honestly? I don't know. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте из зала ещё вопрос хотя бы. Давайте в ту сторону уйдём. Я вижу – «Российская газета», может быть, что-то по мирным делам? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us take at least one more question from the hall. Let us go in that direction. I see Rossiyskaya Gazeta; perhaps something about peaceful matters? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Mr Peskov, let’s take one more question from the audience. I can see that you are holding the microphone. Dmitry Peskov: |
| А.Герейханова: « Российская газета», Айсель Герейханова. Владимир Владимирович, Вы недавно подписали указ об изменении ядерной доктрины. Как Вы считаете, на Западе правильно услышали сигнал, правильно его поняли? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Герейханова: Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Aysel Gereykhanova. Vladimir Vladimirovich, you recently signed a decree amending the nuclear doctrine. Do you think the West heard the signal correctly and understood it correctly? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Sure. Darya Shuchalina: Mr President, please give the floor to the Arctic. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Dmitry Peskov: We agreed not to shout out questions and respect each other. Vladimir |
| 3 Nuclear Doctrine Update | |
| В.Путин: Я не знаю, как они поняли. Это надо у них спросить. Я знаю, что является содержанием этих изменений, но это не новая доктрина, это действительно изменения. Некоторые ключевые вещи я назову. Мы говорим о некоторых военных опасностях, новых, которые могут перерасти в военные угрозы. Это и появление вот этих систем ПРО, и некоторые другие вещи, и мы их называем. Затем мы говорим о повышении ответственности неядерных государств, которые могут принимать участие в агрессии против Российской Федерации вместе со странами, которые обладают ядерным оружием. И если такие страны также будут, как и их союзники, создавать угрозу нашему суверенитету, существованию России, то тогда мы имеем в виду, что считаем себя вправе применять и против них наше ядерное оружие. И наконец, ещё одна компонента, связанная с управлением ядерным оружием, и ещё одна, четвёртая, важная вещь – мы объявили о том, что если такие же угрозы будут создаваться для нашего союзника – члена Союзного государства, для Белоруссии, то Российская Федерация будет это рассматривать так же, как создание аналогичных угроз для самой России. И мы сделаем всё, чтобы обеспечить безопасность Белоруссии. Это мы делаем по согласованию с белорусским руководством, по согласованию с Президентом Белоруссии Александром Григорьевичем Лукашенко. И я думаю, что это очень важная компонента обновлённой ядерной стратегии Российской Федерации. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I do not know how they understood it. That must be asked of them. I know what the content of these changes is, but this is not a new doctrine; these really are changes. I will name some key things. We speak of certain military dangers, new ones, that may grow into military threats. This is the appearance of these missile-defense systems, and certain other things, and we name them. Then we speak of raising the responsibility of non-nuclear states that may take part in aggression against the Russian Federation together with countries that possess nuclear weapons. And if such countries, like their allies, also create a threat to our sovereignty, to the existence of Russia, then we have in mind that we consider ourselves entitled to use our nuclear weapons against them too. And finally, one more component, connected with the control of nuclear weapons, and one more, a fourth, important thing: we have declared that if the same threats are created for our ally, a member of the Union State, for Belarus, then the Russian Federation will regard this in the same way as the creation of analogous threats to Russia itself. And we will do everything to ensure the security of Belarus. We do this in coordination with the Belarusian leadership, in coordination with the President of Belarus, Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko. And I think this is a very important component of the updated nuclear strategy of the Russian Federation. |
| А.Суворова: Дмитрий Сергеевич, давайте ещё один вопрос из зала. Вижу, что рука на микрофоне уже у Вас. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Dmitry Sergeyevich, let us take another question from the floor. I see that your hand is already on the microphone. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Darya Shuchalina: Good afternoon, Mr President, Darya Shuchalina, Republic of Komi, Respublika newspaper. First of all, thank you very much for returning our fellow Komi man, Rostislav Goldshtein. He is now Acting Head of Komi and let’s just say he immediately got down to business because he knows the region very well. Thank you for your choice. |
| Д.Песков: Да, давайте. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Yes, let us. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: He is a good |
| Д.Шучалина: Владимир Владимирович, Арктике слово. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Шучалина: Vladimir Vladimirovich, give the Arctic the floor. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Darya Shuchalina: Thank you for your choice. Now, to proposals. In the Russian Arctic territories, in the Far East and in the Far North, as well as in the Republic of Komi, there are many residential areas with up to 2,000 residents. Unfortunately, these residential areas are not eligible for a very good state programme on construction of cinemas. We know that people in the North are dedicated to their home regions; they are not moving to bigger cities and instead serving their country in their towns and villages. There are not many entertainment opportunities in the North. At this moment in time, when the patriotic film industry is growing in Russia, it would be great to have this criterion amended in the law and ensure that northern residential areas with a population of up to 2,000 residents be eligible for this programme. So that residents would be able to go and see films in comfortable modern cinemas. As for the poster I am holding, you worked in our region as a member of a student construction brigade in your younger years, so you know that this Soviet-era mechanism was very effective. Unfortunately, today there is no legal framework for it. Would it be possible to amend Federal Law No 44 regarding state and municipal contracts for budget-funded construction projects so that these student construction brigades can carry out at least 10 to 15 percent of contractual work? This way, young people can gain valuable work experience and earn some money. Companies could also benefit from these human resources, and this could serve as a development driver for the regions since they would be able to build social infrastructure they need. |
| Д.Песков: Мы договорились, что мы не будем кричать и мы будем уважать друг друга. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: We agreed that we would not shout and that we would respect one another. |
| В.Путин: Да, давайте кричать не будем и будем уважать, но Арктике слово дадим. Давайте начальство будем слушаться. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, let us not shout and let us show respect, but let us give the Arctic the floor. Let us obey the leadership. |
| Д.Шучалина: Владимир Владимирович, добрый день! Дарья Шучалина, Республика Коми, газета «Республика». Во-первых, большое спасибо, что вернули в регион нашего земляка – Ростислава Гольдштейна. Он теперь врио главы и, скажем так, с места в карьер сразу приступил к работе, потому что хорошо знает регион. Спасибо за Ваш кадровый выбор. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Шучалина: Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich! Darya Shuchalina, the Komi Republic, Respublika newspaper. First of all, thank you very much for bringing our fellow countryman Rostislav Goldstein back to the region. He is now acting head and, so to speak, hit the ground running, getting straight to work because he knows the region well. Thank you for your choice of personnel. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Daria Shuchalina: I was talking about municipalities and regions reserving a specific share in construction contracts for student construction brigades. |
| В.Путин: Он хороший руководитель, чуткий человек, очень стабильный и системный. Надеюсь, что у него всё получится. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: He is a good manager, a sensitive person, very steady and systematic. I hope that everything works out for him. |
| Д.Шучалина: Спасибо за него. И к предложениям. У нас в стране на арктических территориях, на Дальнем Востоке, в районах Крайнего Севера и у нас в Республике Коми немало населённых пунктов до 2 тысяч жителей, и, к сожалению, такие населённые пункты не подпадают в очень хорошую госпрограмму по обустройству кинозалов. Мы понимаем, что у нас на Севере люди преданы своей малой родине, они не уезжают в мегаполисы, они служат стране именно в своих сёлах и деревнях. И, скажем прямо, досуга на Севере не так много. Тем более что у нас сейчас очень активно развивается патриотическая составляющая нашего отечественного кинематографа, и было бы здорово, если бы можно было откорректировать законодательно вот этот критерий в программе, чтобы северные населённые пункты до двух тысяч жителей могли бы подпадать, чтобы люди в комфортных, в современных условиях могли бы смотреть кинофильмы. Что касается темы моего плаката. Вы у нас были в молодости в студенческом студотряде и, как никто, знаете, насколько эта советская практика была эффективна. Сегодня, к сожалению, законодательно тема не прописана чётко. Возможно ли откорректировать 44-й закон, чтобы, когда речь идёт о государственных и муниципальных контрактах, когда речь об объектах строительства за счёт бюджета, чтобы хотя бы 10–15 процентов общих строительных работ можно было закладывать именно на студотряды, поскольку для молодёжи это хороший новый трудовой опыт и заработок, для предприятий это кадровое подспорье, для регионов это ускорение, возведение очень нужных социальных объектов. Ещё раз: эти 10 процентов откуда? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Шучалина: Thank you for him. Now to the proposals. In our country, in the Arctic territories, in the Far East, in the Far North and in our Komi Republic, there are quite a few settlements with up to 2 thousand residents, and unfortunately these settlements do not qualify for a very good state program for equipping cinema halls. We understand that in the North people are devoted to their home areas; they do not leave for major cities, they serve the country right there in their villages and hamlets. And, frankly, there are not that many leisure opportunities in the North. Especially since the patriotic component of our domestic cinema is now developing very actively, it would be wonderful if this criterion in the program could be amended through legislation so that northern settlements with up to two thousand residents could qualify, enabling people to watch films in comfortable, modern surroundings. As for the subject of my sign. You came to our region in your youth with a student work brigade, and you know better than anyone how effective this Soviet practice was. Today, unfortunately, the issue is not clearly defined in law. Would it be possible to amend Law 44 so that, when it comes to state and municipal contracts and construction projects financed from the budget, at least 10–15 percent of the total construction work could be earmarked specifically for student work brigades? For young people this means good new work experience and earnings; for enterprises it is help with staffing; for the regions it means faster construction of much-needed social facilities. Once again: where would this 10 percent come from? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Daria Shuchalina: Yes. |
| Д.Шучалина: Из общестроительных работ, чтобы могли муниципалитеты или регионы закладывать. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Шучалина: From general construction work, so that municipalities or regions could earmark it. |
| В.Путин: Да. Те средства, которые предусмотрены на строительную отрасль, частично направлять на стройку? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. The funds provided for the construction sector, partly direct them to construction? |
| Д.Шучалина: Да. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Шучалина: Yes. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Daria Shuchalina: I also had a question about cinemas. |
| В.Путин: Я поговорю с Хуснуллиным. Наверное, это возможно. Мы же сейчас занимаемся возрождением, оно возрождается. Я думаю, что оно возрождено на самом деле – строительные отряды, эти движения стройотрядов. Такой механизм финансирования, наверное, возможен, и, я думаю, он, кстати говоря, используется. Но я проверю и с Маратом Шакирзяновичем обязательно поговорю, хорошо? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I will speak with Khusnullin. This is probably possible. We are now engaged in a revival; it is being revived. I think it has in fact been revived — the construction brigades, these construction-brigade movements. Such a financing mechanism is probably possible, and I think, by the way, that it is being used. But I will check, and I will certainly speak with Marat Shakirzyanovich, all right? |
| Д.Шучалина: И про кинозалы. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Шучалина: And about movie theaters. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Daria Shuchalina: I was talking about cinemas. |
| В.Путин: Да. Спортивные залы или кинозалы? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. Sports halls or cinema halls? |
| Д.Шучалина: Кинозалы. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Шучалина: Movie theaters. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Daria Shuchalina: Especially considering that we now have all these great Russian patriotic films… |
| В.Путин: Вы знаете, совершенно для меня неожиданно. Что касается Арктической зоны. Во-первых, мы там сохранили льготную ипотеку под 2 процента, так же, как Дальний Восток, и Арктика под 2 процента сохраняется ипотека, что, на мой взгляд, очень важно: люди пользуются этой льготой. Ещё для новых территорий тоже 2 процента сохраняется. Это первое. Второе. Мы в этой зоне делаем целую программу для отдельных населённых пунктов (это 25 городов, по-моему, агломерации) и будем это расширять по всей стране до 200 городов. Речь идёт о небольших населённых пунктах. Они могут не попасть в эти планы развития агломерации и отдельных городов числом 25. Мы, конечно, посмотрим, что можно сделать дополнительно для небольших населённых пунктов, для Арктической зоны. Безусловно, это очень важно, потому что они там в большинстве своём являются небольшими по количеству населения. Но, видимо, исходили из того, что здесь нужно развивать быстрый интернет и так далее, что этого достаточно. Но я с Вами согласен: когда это в кинозале происходит, другая атмосфера, другое настроение. Обязательно на это посмотрю, я пометил. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: You know, this is wholly unexpected for me. As for the Arctic zone. First, we have kept the concessionary mortgage there at 2 percent, just as in the Far East, and in the Arctic the mortgage is kept at 2 percent, which in my view is very important: people make use of this concession. For the new territories too, 2 percent is kept. That is the first point. The second. In this zone we are making a whole program for particular settlements (these are 25 cities, in my view, agglomerations), and we will extend this across the whole country, up to 200 cities. The talk is of small settlements. They may not fall within these plans for developing the agglomeration and particular cities to the number of 25. We will of course look at what more can be done for small settlements, for the Arctic zone. This is of course very important, because most of them there are small in population. But the view was apparently that what was needed here was to develop fast internet and so on, and that this was enough. But I agree with you: when this takes place in a cinema, the atmosphere is different, the mood is different. I will certainly look into it; I have made a note. |
| Д.Шучалина: Тем более что у нас действительно сейчас очень качественное российское патриотическое кино. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Шучалина: Especially since we really do have very high-quality Russian patriotic cinema now. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Let’s take another question from the audience and continue. Dear friends, with all due respect, by asking two questions in a row, you are |
| В.Путин: Да, согласен. Это отдельная тема. От нас уходят многие производители, дай бог им здоровья, а это толкает наше собственное производство, в том числе и кинопроизводство. Это правда. С учётом такого объединяющего людей подъёма общества, конечно, очень важно и историческое. Наши сказки, былины и прочее возрождаются. Я сам иногда смотрю с удовольствием со своими близкими малышами. Вы правы. Я пометил, мы постараемся на это отреагировать. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, I agree. This is a separate subject. Many producers are leaving us; God grant them health, and this pushes our own production, including film production. That is true. Given this upsurge in society that brings people together, what is historical is of course also very important. Our fairy tales, byliny, and the rest are being revived. I myself sometimes watch them with pleasure with the little ones close to me. You are right. I have made a note; we will try to respond to this. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте ещё один из зала, продолжим. Дорогие друзья, при всём уважении, задавая подряд два вопроса, вы лишаете кого-то из своих коллег возможности задать его вопрос. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us take another from the floor and continue. Dear friends, with all due respect, by asking two questions in a row you deprive one of your colleagues of the opportunity to ask their question. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Let’s proceed this way, then. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Krasnoyarsk. Dmitry Novikov: Good afternoon. I am Dmitry Novikov with Yenisei TV channel, Krasnoyarsk. Mr President, you once referred to Krasnoyarsk as the centre of Russia. The city is now preparing to celebrate its 400th anniversary. |
| В.Путин: Не слушайте Пескова, задавайте. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Do not listen to Peskov; ask. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте тогда в эту сторону пойдём. Красноярск. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us go in this direction, then. Krasnoyarsk. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes. Firstly, I believe this is a very appropriate approach. Relocating certain entities, including federal bodies, to various regions of the country can stimulate development. For example, we are working to consolidate the judicial branch in St Petersburg. This approach is common in some countries and serves to separate the judiciary from the Presidential Executive Office and the Government, making it more independent geographically. In this case, it also enhances St Petersburg’s role as a functional capital city. Other regional centres, such as Krasnoyarsk, certainly benefit from having a stronger tax base tied to local production. Ensuring that taxes are paid at the site of economic activity provides a boost to regional development. We are committed to advancing this initiative, though the process is complex. Regarding RusHydro, when Viktor Maryin was being considered for the leadership role, I asked him directly if he was prepared to relocate to Krasnoyarsk. His response was, “Yes.” I followed up with, “What about your wife?” to which he replied, “She will agree.” This process takes time, as you can understand. The necessary personnel need to be in place. Relocating people from Moscow is challenging, not because they are lazy or unwilling to move to Siberia, but due to other considerations like children, schools, kindergartens, universities and other family matters. It is indeed a difficult process. Personnel need to be trained on site. However, efforts are underway, and RusHydro is in the process of relocating. We will also work hard so that major corporations and, I repeat, certain other government bodies move to other regions of Russia. This is a vast country – the world’s biggest, in fact. Of course, we must ensure that major manufacturing hubs, corporations and government institutions are spread out across its territory. However, there are also certain limits here, since the President and the Government must be close to one another as they must work closely together. Nevertheless, we must pursue this path, and this is what we will try to do. Thank you very much for the invitation. |
| Д.Новиков: Здравствуйте! Дмитрий Новиков, телеканал «Енисей», город Красноярск. Владимир Владимирович, Вы назвали Красноярск центром России. Сейчас город готовится к празднованию своего 400-летия. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Новиков: Hello! Dmitry Novikov, Yenisey television channel, Krasnoyarsk. Vladimir Vladimirovich, you called Krasnoyarsk the center of Russia. The city is now preparing to celebrate its 400th anniversary. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: There were business leaders who went as far as to suggest moving the capital to Krasnoyarsk. This is something they have discussed. |
| В.Путин: Извините, что перебиваю, ради бога, не сердитесь. Но я не назвал, это географический центр России, так и есть. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Sorry for interrupting; for heaven's sake, do not be angry. But I did not name it; this is the geographic center of Russia, and so it is. |
| Д.Новиков: Да, конечно. Город готовится к празднованию своего 400-летия, мы будем отмечать его в 2028 году. И конечно, пользуясь случаем, хотели бы пригласить Вас в Красноярск на юбилей. Вопрос у меня следующий. Сейчас в Красноярск переезжает головной офис компании «РусГидро», это была Ваша инициатива. Кажется, что логичным было бы продолжить эту работу и в отношении ряда других компаний, причём не только государственных, но и бизнес-структур. Для региона это дополнительные налоги и, конечно, новые возможности для развития. Рассматриваете ли Вы такую возможность? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Новиков: Yes, of course. The city is preparing to celebrate its 400th anniversary, which we will mark in 2028. And of course, taking this opportunity, we would like to invite you to Krasnoyarsk for the anniversary. My question is as follows. RusHydro's head office is now moving to Krasnoyarsk; this was your initiative. It seems logical to continue this work with a number of other companies, not only state-owned ones but also private businesses. For the region this means additional tax revenue and, of course, new opportunities for development. Are you considering this possibility? Thank you. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Mr President, excuse me, but I spotted Andrei |
| В.Путин: Да. Во-первых, я считаю, что это очень правильно, и некоторые, может быть, даже федеральные органы переводить в различные центры страны. Это всё-таки подталкивает развитие. Мы пытаемся сосредоточить всю судебную власть в Петербурге. В некоторых странах всё это происходит. Это отстёгивает как бы отдельную ветвь власти – судебную власть – от президентского офиса, от Правительства, делает её даже географически более самостоятельной и придаёт функции столичного города в данном случае Петербургу. Но и другие центры, такие как Красноярск, конечно же, нуждаются в том, чтобы там и налоговая составляющая заработала поярче, чтобы и налоги платили по месту производства. Это просто толчок к развитию региона. Мы будем это делать. Процесс сложный. Вы сказали про «РусГидро». Да, действительно. Когда я назначал на эту должность, вернее сказать, «благословлял» будущего руководителя «РусГидро» Марьина Виктора Викторовича, сразу сказал: готовы будете переехать в Красноярск? Он говорит: да. Я говорю: а жена? В ответ: она согласится. Но это требует времени, понимаете? Нужно, чтобы кадры были на месте. Так, из Москвы людей очень сложно утащить. Не потому, что они ленивые или не хотят в Сибирь ехать. Дети, школы, детские сады, институты – сложный процесс. А кадры на месте надо готовить. Тем не менее «РусГидро» передвигается туда. Будем обязательно работать и над тем, чтобы крупные компании, повторяю, некоторые другие органы власти управления перемещались в другие регионы России. Территория огромная, самая большая территория в мире. И конечно, по стране нужно распределять крупные производственные центры, компании и органы управления. Но есть всему предел, потому что всё-таки, скажем, Президент, Правительство, они где-то должны быть рядом, очень тесное взаимодействие. Тем не менее идти по этому пути нужно, будем стараться это делать. Спасибо большое за приглашение. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. First, I consider that this is very right, and that some, perhaps even federal, bodies should be moved to various centers of the country. This all the same pushes development. We are trying to concentrate the whole judicial power in St. Petersburg. In some countries all this takes place. This unfastens, as it were, a separate branch of power — the judicial power — from the presidential office, from the Government, makes it even geographically more independent, and gives the functions of a capital city, in this case, to St. Petersburg. But other centers too, such as Krasnoyarsk, of course need the tax component to start working more brightly there, so that taxes too would be paid at the place of production. This is simply a push to the development of the region. We will do this. The process is complicated. You spoke of RusHydro. Yes, indeed. When I appointed to this post, or rather "blessed," the future head of RusHydro, Viktor Viktorovich Maryin, I said at once: will you be ready to move to Krasnoyarsk? He says: yes. I say: and your wife? The answer: she will agree. But this requires time, do you understand? Cadres must be in place. It is very hard to drag people out of Moscow in this way. Not because they are lazy or do not want to go to Siberia. Children, schools, kindergartens, institutes — a complicated process. And cadres must be prepared on the spot. Nevertheless RusHydro is moving there. We will certainly also work on having large companies, I repeat, and some other bodies of administrative authority, move to other regions of Russia. The territory is enormous, the largest territory in the world. And of course large production centers, companies, and bodies of administration need to be distributed across the country. But there is a limit to everything, because all the same, say, the President and the Government must be somewhere near each other; the interaction is very close. Nevertheless one must go along this path; we will try to do this. Thank you very much for the invitation. |
| А.Суворова: Некоторые бизнесмены даже предлагали перенести столицу в Красноярск, были такие разговоры. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Some businesspeople even proposed moving the capital to Krasnoyarsk; there was talk of that. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Rudenko: Mr President, I have been working as a war correspondent in Donbass since 2014. Today, I am heading Donetsk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Here is my question, and it is quite a serious one. There is a massive reconstruction effort underway across Donbass, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. However, the war continues in our region. Our troops are gaining ground, while the enemy keeps destroying cities and villages. Do we have the strength and the resources we need for rebuilding and restoring our historical territories after recovering them? |
| В.Путин: Ну да, про Красноярск, Иркутск. Петр I собирался вообще где делать? На юге. Выбирал между Петербургом и южным городом, Таганрогом, в Таганроге хотел делать. Изначально была мысль в Таганроге делать столицу империи. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Well yes, about Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk. Where was Peter I going to put it at all? In the south. He was choosing between Petersburg and a southern city, Taganrog; he wanted to put it in Taganrog. The initial idea was to make the capital of the empire in Taganrog. |
| Д.Песков: Владимир Владимирович, я прошу прощения, просто увидел здесь Андрея Руденко, нашего уважаемого военкора из Донецка. Я не могу не дать ему слова. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Vladimir Vladimirovich, excuse me, I just spotted Andrey Rudenko here, our esteemed war correspondent from Donetsk. I cannot help giving him the floor. |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста, Андрей. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please, Andrei. |
| А.Руденко: Владимир Владимирович, я работаю с 2014 года на Донбассе военным корреспондентом, сегодня возглавляю ГТРК «Донецк». У меня вопрос такой, он довольно-таки серьёзный. По всему Донбассу, по Херсонской области, Запорожской идут грандиозные восстановительные работы. Но у нас не прекращается война, мы идём вперёд, враг уничтожает населённые пункты. Хватит ли у нас сил и средств восстановить полностью наши исторические территории, которые мы возвратили себе? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Руденко: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I have worked as a war correspondent in Donbas since 2014, and today I head the Donetsk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. My question is this, and it is quite serious. Enormous reconstruction work is underway throughout Donbas and in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. But the war here is not stopping; we are advancing, and the enemy is destroying populated areas. Will we have enough strength and resources to restore fully our historical territories that we have reclaimed? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Mr Putin, I have a follow-up question. Did you mean tax collection when you spoke about taxes in these regions? |
| 4 Regional Development and Reconstruction of New Territories | |
| В.Путин: Хватит, даже сомнений в этом быть не должно. У нас огромная программа для восстановления и развития этих территорий, она рассчитана до 2030 года. Работа уже ведётся и будет вестись по целому ряду направлений: это восстановление дорожной сети, это восстановление жилья, это восстановление объектов ЖКХ, соцкультбыта. По дорогам: мы в течение трёх лет планируем привести всю дорожную сеть этих регионов в нормативное, российское состояние. Вы сами оттуда, знаете, что эта работа уже идёт. Есть очень хорошее реализуемое начало: мы планируем построить кольцевую дорогу вокруг Азовского моря, которое стало внутренним морем Российской Федерации. Это будет такая же дорога, как «Таврида» в Крыму – четырёхполосное движение со всеми преимуществами для такой трассы. Одна часть уже сделана, только начало, от того же самого Таганрога до Мариуполя, это небольшой участок – 40 километров, но планирование идёт вокруг всего Азовского моря. Есть ещё одна дорога – между Мариуполем и Донецком. Она почти 100 километров, если быть более точным, по-моему, 97. И вся дорожная сеть будет восстанавливаться. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: There will be enough; there must not even be any doubt of it. We have an enormous program for restoring and developing these territories; it runs to 2030. Work is already going on and will go on along a whole set of lines: restoring the road network, restoring housing, restoring housing-and-utilities facilities and social and cultural amenities. On the roads: over three years we plan to bring the whole road network of these regions into a proper, Russian condition. You are from there yourself, and you know this work is already under way. There is a very good start being carried through: we plan to build a ring road around the Sea of Azov, which has become an inland sea of the Russian Federation. It will be a road of the same kind as the Tavrida in Crimea — four-lane traffic, with all the advantages of such a route. One part is already done, only the beginning, from that same Taganrog to Mariupol; it is a short stretch, 40 kilometers, but the planning runs around the whole Sea of Azov. There is one further road, between Mariupol and Donetsk. It is almost 100 kilometers; to be more exact, in my view, 97. And the whole road network will be restored. |
| Повторяю: это обеспечено деньгами. Некоторые объекты социального назначения уже введены в строй, в том же Донецке – перинатальный центр мирового класса, в Мариуполе – медицинский центр, в Запорожской области, на юге, планируется очень большая детская клиническая больница. Местные жители попросили, и губернатор настаивал на этом. Сейчас, по-моему, планировка уже идёт, будем строить обязательно. В общем, по всем этим направлениям у нас запланирована большая работа до 2030 года. Уже сейчас восстановлено в основном 21 тысяча объектов, причём 11 тысяч – за счёт средств федерального бюджета, а 10 тысяч объектов – за счёт регионов-шефов со всей Российской Федерации. Я, кстати, хочу прямо в камеру посмотреть и поблагодарить руководителей и жителей этих регионов за эту огромную помощь. Это общегосударственная задача. Это то, что сделано, но в течение ближайших пяти-шести лет мы должны восстановить и построить ещё 20 тысяч объектов, и всё это будет сделано. |
Full house translation — pending review Повторяю: this is backed by funding. Some social facilities have already been commissioned: in Donetsk itself, a world-class perinatal center; in Mariupol, a medical center; and in the Zaporozhye Region, in the south, a very large children's clinical hospital is planned. Local residents requested it, and the governor insisted on it. The planning is already underway now, I believe; we will certainly build it. In general, we have major work planned in all these areas through 2030. Already, 21 thousand facilities have largely been restored, with 11 thousand funded by the federal budget and 10 thousand facilities by sponsoring regions from across the Russian Federation. Incidentally, I want to look straight into the camera and thank the leaders and residents of these regions for this enormous help. This is a nationwide task. That is what has been done, but over the next five or six years we must restore and build another 20 thousand facilities, and all this will be done. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Incidentally, we are receiving a lot of different questions from the new regions, particularly concerning the calculation of pensions. The point is that often, the length of work in Ukraine is not being taken into account. People simply don’t have the supporting documents. Let us now turn our attention to a video message from pensioner Leonid Shipilov. |
| А.Руденко: Владимир Владимирович, по Луганской Народной Республике хотел сказать: за всё время никогда там не существовало – имею в виду, за время управления Украины – дорог. На сегодняшний день идеальные дороги по всей Луганской Народной Республике. Люди безмерно благодарны. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Руденко: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I wanted to say regarding the Lugansk People's Republic: there were never any roads there throughout that time, I mean during Ukrainian rule. Today there are perfect roads throughout the Lugansk People's Republic. People are immensely grateful. |
| В.Путин: Это самое необходимое, что мы можем и должны сделать. Делать будем больше. Что касается конкретных регионов, то я бы хотел обратиться к жителям этих регионов да и ко всей России, чтобы люди тоже знали во всей стране, что эти регионы имеют очень хороший потенциал развития, их налоговый потенциал очень большой. В той же Луганской Народной Республике, по-моему, на 97 процентов возросли налоги, которые собираются. На Донбассе, по-моему, 69 процентов уже рост налогов. В Запорожье, в Херсоне вообще рост измеряется сотнями процентов. Там, правда, соответствующие цифры гораздо меньше, база гораздо меньше, но рост какой?! Сотнями процентов, 200 с лишним процентов и там, и там. То есть налоговая база хорошая, возрождение идёт достаточно быстро, и все эти регионы выходят в зону самообеспеченности. Да, нужно поддержать людей, нужно вовремя оказать помощь, подставить плечо. Страна это делает и будет продолжать это делать до полного вхождения этих регионов в Россию – не юридически, а в смысле социального и экономического развития. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: This is the most necessary thing we can and must do. We will do more. As for the particular regions, I would like to address the inhabitants of these regions, and all of Russia too, so that people throughout the country also know that these regions have a very good potential for development; their tax potential is very large. In the Luhansk People's Republic itself, in my view, the taxes collected have grown by 97 percent. In the Donbass, in my view, the growth in taxes is already 69 percent. In Zaporizhzhia and in Kherson the growth is measured in hundreds of percent altogether. True, the corresponding figures there are much smaller, and the base is much smaller, but what growth! In hundreds of percent, 200 and more percent, both in the one place and in the other. That is, the tax base is a good one, the revival is proceeding fairly fast, and all these regions are coming out into a zone of self-sufficiency. Yes, people must be supported, help must be given in time, a shoulder put under them. The country is doing this and will go on doing it until these regions have entered Russia fully — not in the legal sense, but in the sense of social and economic development. |
| А.Суворова: Один уточняющий вопрос: Владимир Владимирович, Вы сейчас говорите о налогах – речь о сборе налогов в этих регионах? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: One clarifying question: Vladimir Vladimirovich, you are speaking about taxes now; do you mean tax collection in these regions? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Leonid Shipilov: My name is Leonid Shipilov, I am a pensioner from Krasny Liman. I have an employment record spanning 45 years. Currently, I live in Donetsk with my daughter, due to the ongoing hostilities in Krasny Liman. In May 2022, my home was destroyed in a shelling, resulting in the loss of my employment record book. Consequently, I am unable to secure a fair recalculation of my pension. The only document that could verify my employment history is the OK-5 certificate. In July of this year, I submitted this certificate to the Pension Fund in the Kalininsky District of Donetsk, yet I still have not received a response. I appeal to you for assistance in clarifying this matter. |
| В.Путин: О сборе налогов в этих регионах. Повторяю ещё раз: я могу в чём-то ошибиться, но в Донецке рост составил уже где-то 79 процентов, в Луганске – вообще 90 с лишним, а в Херсоне и Запорожье, в этих областях, – 200 с лишним процентов рост. Там абсолютные цифры меньше, и база была меньше, но просто это тенденция, и она устойчивая. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: On the collection of taxes in these regions. I repeat once more: I may be mistaken about something, but in Donetsk growth has already come to somewhere around 79 percent, in Luhansk generally 90 and more, and in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, in these regions, growth of 200 and more percent. The absolute figures there are smaller, and the base was smaller, but this is simply the trend, and it is a steady one. |
| А.Суворова: Кстати, вообще, из новых регионов поступает очень много различных вопросов, в том числе по расчёту пенсий. Дело в том, что зачастую стаж, который был получен ранее на Украине, сейчас не учитывается. У людей просто нет документов. Давайте сейчас послушаем видеообращение пенсионера Леонида Шипилова. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Incidentally, a great many different questions are coming from the new regions, including about pension calculations. The fact is that years of service previously accumulated in Ukraine are often not being counted now. People simply have no documents. Let us now listen to a video appeal from pensioner Leonid Shipilov. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Indeed, there are numerous queries regarding the loss of documents. This issue extends beyond pensions to include education and property titles. I would like to share a few more messages. |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please. |
| Л.Шипилов: Я Шипилов Леонид Николаевич, пенсионер из Красного Лимана. Стаж у меня 45 лет. На данный момент проживаю в городе Донецк у дочери, так как в Красном Лимане ведутся боевые действия. В мае 2022 года при обстреле сгорел мой дом. Сгорела трудовая книжка. В связи с этим я не могу добиться справедливого перерасчёта пенсии. Единственный документ, который может подтвердить мой стаж, – это справка ОК-5. В июле этого года я представил её в Пенсионный фонд Калининского района города Донецка, но до сих пор мне не последовало никакого ответа. Прошу Вас помочь разобраться в сложившейся ситуации. |
Full house translation — pending review Л.Шипилов: I am Leonid Nikolayevich Shipilov, a pensioner from Krasny Liman. I have 45 years of service. At present I live with my daughter in the city of Donetsk, because fighting is taking place in Krasny Liman. In May 2022, my house burned down during shelling. My employment record book burned. Because of this, I cannot obtain a fair recalculation of my pension. The only document that can confirm my years of service is an OK-5 certificate. In July this year, I submitted it to the Pension Fund of the Kalininsky District of Donetsk, but I have still received no response. I ask you to help sort out this situation. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Housing is another major issue in this region. We have numerous appeals and calls that came from Mariupol from people who expected to receive housing as compensation, but so far, that has proved problematic. I will quote a few of them. “Mariupol needs help in building the compensatory housing,” this text message says. “The new buildings were completed last spring, but they have not been open for occupancy yet,” Alexei Tsygankov writes – this is one of the appeals. In fact, |
| В.Путин: Леонид Николаевич, это житейские проблемы, но они важны для людей, я прекрасно это понимаю, нужно подтверждать стаж. Было сложно это сделать до недавнего времени, но совсем недавно был принят закон о том, что весь стаж, полученный человеком в предыдущие годы, десятилетия, засчитывается. По-моему, в ноябре был принят соответствующий федеральный закон. Поэтому для того, чтобы решить Ваш вопрос, имеются нормативно-правовые основания. Все вопросы подобного рода, даже если нет документов, закрываются свидетельскими показаниями и решениями межведомственных региональных комиссий. Я очень прошу руководство республики таким образом построить свою работу, чтобы вопросы подобного рода решались без лишней бюрократии. Совсем недавно разговаривал с Пушилиным, руководителем Донецкой Народной Республики. Он мне рассказывал о том, как принимал делегацию из Африки. Мы очень рады нашим друзьям, гостям, и он сам собирается поехать в Африку. Это очень хорошо, и это правильно. Надо поддерживать отношения. Но хочу напомнить ему, что есть ещё и Леонид Николаевич, на которого тоже нужно обратить внимание. И надеюсь, что работа межведомственных региональных комиссий будет налажена должным образом. Повторяю ещё раз, тем более что появилось законное основание: принят соответствующий федеральный закон. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Leonid Nikolaevich, these are everyday problems, but they matter to people; I understand this perfectly; length of service has to be confirmed. It was hard to do this until recently, but quite recently a law was adopted that the whole length of service a person obtained in previous years, over decades, is counted. In my view the corresponding federal law was adopted in November. So for resolving your question there are legal grounds. All questions of this kind, even if there are no documents, are closed by witness testimony and by decisions of interagency regional commissions. I very much ask the leadership of the republic to arrange its work so that questions of this kind are resolved without excess bureaucracy. Quite recently I spoke with Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People's Republic. He told me how he received a delegation from Africa. We are very glad of our friends and guests, and he himself is going to travel to Africa. That is very good, and it is right. Relations must be maintained. But I want to remind him that there is also Leonid Nikolaevich, to whom attention must also be paid. And I hope the work of the interagency regional commissions will be arranged properly. I repeat once more, all the more so since a lawful basis has appeared: the corresponding federal law has been adopted. |
| А.Суворова: Действительно, сейчас приходит очень много обращений с вопросом об утере документов. И речь идёт не только о пенсиях, также об образовании, праве собственности. Хочу ещё процитировать несколько сообщений. Я уже говорил: эти вопросы закрываются решениями межведомственных комиссий и так называемыми свидетельскими показаниями. Речь идёт не о каком-то судебном процессе, а о том, чтобы получить достоверные сведения от соседей, сослуживцев и так далее. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Indeed, a great many appeals are now coming in concerning lost documents. And this concerns not only pensions, but also education and property rights. I also want to quote several messages. As I have already said, these issues are resolved through decisions by interagency commissions and so-called witness testimony. This is not about some judicial proceeding, but about obtaining reliable information from neighbors, colleagues and so on. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: It is easy to remember. |
| А.Суворова: Ещё одна большая тема в этом регионе – жильё. Очень много обращений и звонков поступило из Мариуполя от тех, кто рассчитывал получить жильё в качестве компенсации, но пока не смог этого сделать. Приведу несколько из них. «Нужна помощь Мариуполю в строительстве компенсационного жилья. Сколько нам ещё сменить съёмного?» – пришла СМС с таким текстом. «Дома построили ещё весной, но заселение до сих пор не началось», – об этом пишет Алексей Цыганков, вот одно из обращений. Их на самом деле тоже достаточное количество, это только то, что мы отобрали. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Another major issue in this region is housing. A great many appeals and calls have come from Mariupol, from people who expected to receive housing as compensation but have not yet been able to do so. I will cite several of them. "Mariupol needs help building replacement housing. How many more rented homes must we move between?" A text message arrived with these words. "The buildings were completed back in the spring, but people still have not begun moving in," writes Alexei Tsygankov; that is one of the appeals. In fact, there are quite a few of them too; these are just the ones we selected. |
| В.Путин: Мариуполю мы уделяем много внимания, и это заслуженно, это большой город. До начала боевых действий там проживало официально где-то 430 тысяч человек. Местные руководители говорят, что это на самом деле не так, что проживало и больше – 470 тысяч. Может быть, там где-то три с лишним тысячи многоквартирных домов. Я там был, всё это я знаю, и коллеги из Правительства докладывают регулярно. Примерно 1700 домов восстановлено, но не все ещё введены, документы на 500 с лишним домов сейчас ещё оформляются, но они уже есть. Что там происходит? Там восстанавливаются дома и строятся заново. Там, где дома не подлежат восстановлению, на этом месте местные власти, потому что приняли решение дома снести и передать эти участки для застройки застройщикам, и там возникает коммерческое жильё, которое можно получить по ипотеке под два процента. Потому что ипотека под два процента сохраняется на новых территориях. Кстати говоря, там такой на самом деле в известной степени строительный бум происходит, и в тот же Мариуполь вернулось уже, по нашим оценкам, как минимум 300 тысяч человек, и количество населения быстрым темпом продолжает расти. Мы занимаемся там тоже и дорогами, и школами, и соцкультбытом, и медициной – там возник крупный медицинский центр недавно, и учебными заведениями. И будем продолжать это делать. Но вот что касается жилья, повторяю, есть дома, которые переданы застройщикам. Но люди, граждане, имеют право получить жильё хотя бы рядом с тем местом, где они раньше проживали. Лучше там же, если дом восстанавливается, уже людям предоставлять жильё именно там, или если на этом месте возникает дом, построенный так называемыми застройщиками, то нужно делать всё для того, чтобы этот человек мог получить не где-то там, на окраине, за чертой города уже, а рядом с тем местом, где он проживал ранее. В городе имеется пять тысяч бесхозных квартир. Местным властям нужно перестать их придерживать, а нужно тоже распределять между людьми. Конечно, всё должно быть законно – ещё кто-то возвращается, надо всё это продумать. Но эти вопросы нужно решать. Одно могу сказать точно: все, кто имеет право на компенсацию, все эту компенсацию получат. Если нет, то, пожалуйста, обращайтесь в соответствующие органы и местной власти, и федеральной власти. Вот эти, по-моему, центры по принятию решения, по-моему, как раз там находятся, они созданы, они имеются. Если мне память не изменяет, как раз на улице Марата и находятся. Это мне Марат Шакирзянович об этом доложил. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: We give Mariupol a great deal of attention, and this is deserved; it is a large city. Before the start of the combat operations, somewhere around 430 thousand people officially lived there. Local leaders say that in fact this is not so, that more lived there — 470 thousand. Perhaps there are somewhere three-plus thousand apartment buildings there. I have been there; I know all this, and colleagues from the Government report regularly. Roughly 1700 buildings have been restored, but not all have yet been commissioned; documents for 500-plus buildings are still being drawn up now, but they already exist. What is happening there? Buildings are being restored there, and built anew. Where buildings cannot be restored, on that site the local authorities, because they took the decision to demolish the buildings and transfer these plots for development to developers, and commercial housing arises there, which can be obtained on a mortgage at two percent. Because the mortgage at two percent is preserved in the new territories. By the way, a construction boom of a known degree is in fact taking place there, and at least 300 thousand people, by our estimates, have already returned to that same Mariupol, and the size of the population continues to grow at a rapid pace. We are occupied there with roads too, and schools, and social and cultural facilities, and medicine — a large medical center arose there recently — and educational institutions. And we will continue to do this. But as for housing, I repeat, there are buildings that have been transferred to developers. But people, citizens, have the right to receive housing at least near the place where they lived before. Better in the same place, if the building is being restored, to provide people with housing precisely there already, or if a building built by the so-called developers arises on that site, then everything must be done so that this person can receive it not somewhere out there, on the outskirts, already beyond the city line, but near the place where he lived before. The city has five thousand ownerless apartments. The local authorities need to stop holding them back, and need to distribute them among people too. Of course everything must be lawful — someone else is still returning; all this must be thought through. But these questions need to be solved. One thing I can say for certain: everyone who has a right to compensation will receive this compensation. If not, then please apply to the corresponding bodies both of the local authority and of the federal authority. These centers for taking decisions, I think, are located right there; they have been created; they exist. If my memory does not fail me, they are located right on Marat Street. Marat Shakirzyanovich reported this to me. |
| А.Суворова: Легко запомнить. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Easy to remember. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, speaking of the southern regions, I would like to highlight the environmental impact caused by the sinking of two tankers during a storm in the Kerch Strait. The petroleum products were washed ashore, onto a beach near Anapa. Currently, the pollution is spreading in the direction of Gelendzhik. The situation is worsening. Currently, the Emergencies Ministry staff, volunteers, and local residents are involved in the cleanup effort. They are making videos, posting footage on social media, and have sent a few to our programme. Let us take a look. |
| В.Путин: Легко запомнить. Если место не перепутал, но, по-моему, это там. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Easy to remember. If I have not mixed up the place, but in my view it is there. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, говоря о южных регионах, хочется упомянуть ещё об экологической ситуации, которая сложилась после крушения двух танкеров во время шторма в Керченском проливе. Нефтепродукты выбросило на берег, на пляж в районе Анапы. И сейчас, как мы знаем, это загрязнение распространяется в сторону Геленджика. Ситуация ухудшается. Сейчас на очистку берега вышли и сотрудники МЧС, и добровольцы, и простые жители. Они снимают видео, выкладывают в социальных сетях и присылали в том числе к нам в программу. Я предлагаю сейчас посмотреть. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, speaking of the southern regions, I would also like to mention the environmental situation following the wreck of two tankers during a storm in the Kerch Strait. Petroleum products washed ashore onto the beach near Anapa. And now, as we know, this pollution is spreading toward Gelendzhik. The situation is worsening. Emergency Situations Ministry personnel, volunteers and ordinary residents have now come out to clean the coast. They are filming videos, posting them on social media and have also sent them to our program. I suggest we watch now. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, these harrowing images come from a beach resort. I am aware of the fact that you ordered to clean things up as soon as possible. Is there any way to speed up this process and minimise the impact? |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста. (Демонстрируется видеоролик.) |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please. (A video clip is shown.) |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, такие ужасающие кадры с курортных пляжей. Я знаю, что Вы уже дали поручение о скорейшей ликвидации последствий ЧП. Но можно ли как-то ускорить эту работу и минимизировать это загрязнение? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, such horrifying footage from resort beaches. I know you have already issued instructions to eliminate the consequences of the emergency as quickly as possible. But is there some way to speed up this work and minimize this pollution? |
| 12 Environmental Disaster – Oil Spill in Kerch Strait | |
| В.Путин: Во-первых, это, конечно, беда экологическая, это совершенно очевидно. Правоохранительные органы дают оценку действиям капитанов судов. Мне докладывали, что, по их мнению, капитаны судов нарушили соответствующие правила, не ушли вовремя в укрытие. Некоторые суда ушли в укрытие, с ними всё нормально, а эти не ушли и на якорь встали не там, где было положено. С этим пускай соответствующие службы Минтранса и правоохранительные органы разбираются. Это первое. Прямо сейчас, на данный момент времени не знаю, что происходит, но вчера ещё шторм продолжался 4–5 баллов, и работать достаточно сложно. К субботе, по-моему, всё-таки море должно утихнуть, можно будет наладить работу. Второе. Почему я говорю о том, что это беда большая и катастрофа, потому что почти 40 процентов топлива вытекло, это совершенно очевидно, это уже ясно. Некоторые в притопленном состоянии, некоторые затонули, некоторые находятся в полуподтопленном состоянии у берега. И нужно с этим работать. Работают разные службы, службы разных ведомств, это и Министерство природных ресурсов, это Минтранс, это МЧС. Эта работа должна координироваться, я попросил Председателя Правительства организовать рабочую группу, её возглавляет Савельев Виталий Геннадьевич, вице-премьер по транспорту. И все службы работают. Регулярно и мне докладывают о том, что происходит. Нужно изучать, и нужно будет изучить, в каком состоянии танкеры находятся. И нужно, конечно, думать о том, что делать в ближайшем будущем. Эта проблема должна быть разбита по времени как минимум на этапы. Первый этап. Сейчас нужно всё сделать для того, чтобы огородить этот участок бонами, не дать возможности расползаться этому пятну. Первое. Второе. Надо сделать всё, чтобы убрать топливо, которое появляется на берегу. Как мне вчера или позавчера доложил губернатор Кондратьев Вениамин Иванович, он говорит: я сосредоточил там группировку около 4 тысяч человек. В принципе, каких-то других мероприятий, он так мне, во всяком случае, сказал, сейчас не требуется. Но если это будет нужно, мы, конечно, готовы будем развернуть там и дополнительную группировку МЧС. Но всё-таки это то, что нужно делать сейчас. Это топливо, это топочный мазут, он имеет свои свойства при определённых температурах. Он является твёрдым материалом, его в таком виде выбрасывает на берег, надо убирать, но часть этого мазута уже залегла на дно, и где-то в мае это может при других температурах подняться и тоже выбрасываться, поэтому нужно уже сейчас готовиться к тому моменту, когда температура воды поднимется. Нужно уже сейчас думать о том, что нам делать с подъёмом. Так или иначе, нужно как-то вытаскивать подзатопленные танкеры на берег. Нужно их укреплять сейчас, чтобы ничего не вытекало, а так подводить туда так называемое полотенце и потом делать проект, это отдельная большая работа, и вытаскивать все танкеры с топливом на берег. Это большая работа. Правительство этим занимается. Очень рассчитываю на то, что время не будет упущено. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: First, this is of course an ecological calamity; this is completely obvious. The law-enforcement bodies are assessing the actions of the ships' captains. It was reported to me that, in their opinion, the ships' captains violated the corresponding rules and did not go into shelter in time. Some ships went into shelter; everything is normal with them, and these did not go and dropped anchor not where it was prescribed. Let the corresponding services of the Ministry of Transport and the law-enforcement bodies sort this out. That is the first thing. Right now, at the given moment, I do not know what is happening, but yesterday the storm was still continuing at 4–5 points, and it is fairly difficult to work. By Saturday, I think, the sea ought all the same to calm down, and it will be possible to arrange the work. The second thing. Why I say that this is a great calamity and a catastrophe is because almost 40 percent of the fuel has leaked out; this is completely obvious; this is already clear. Some are in a half-sunken state, some have sunk, some are in a half-flooded state by the shore. And one must work on this. Various services are working, services of various agencies; this is the Ministry of Natural Resources, this is the Ministry of Transport, this is the Ministry of Emergency Situations. This work must be coordinated; I asked the Chairman of the Government to organize a working group; it is headed by Vitaly Gennadievich Savelyev, the deputy prime minister for transport. And all the services are working. They report to me regularly on what is happening. One must study, and it will be necessary to study, the condition the tankers are in. And one must of course think about what to do in the nearest future. This problem must be broken down by time into stages at a minimum. The first stage. Now everything must be done to fence off this stretch with booms, not to give this slick the possibility of spreading. The first thing. The second. Everything must be done to remove the fuel that appears on the shore. As the governor, Veniamin Ivanovich Kondratyev, reported to me yesterday or the day before, he says: I have concentrated a grouping of about 4 thousand people there. In principle, some other measures, so he told me in any case, are not required now. But if this is needed, we will of course be ready to deploy an additional grouping of the Ministry of Emergency Situations there too. But all the same this is what needs to be done now. This fuel, this heating fuel oil, has its properties at certain temperatures. It is a solid material; in that form it is thrown onto the shore; it must be removed, but part of this fuel oil has already settled on the bottom, and somewhere in May, at other temperatures, it may rise and be thrown out too, so one must prepare already now for the moment when the water temperature rises. One must think already now about what we are to do about the lifting. One way or another, the half-flooded tankers must somehow be pulled out onto the shore. They must be reinforced now so that nothing leaks, and in that way a so-called towel must be brought up there and then a project made; this is a separate large piece of work, and all the tankers with fuel must be pulled out onto the shore. This is a large piece of work. The Government is occupied with this. I count very much on time not being lost. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте в зал пару-тройку вопросов. Владимир Владимирович, если не возражаете, я вижу наших американских коллег-журналистов. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us take two or three questions from the hall. Vladimir Vladimirovich, if you do not mind, I can see our American journalist colleagues. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: I can see NBC News. Please. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Keir Simmons: Mr President, Keir Simmons, NBC News. Two questions in English, if you don’t mind. Sorry, Mr Peskov. The first one is about President-elect Trump. Mr President, you have failed to reach the objectives of your special military operation. Large numbers of Russians have died, including a general assassinated here in Moscow this week. And the leader of Syria, who you supported, has been overthrown. Mr President, when you face President-elect Trump, you will be the weaker leader. How do you propose to compromise? What are you going to offer? And my second question, Mr President, is this: the mother of an American journalist who is missing in Syria, Austin Tice, has written to you and asked for your help to try to find him because, she says, you have such connections with the Syrian Government and former President Assad. Are you prepared to ask President Assad for information about what happened in Syria to try to find the missing, including this American journalist? |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please. |
| Д.Песков: Я вижу NBC, пожалуйста. К.Симмонс (как переведено): Господин Президент, Кир Симмонс, NBC News. Есть два вопроса, если Вы позволите. Первый касается избранного Президента Трампа. Господин Президент, Вы не смогли достичь целей специальной военной операции. Большое количество россиян погибло, включая генерала, на которого было совершено покушение здесь, в Москве, на этой неделе. Глава Сирии, который был отстранён от власти. Господин Президент, когда Вы встретитесь с Президентом Д.Трампом, Вы будете более слабым лидером. Как Вы собираетесь поступить? Что Вы сможете предложить в качестве компромисса? И второй вопрос, господин Президент. Мать американского журналиста, который пропал без вести в Сирии, Остин Тайс, направила Вам письмо и просила Вашей помощи в поисках сына, потому что она сказала, что у Вас есть связи с сирийским правительством и бывшим президентом Асадом. Готовы ли Вы к тому, чтобы попросить президента Асада предоставить информацию о том, что произошло в Сирии, для того чтобы можно было найти этого пропавшего без вести сына, американского журналиста? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: I can see NBC, please. K. Simmons (as translated): Mr President, Keir Simmons, NBC News. There are two questions, if you will allow me. The first concerns President-elect Trump. Mr President, you have failed to achieve the goals of the special military operation. A large number of Russians have died, including a general who was the target of an assassination attempt here in Moscow this week. The head of Syria, who was removed from power. Mr President, when you meet President D. Trump, you will be a weaker leader. What are you going to do? What will you be able to offer as a compromise? And the second question, Mr President. The mother of the American journalist who went missing in Syria, Austin Tice, sent you a letter and asked for your help in searching for her son, because she said you have connections with the Syrian government and former President Assad. Are you prepared to ask President Assad to provide information about what happened in Syria so that this missing son, the American journalist, can be found? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Keir Simmons: I have a letter here sent to you this week by the mother of an American journalist who is missing in Syria. He has been missing for 12 years. He is called Austin Tice. In this letter, she is asking for your help to try to find him because she says you have such close connections to the former Syrian Government, to President Assad. Will you ask President Assad for information about the missing in Syria and about Austin Tice, this woman’s son? She says she is prepared to come to Moscow if it will help to find out anything she can about her son. |
| В.Путин: Ещё раз повторите, пожалуйста, Ваш вопрос в части журналиста. Где пропал журналист? Когда и что там с ним произошло? К.Симмонс (как переведено): У меня есть письмо, которое было направлено Вам на этой неделе, матери американского журналиста, который пропал без вести в Сирии ещё 12 лет назад. Его зовут Остин Тайс. В этом письме она просит Вашей помощи в его поисках, потому что, как она говорит, у Вас есть тесные связи с бывшим президентом Сирии Асадом. Сможете ли Вы попросить президента Асада предоставить информацию относительно Остина Тайса? Она сказала, что она готова приехать в Москву, если это будет необходимо, если это поможет получить возможную информацию о её сыне. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please repeat your question once more, in the part about the journalist. Where did the journalist disappear? When, and what happened to him there? K. Simmons (as translated): I have a letter that was sent to you this week, from the mother of an American journalist who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. His name is Austin Tice. In this letter she asks for your help in the search for him, because, as she says, you have close ties with the former president of Syria, Assad. Will you be able to ask President Assad to provide information concerning Austin Tice? She said she is ready to come to Moscow if that is necessary, if it will help obtain possible information about her son. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, I would like to remind you of another question that my colleague asked about the murder of General Kirillov. |
| В.Путин: Я понял. Садитесь, пожалуйста. Если Вам сказать честно, я пока не виделся с президентом Асадом после его приезда в Москву. Но я планирую это сделать, обязательно с ним поговорю. Мы с Вами взрослые люди, понимаем: 12 лет назад человек пропал в Сирии. 12 лет назад. Мы понимаем, какая ситуация была там 12 лет назад. Там шли активные боевые действия, причём с обеих сторон. Знает ли сам президент Асад о том, что произошло с этим американским гражданином, с журналистом, который, я так понимаю, исполнял свой журналистский долг в зоне боевых действий? Тем не менее я обещаю, что обязательно этот вопрос задам, так же как мы можем задать вопрос и тем людям, которые контролируют ситуацию на земле в Сирии сегодня. Вы сказали: что мы можем предложить или я могу предложить вновь избранному президенту Трампу, когда мы с ним встретимся? Во-первых, я не знаю, когда мы с ним встретимся, потому что он об этом ничего не говорит. Я с ним вообще не разговаривал более четырёх лет. Я готов к этому, конечно, в любое время, и готов буду ко встрече, если он захочет этого. Вы сказали, что этот разговор состоится в ситуации, когда я буду находиться в каком-то ослабленном состоянии. Уважаемый коллега. Почему я говорю «уважаемый»? Потому что, несмотря на все гонения на нашу прессу, мы вам позволяем работать в России, и вы делаете это свободно. Уже хорошо. Вам и тем людям, которые вам платят заработную плату в Соединённых Штатах, очень бы хотелось, чтобы Россия была в ослабленном положении. Я придерживаюсь другой точки зрения. Я полагаю, что Россия стала гораздо сильнее за предыдущие два-три года. Почему? Потому что мы становимся по-настоящему суверенной страной, мы уже мало от кого зависим. Мы в состоянии уверенно держаться на ногах с точки зрения экономики. О темпах развития экономики я уже сказал. Мы укрепляем свою обороноспособность, боеготовность наших Вооружённых Cил сегодня находится, уверенно говорю, на самом высоком месте в мире. На самом высоком месте в мире. То же самое касается и нашей оборонной промышленности. Мы наращиваем производство всего, что нужно для нашей армии и флота, причём и на текущий момент, и на перспективу. Делаем это достаточно уверенно, быстрыми темпами, чего не скажешь о наших противниках. Мы уже говорили об успехах наших Вооружённых Сил. Не в последнюю очередь это происходит из-за роста производства оборонных отраслей промышленности Российской Федерации. Мы делаем это, повторяю, уверенно и достаточно рационально. Было сказано о том, что наши войска продвигаются на линии боевого соприкосновения. И что? За счёт чего? В том числе за счёт наличия той техники, о которой я сейчас сказал. Да, с нами практически воюют все страны НАТО. Мы говорили о нашей инфляции. А что там происходит? Один снаряд 155 миллиметров – он 2 года назад стоил 2 тысячи евро, теперь стоит 8 тысяч евро – в 4 раза подорожание. Если всё будет развиваться таким же темпом, то не только 2 процентов на оборонные расходы, на которых всегда настаивал вновь избранный Президент США господин Трамп, странам НАТО не будет хватать. Не будет хватать и 3 процентов. Выучка, боеготовность, внутреннее состояние российских войск таково, которого нет, пожалуй, сегодня ни у одной армии мира. Поэтому я считаю, что Россия в значительной степени находится сегодня в том состоянии, которого мы и добивались. Она окрепла, она стала по-настоящему суверенной страной, и мы принимать решения будем без всякой оглядки на чужое мнение, будем руководствоваться только своими национальными интересами. Вы сказали про Сирию. Вам и тем, кто, повторяю, платит заработную плату, хочется подать всё, что происходит в Сирии, как какой-то сбой, поражение России. Уверяю Вас, что это не так. И скажу почему. Мы ведь пришли в Сирию 10 лет назад для того, чтобы там не был создан террористический анклав наподобие того, что мы наблюдали в некоторых других странах, скажем, в Афганистане. В целом мы своей цели достигли. И даже те группировки, которые воевали в своё время с режимом Асада, с правительственными войсками, тоже претерпели внутренние изменения. Недаром сегодня многие европейские страны и Соединённые Штаты хотят наладить с ними отношения. Если они террористические организации, чего же вы туда лезете? Значит, они изменились, не так ли? А это значит, что в известной степени цель достигнута. Далее. У нас не было наземных войск в Сирии. Их просто там не было. Там две наши базы: военно-воздушная и военно-морская. Наземная компонента состояла из вооружённых сил самой Сирии и некоторых, как все мы знаем, здесь секрета никакого нет, так называемых проиранских боевых соединений. Мы вывели даже оттуда в своё время силы спецопераций. Мы там не воевали просто. Что там происходило? Когда группы вооружённой оппозиции подошли к Алеппо, Алеппо защищало примерно 30 тысяч человек. В город вошло 350 человек боевиков. Правительственные войска, а вместе с ними и так называемые проиранские подразделения, отошли без боя, взорвали свои позиции и ушли. И также практически, кроме небольших исключений, где были кое-какие боестолкновения, было по всей территории Сирии. Если раньше, допустим, те же наши иранские друзья просили помочь им перевезти свои подразделения на территорию Сирии, то теперь они у нас попросили выводить их оттуда. Мы вывезли 4 тысячи иранских бойцов в Тегеран с базы Хмеймим. Часть так называемых проиранских подразделений ушли без боя в Ливан, часть – в Ирак. Сегодня ситуация складывается непросто, конечно, в Сирийской Арабской Республике. Мы очень рассчитываем на то, что там наступит мир, спокойствие. Мы поддерживаем отношения со всеми группировками, которые там контролируют ситуацию, со всеми странами региона. Подавляющее число из них говорит нам о том, что были бы заинтересованы в том, чтобы наши военные базы в Сирии остались. Не знаю, мы должны подумать над этим, потому что для себя должны решить, как у нас будут складываться отношения с теми политическими силами, которые сейчас контролируют и будут контролировать ситуацию в этой стране в будущем – наши интересы должны совпадать. Если мы там остаемся, значит, должны делать что-то в интересах той страны, где мы находимся. В чём будут заключаться интересы? Что мы сможем для них сделать? Это вопрос, ждущий кропотливого исследователя с обеих сторон. Уже сейчас мы кое-что можем сделать, в том числе с использованием этих баз – мы уже предложили это нашим партнёрам, в том числе которые находится на территории Сирии, и соседним странам. Предложили использовать, скажем, авиационную базу Хмеймим для доставки гуманитарной помощи в Сирию. И это принято с пониманием и желанием организовать эту работу совместно. То же самое касается и военно-морской базы в Тартусе. Поэтому, кому бы ни хотелось представить Россию ослабленной, поскольку Вы американец, хочу вспомнить известного всем человека и писателя, который как-то сказал: «Слухи о моей смерти сильно преувеличены». Если когда-то состоится встреча с вновь избранным Президентом, господином Д.Трампом, уверен, нам будет о чём поговорить. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I understand. Please sit down. If I am to tell you honestly, I have not yet met with President Assad after his arrival in Moscow. But I plan to do so; I will certainly talk with him. We are adults, we understand: 12 years ago a man disappeared in Syria. 12 years ago. We understand what the situation was there 12 years ago. Active combat operations were going on there, and from both sides. Does President Assad himself know what happened to this American citizen, to the journalist who, as I understand it, was carrying out his journalistic duty in a combat zone? All the same, I promise that I will certainly put this question, just as we can put the question to those people who control the situation on the ground in Syria today. You said: what can we offer, or what can I offer, the newly elected President Trump when we meet with him? First, I do not know when we will meet with him, because he says nothing about this. I have not spoken with him at all for more than four years. I am ready for this, of course, at any time, and I will be ready for a meeting if he wants it. You said that this conversation will take place in a situation in which I will be in some weakened state. Respected colleague. Why do I say "respected"? Because, despite all the persecution of our press, we allow you to work in Russia, and you do so freely. That is already good. You, and the people who pay your wages in the United States, would very much like Russia to be in a weakened position. I hold a different point of view. I believe that Russia has become much stronger over the previous two or three years. Why? Because we are becoming a truly sovereign country; we already depend on few. We are in a position to stand confidently on our feet from the point of view of the economy. I have already spoken of the rates of development of the economy. We are strengthening our defense capacity; the combat readiness of our Armed Forces today is, I say with confidence, in the highest place in the world. In the highest place in the world. The same concerns our defense industry as well. We are increasing the production of everything that is needed for our army and navy, both for the present moment and for the future. We are doing this quite confidently, at a rapid pace, which cannot be said of our opponents. We have already spoken of the successes of our Armed Forces. Not least, this is happening because of the growth of production in the defense branches of industry of the Russian Federation. We are doing this, I repeat, confidently and quite rationally. It was said that our troops are advancing on the line of combat contact. And what of it? At the expense of what? Including at the expense of the presence of the equipment of which I have just spoken. Yes, practically all the NATO countries are fighting us. We spoke of our inflation. And what is happening there? One 155-millimeter shell cost 2 thousand euros 2 years ago; now it costs 8 thousand euros — a rise in price of 4 times. If everything develops at the same pace, then not only 2 percent for defense spending, on which the newly elected President of the United States, Mr. Trump, has always insisted, will not be enough for the NATO countries. 3 percent will not be enough either. The training, the combat readiness, the internal condition of the Russian troops are such as, perhaps, no army in the world has today. Therefore I consider that Russia is today to a significant degree in the condition we were seeking. It has grown stronger; it has become a truly sovereign country, and we will take decisions without any glance at someone else's opinion; we will be guided only by our own national interests. You spoke of Syria. You, and those who, I repeat, pay the wages, want to present everything that is happening in Syria as some kind of failure, a defeat for Russia. I assure you that this is not so. And I will say why. We came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there of the kind we observed in some other countries, say, in Afghanistan. On the whole we achieved our goal. And even those groupings that at one time fought the Assad regime, the government troops, have also undergone internal changes. It is not for nothing that today many European countries and the United States want to establish relations with them. If they are terrorist organizations, why are you pushing your way in there? So they have changed, have they not? And that means that to a certain degree the goal has been achieved. Further. We had no ground troops in Syria. They simply were not there. There are two of our bases: an air base and a naval base. The ground component consisted of the armed forces of Syria itself and of some, as we all know — there is no secret here — so-called pro-Iranian combat formations. At one time we even withdrew the special-operations forces from there. We simply were not fighting there. What was happening there? When groups of the armed opposition approached Aleppo, Aleppo was being defended by roughly 30 thousand people. 350 militants entered the city. The government troops, and together with them the so-called pro-Iranian units, withdrew without a fight, blew up their positions, and left. And it was practically the same, except for small exceptions where there were some combat clashes, across the whole territory of Syria. If earlier, say, those same Iranian friends of ours asked us to help them move their units onto the territory of Syria, now they have asked us to withdraw them from there. We took 4 thousand Iranian fighters out to Tehran from the Khmeimim base. Part of the so-called pro-Iranian units left without a fight for Lebanon, part for Iraq. Today the situation is taking shape in a difficult way, of course, in the Syrian Arab Republic. We very much count on peace and calm setting in there. We maintain relations with all the groupings that control the situation there, with all the countries of the region. The overwhelming number of them tell us that they would be interested in our military bases in Syria remaining. I do not know; we must think about this, because we must decide for ourselves how our relations will take shape with those political forces that now control, and will control, the situation in this country in the future — our interests must coincide. If we remain there, that means we must do something in the interests of the country where we are. What will the interests consist of? What will we be able to do for them? This is a question awaiting a painstaking researcher on both sides. Even now we can do something, including with the use of these bases — we have already proposed this to our partners, including those who are on the territory of Syria, and to neighboring countries. We proposed using, say, the Khmeimim air base for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria. And this has been received with understanding and a wish to organize this work jointly. The same concerns the naval base in Tartus. Therefore, to whoever might wish to present Russia as weakened — since you are an American, I want to recall a man and writer known to everyone, who once said: "The rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated." If a meeting with the newly elected President, Mr. D. Trump, ever takes place, I am sure we will have something to talk about. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, хочу напомнить ещё один вопрос, который задавал коллега, – об убийстве генерала Кириллова. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I want to remind you of another question a colleague asked—about the murder of General Kirillov. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Let’s engage with the audience some more. |
| В.Путин: Да, об убийстве генерала Кириллова. Вы сказали «покушение». Я Вам благодарен за это, потому что Вы косвенно признали, что это террористический акт. Почему? Потому что это убийство совершено способом, опасным для жизни многих. Режим в Киеве неоднократно совершал такие преступления, террористические преступления, теракты в отношении многих граждан Российской Федерации, и в Курске сейчас, когда они расстреливают там мирных граждан – имеется в виду, в Курской области, – и на других территориях России, убивали журналистов, ваших коллег, совершали теракты в отношении журналистов. Мы ни разу не слышали – я сейчас не Вас имею в виду лично – от западного журналистского корпуса осуждения подобных терактов. Но я Вам благодарен хотя бы за то, что Вы об этом вспомнили. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, about the murder of General Kirillov. You said “assassination attempt.” I am grateful to you for that, because you indirectly acknowledged that this was a terrorist act. Why? Because this murder was committed in a way that endangered many lives. The regime in Kyiv has repeatedly committed such crimes, terrorist crimes, terrorist attacks against many citizens of the Russian Federation, both in Kursk now, when they shoot civilians there—I mean in the Kursk Region—and in other territories of Russia; they have killed journalists, your colleagues, and carried out terrorist attacks against journalists. We have never heard—and I do not mean you personally now—the Western journalistic community condemn such terrorist attacks. But I am grateful to you at least for mentioning it. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Go ahead. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте ещё чуть-чуть с залом поработаем. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us spend a little more time taking questions from the audience. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: They are showing great interest. I see a ‘Tatars. BRICS’ poster. We were in Kazan just recently. |
| А.Суворова: Давайте. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Let us. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I am sorry, I would like to address your American colleague. Can you hear me? If you have any more questions, please ask. |
| Д.Песков: Тоже большой интерес. Я вижу «Татары. БРИКС». Совсем недавно вроде были мы в Казани. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: There is great interest too. I see “Tatars. BRICS.” It seems we were in Kazan just recently. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Let’s go back to Kazan now. |
| В.Путин: Кстати говоря, я прошу прощения, хочу обратиться к вашему американскому коллеге. Вы меня слышите? Если у Вас ещё какие-то вопросы будут, задавайте. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: By the way, I apologize; I want to address your American colleague. Can you hear me? If you still have any questions, ask them. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте мы в Казань вернёмся сейчас. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us return to Kazan now. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Go ahead, please. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Keir Simmons: My question is, are you prepared to compromise in anyway over Ukraine? You say that Kiev should compromise, the Ukrainians should compromise, but what are you prepared to offer in the potential negotiations potentially led by President-elect Trump? |
| В.Путин: Давайте. Вы подумаете, да? Сформулируйте, а мы пока с татарами поговорим. Потом – с американцами. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Go ahead. You will think it over, yes? Formulate it, and meanwhile we will talk with the Tatars. Then with the Americans. |
| Д.Песков: Пожалуйста. К.Симмонс (как переведено): Мой вопрос такой: готовы ли Вы каким-либо образом достигать компромиссов по поводу Киева? Вы говорили, что Украина должна идти на компромиссы. А Вы готовы идти на компромиссы? Что Вы готовы предложить в качестве уступок? Возможны переговоры, которые будут под руководством Трампа? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Please. K. Simmons (as translated): My question is this: are you prepared to reach compromises in any way regarding Kyiv? You said that Ukraine must make compromises. Are you prepared to make compromises? What are you prepared to offer as concessions? Are negotiations led by Trump possible? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Thank you. Kazan, please. |
| В.Путин: Я прошу прощения, что упустил эту очень важную часть Вашего вопроса. Политика и есть искусство компромисса. А мы всегда говорили, что мы готовы и к переговорам, и к компромиссам. Просто противная сторона, в прямом и переносном смысле этого слова, отказалась от переговоров. А мы всегда к этому готовы. Результатом этих переговоров всегда являются компромиссы. Ведь мы же достигли договорённости, по сути, в Стамбуле в конце 2022 года. Повторяю в сотый раз: украинская сторона парафировала этот документ, значит, в целом была с ним согласна. Потом почему-то отказалась? Почему – понятно. Потому что приехал Ваш союзник, господин Джонсон, такой, с хорошей причёской человек, и сказал, что им нужно воевать до последнего украинца. Вот они воюют. Скоро заканчиваются эти украинцы, которые хотят воевать. Там уже, по-моему, скоро не останется тех, кто воевать хочет. Мы-то готовы, но нужно, чтобы та страна была готова и к переговорам, и к компромиссу. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I apologize for having let slip this very important part of your question. Politics is the art of compromise. And we have always said that we are ready both for negotiations and for compromises. It is simply that the opposing side, in the direct and the figurative sense of the word, refused negotiations. And we have always been ready for this. The result of these negotiations is always compromises. We did, after all, reach an understanding, in essence, in Istanbul at the end of 2022. I repeat for the hundredth time: the Ukrainian side initialed this document, which means that on the whole it was in agreement with it. Then for some reason it refused. Why is clear. Because your ally arrived, Mr. Johnson, a man with a good haircut, and said that they needed to fight to the last Ukrainian. So they are fighting. The Ukrainians who want to fight are soon running out. There, it seems to me, those who want to fight will soon be left none. We are ready, but that country needs to be ready both for negotiations and for compromise. |
| Д.Песков: Спасибо. Казань на очереди, пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Thank you. Kazan is next, please. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Artur Khalilullov: Good afternoon, Mr President. Thank you for the opportunity to ask my question. I am Artur Khalilullov from Tatar Inform. BRICS has obviously been taken to a fundamentally new level after the Kazan summit. In fact, I cannot even remember that dozens of world leaders, including Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, gathered in Moscow. Have your expectations regarding opposition to the Western world order materialised? That was my first question. I also have a follow-up question. Last year, you told me personally in response to my question that Tatarstan is an example of peaceful coexistence of different cultures, nations and religions. The same can be said about BRICS, because BRICS is a group of widely different countries. This brings me to my question. Do you think that Kazan could become the seat of the BRICS headquarters? Of BRICS as a whole or its Russian part? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: С американцами поговорили, с татарами поговорим. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: We have spoken with the Americans; we will speak with the Tatars. |
| А.Халилуллов: Добрый день, Владимир Владимирович! Спасибо большое за возможность задать вопрос. Артур Халилуллов, «Татар-информ». БРИКС после казанского саммита вышел на принципиально иной уровень, это очевидно. На самом деле я даже не могу вспомнить, чтобы в Москве собирались десятки лидеров стран, причём во главе с Си Цзиньпином, Нарендрой Моди и прочими. Насколько Ваши ожидания в части противодействия западному миропорядку оправдались? Это первый вопрос. И ещё маленький вопрос, уточняющий. Вы говорили в прошлом году мне лично, отвечая на мой вопрос, что Татарстан – это образец мирного сосуществования разных культур, наций и конфессий. Отчасти то же самое можно сказать и о БРИКС, потому что БРИКС сочетает с собой страны совершенно разные. И отсюда маленький вопрос: рассматриваете ли Вы возможность создания в Казани штаб-квартиры БРИКС? Возможно, российской части либо в целом организации. Спасибо большое. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Халилуллов: Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich. Thank you very much for the opportunity to ask a question. Artur Khalilullov, Tatar-inform. BRICS has reached a fundamentally different level after the Kazan summit; that is obvious. In fact, I cannot even remember dozens of national leaders gathering in Moscow, headed by Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, and others. To what extent have your expectations regarding countering the Western world order been met? That is the first question. And one more small follow-up question. Last year, answering my question, you told me personally that Tatarstan is a model of peaceful coexistence among different cultures, nations, and faiths. In part, the same can be said of BRICS, because BRICS brings together entirely different countries. Hence a small question: are you considering establishing a BRICS headquarters in Kazan? Perhaps for the Russian part, or for the organization as a whole. Thank you very much. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: I suggest that we take another question from the audience. I see an unconventional media outlet. It is quite new and rather popular too. Readovka, please go ahead with your question. |
| В.Путин: Артур, Вы сказали, что в Москве такое количество лидеров разных стран не собиралось. Вы правы, не собиралось, а в Казани собралось. Так что спасибо Казани за то, что вы нам предоставили такую возможность. Это первое. Второе – мы штаб-квартиру вроде как и не создаём. Есть отдельные инструменты, которые создаются и работают в интересах всей организации. Но мы, безусловно, будем использовать все возможности столицы Татарстана, которые были созданы там за предыдущие десятилетия. Казань сделала удивительный рывок в своём развитии. Это, без всякого преувеличения, считаю, один из лучших городов Европы. Знаете, с удовольствием это говорю. Мы гордимся Москвой, это один из крупнейших и лучших мегаполисов мира, но и Казань развивается быстро, активно. Я помню, с Минтимером Шариповичем приезжал, смотрел. Я уже говорил об этом, мы зашли с ним на окраине Казани в землянку, натуральная землянка, люди в землянке жили. Вырытый котлован, сверху – крыша. Но должен отдать должное татарам и их культуре: чистенько, всё прибрано, вкусный чак-чак на столе и так далее. Но сейчас ничего подобного нет, сейчас Казань развивается. Замечательный город, и метро появилось. Мы тогда с Минтимером Шариповичем говорили о том, что это нужно, и сделали это, и новый руководитель Рустам Нургалиевич подхватил эту эстафету, очень эффективно работает. И вообще, в Казани, в Татарстане люди живут талантливые, и люди разных национальностей там проживают в мире и согласии, уважают друг друга, традиции друг друга уважают, ходят друг к другу в гости, я знаю, на религиозные праздники. Очень здорово, очень хорошо у вас получается. Можно только поздравить. Есть ещё момент, на который я хотел бы обратить внимание. Вы сказали, что БРИКС развивается как инструмент противодействия Западу. Это не так, Вы ошибаетесь. БРИКС не является инструментом противодействия Западу. Мы не работаем против кого бы то ни было, мы работаем за свои интересы, за интересы стран – участниц этой организации. Мы не выстраиваем никакой конфронтационной повестки в рамках БРИКС. Развивается организация быстро, эта организация расширилась, и, как вы знаете, мы об этом много говорили, повторяться, чтобы время не тратить, не буду, много государств проявляют интерес к развитию БРИКС. Почему? Потому что работа эта выстраивается исключительно на основе взаимности, уважения друг друга, уважения интересов друг друга. Все вопросы принимаются консенсусом, и это очень важно. Там нет маленьких, больших государств, более развитых, менее развитых. Там есть объединение по интересам. Интерес один – развитие. Ищутся те инструменты, которые есть и которые можно использовать, и создаются новые для обеспечения темпов роста экономики и изменения её структуры, для того чтобы это отвечало будущему развитию человечества, чтобы страны БРИКС и всё объединение становилось лидером этого движения вперёд. Так и будем работать. Вам спасибо большое. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Artur, you said that such a number of leaders of different countries had not gathered in Moscow. You are right; it had not gathered, but it gathered in Kazan. So thank you to Kazan for having given us such a possibility. That is the first thing. The second: we are not, as it were, creating a headquarters. There are separate instruments that are created and work in the interests of the whole organization. But we will without doubt use all the possibilities of the capital of Tatarstan that were created there over previous decades. Kazan has made an astonishing leap in its development. This is, without any exaggeration, I consider, one of the best cities of Europe. You know, I say this with pleasure. We are proud of Moscow; it is one of the largest and best megacities of the world, but Kazan too is developing quickly, actively. I remember arriving with Mintimer Sharipovich and looking. I have already spoken of this: we went with him, on the outskirts of Kazan, into a dugout, a real dugout; people lived in a dugout. A pit that had been dug, a roof on top. But one must give the Tatars and their culture their due: it was clean, everything was tidy, tasty chak-chak on the table, and so on. But now there is nothing of the kind; now Kazan is developing. A remarkable city, and a metro has appeared. We spoke then with Mintimer Sharipovich of the fact that this was needed, and we did it, and the new leader, Rustam Nurgalievich, picked up this baton and works very effectively. And in general, in Kazan, in Tatarstan, talented people live, and people of different nationalities live there in peace and concord, respect each other, respect each other's traditions, go to visit each other, I know, on religious holidays. Very fine; you are doing very well. One can only congratulate you. There is one more point to which I would like to draw attention. You said that BRICS is developing as an instrument of counteraction to the West. This is not so; you are mistaken. BRICS is not an instrument of counteraction to the West. We do not work against anyone at all; we work for our interests, for the interests of the countries that are participants in this organization. We are not building any confrontational agenda within the framework of BRICS. The organization is developing quickly; this organization has expanded, and, as you know, we have spoken of this a great deal; I will not repeat myself, so as not to waste time; many states are showing interest in the development of BRICS. Why? Because this work is built exclusively on the basis of mutuality, of respect for each other, of respect for each other's interests. All questions are taken by consensus, and this is very important. There are no small or large states there, more developed or less developed. There is a union by interests. The interest is one — development. Those instruments that exist and that can be used are sought, and new ones are created to ensure the pace of growth of the economy and a change in its structure, so that this would answer the future development of humanity, so that the BRICS countries and the whole association would become the leader of this movement forward. That is how we will work. Thank you very much. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте ещё зал, ещё дадим вопросик. Вон я вижу нетрадиционное СМИ, новое, но популярное. Readovka, пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us take another question from the audience. Over there I see an unconventional media outlet, a new but popular one. Readovka, please. |
| В.Путин: Что-что? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: What, what? |
| М.Долгов: Здравствуйте, Владимир Владимирович! Максим Долгов, издание Readovka. У меня такой вопрос. Для многих стран мира сейчас проблема старения и уменьшения населения очень актуальна, это также не избежало и Россию. Интересно, было проведено очень много мер по повышению рождаемости, и также Вы недавно подписали закон о создании Совета демографической и семейной политики. Вот понимаете, если этих законов будет недостаточно, что мы будем делать? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review М.Долгов: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich. Maxim Dolgov, Readovka. My question is this. The problem of an aging and shrinking population is very pressing for many countries in the world now, and Russia has not escaped it either. Interestingly, a great many measures have been taken to increase the birth rate, and you also recently signed a law establishing the Council for Demographic and Family Policy. So, you see, if these laws prove insufficient, what will we do? Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: In fact, we have received many messages on this subject, including from large families. We have a whole selection of those. The problem is as follows. You have mentioned the uniform allowance, but when the average per capita income in a family exceeds the regional subsistence minimum, the family does not qualify for the benefit. However, in many cases, this is due to a long streak of inaccuracies, or that income is literally just a few kopecks or rubles above the required level, but they fail to qualify anyway. Now we are about to be joined by Anna Shenkao from Surgut, the mother of five. Ms Shenkao, good afternoon. Please ask the President your question. Anna Shenkao: Good afternoon, Mr President. My name is Anna Shenkao. I was born and live in Surgut, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, and I am a mother of five. One of my children also has a disability. I have been applying for the relevant benefits every month since July 2023, but all my applications have been turned down because our per capita income exceeds the regional minimum subsistence level. In some cases, it was only 78 rubles above that level, but I was rejected anyway. This is what I would like to ask. Is a child’s disability pension considered to be family income? Why are they counting the previous year’s income? And there is something else: my husband is officially employed, which implies full compliance with the tax laws. However, when they evaluate the per capita income, they use his gross pay, including tax, which the employer in fact deducts. We do not receive this money, so I would like to ask why it should be considered part of our income. And, if you do not mind, I have one more question – about holidays. How can a large family – or not necessarily a large family – afford a holiday in this situation? We really want to go somewhere, but when we analysed airfares a few days ago, most of them hovered around 140,000 −150,000 rubles one way. I would really like to hear an answer to my question. Ms Shenkao, you said that you have five children, didn’t you? Anna Shenkao: Yes. |
| 5 Demography and Family Support | |
| В.Путин: Будем их совершенствовать. Садитесь, пожалуйста. Но вопрос чрезвычайно важный. Это, вообще, вопрос – один из ключевых вопросов для России, но не только для России, Вы правильно сказали, это вопрос демографии, он очень важным является не только для нас, но для очень многих стран мира. В Советском Союзе достигался уровень примерно два процента рождаемости. Что такое уровень рождаемости? Это количество детей на одну женщину. Вот в Советском Союзе был момент, когда было два процента роста. У нас в определённый период, несколько лет назад мы достигали где-то 1,7 процента. К сожалению, он у нас упал до 1,41 процента. Много это или мало? Конечно, очень мало. Но в нашем же положении находятся и другие страны, примерно в таком же регионе находящиеся. Это, скажем, Финляндия – там ещё меньше, по-моему; в Норвегии – столько же; в Испании – меньше; в других многих странах – меньше. В некоторых развитых странах, скажем в Японии, – ещё меньше; в Южной Корее – вообще 0,7 процента. Ужасно. У нас ещё получше, но, для того чтобы обеспечить просто воспроизводство, нам нужно поднять этот коэффициент рождаемости как минимум до 2,1, а чтобы было расширенное воспроизводство, чтобы население росло, нужно как минимум 2,3 процента. Я уже много раз говорил о том, что у нас происходило в предыдущие десятилетия. Был резкий спад рождаемости в период Великой Отечественной войны, 1943–1944 годы, потом, после развала Советского Союза, то же самое, такой же результат, как после войны, – резкое падение рождаемости. Что дальше происходит? Всё-таки две минуты потрачу на это. Когда малочисленное поколение доходит до детородного возраста, оно воспроизводит небольшое же количество потомства. Эти два тренда падения рождаемости у нас потом сблизились – и за время Великой Отечественной войны, и за время после распада Советского Союза, как синусоида и продолжается. Количество женщин в детородном возрасте сократилось на 30 процентов – девочки нужны, девушки. Что мы делаем для того, чтобы ситуацию поправить? Создана целая программа. Мы занимаемся этим постоянно, эти инструменты совершенствуются. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: We will improve them. Sit down, please. But the question is extremely important. This is, in general, a question — one of the key questions for Russia, but not only for Russia; you said rightly that this is a question of demography, and it is a very important one not only for us but for a great many countries of the world. In the Soviet Union a level of roughly two percent fertility was reached. What is the fertility level? It is the number of children per woman. In the Soviet Union there was a moment when there was two percent growth. With us, in a certain period, several years ago, we reached somewhere around 1.7 percent. Unfortunately it has fallen with us to 1.41 percent. Is this a lot or a little? Of course, very little. But other countries are in the same position as we are, countries situated in roughly the same region. This is, say, Finland — there it is still less, I think; in Norway it is the same; in Spain it is less; in many other countries it is less. In some developed countries, say in Japan, it is still less; in South Korea it is 0.7 percent altogether. Terrible. With us it is still a bit better, but in order to ensure simple reproduction we need to raise this fertility coefficient to at least 2.1, and for there to be expanded reproduction, for the population to grow, at least 2.3 percent is needed. I have already said many times what happened with us in previous decades. There was a sharp drop in the birth rate in the period of the Great Patriotic War, the years 1943–1944, and then, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the same thing, the same result as after the war — a sharp fall in the birth rate. What happens further? All the same I will spend two minutes on this. When a small generation reaches childbearing age, it reproduces a small quantity of offspring too. These two trends of a falling birth rate later drew together with us — both over the time of the Great Patriotic War and over the time after the breakup of the Soviet Union — and it continues like a sine wave. The number of women of childbearing age has shrunk by 30 percent — girls are needed, young women. What are we doing in order to put the situation right? A whole program has been created. We occupy ourselves with this constantly; these instruments are being improved. |
| Повторяю: в разные годы по-разному это работает. Во-первых, единое пособие для семей с детьми действует эффективно. Мы выплачиваем это пособие от беременности женщины до достижения ребёнком 18-летия, то есть 17 лет включая. Такое пособие получают уже свыше 10 миллионов детей и примерно 320 тысяч беременных женщин. Это первое. Второе наше уникальное изобретение, такого нет нигде в мире, – материнский капитал, который мы постоянно пополняем. |
Full house translation — pending review Повторяю: it works differently in different years. First, the unified benefit for families with children works effectively. We pay this benefit from a woman’s pregnancy until the child reaches the age of 18, that is, through age 17 inclusive. More than 10 million children and approximately 320 thousand pregnant women already receive this benefit. That is the first thing. Our second unique invention, which exists nowhere else in the world, is maternity capital, which we constantly replenish. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Mr President, I saw there were more questions about demographics. Yes, please. Where are you? |
| Дальше: мы сохраняем семейную ипотеку под шесть процентов. Наверное, ещё будем говорить о всяких ипотечных делах, будем говорить о строительстве, но семейная ипотека сохраняется. 450 тысяч мы выплачиваем семьям, где появляется третий ребёнок, для погашения этой самой ипотеки. Развиваем всю систему, связанную с медициной, с детством, с материнством, и будем дальше это всё делать, будем донастраивать этот инструмент дальше. Это очень важные вещи. Я воспользуюсь нашей сегодняшней встречей, беседой и хочу обратиться ко всем руководителям всех субъектов |
Full house translation — pending review Дальше: we are retaining the family mortgage at six percent. We will probably talk more about various mortgage matters and about construction, but the family mortgage is being retained. We pay 450 thousand to families in which a third child is born to repay that mortgage. We are developing the entire system related to healthcare, childhood, and motherhood, and we will continue doing all this and further fine-tuning this instrument. These are very important things. I will take advantage of our meeting and conversation today and want to address all the heads of all the constituent entities |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Ruzana Veselayeva: Vainakh State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, Chechen Republic. Mr President, you often emphasise the importance of demographic growth and have used the Chechen Republic as an example in this regard. |
| Российской Федерации: с этого должен начинаться рабочий день и этим заканчиваться, потому что это вызов для многих стран мира, в том числе и для России. Народонаселение – это то, что составляет страну. Одна территория – это хорошо, но она должна быть населена гражданами этой страны. Наверное, мы делаем немало, но, совершенно очевидно, недостаточно. Мы сможем сказать, что да, мы делаем что-то полезное, когда мы изменим вот этот тренд, который сложился, и добьёмся тех показателей, о которых я уже сказал. |
Full house translation — pending review Российской Федерации: the working day should begin with this and end with it, because this is a challenge for many countries in the world, including Russia. The population is what constitutes a country. Territory alone is good, but it must be populated by citizens of that country. We are probably doing quite a lot, but clearly not enough. We will be able to say that yes, we are doing something useful when we reverse this established trend and achieve the indicators I have already mentioned. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes. |
| А.Суворова: Кстати, много сообщений приходит именно на эту тему, в том числе от многодетных семей. У нас очередная есть подборка. Проблема в следующем. Вы уже упомянули единое пособие, но, когда в семье средний доход на человека превышает региональный прожиточный минимум, в таком случае это единое пособие не выплачивается на ребёнка, причём зачастую это путаница неточностей, и там буквально могут быть несколько копеек или рублей, а люди не получают выплаты. И сейчас с нами на связи – давайте позвоним многодетной маме, у неё пятеро детей, Анне Аликовне Шенкао из Сургута. Анна Аликовна, добрый день! Задайте свой вопрос Президенту. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Incidentally, many messages are coming in on precisely this subject, including from large families. We have another selection. The problem is as follows. You have already mentioned the unified benefit, but when a family’s average per-person income exceeds the regional subsistence minimum, this unified benefit is not paid for the child. Moreover, this is often a tangle of inaccuracies, and the difference may literally be a few kopecks or rubles, yet people do not receive the payments. And now we have someone on the line—let us call a mother of a large family, she has five children, Anna Alikovna Shenkao from Surgut. Anna Alikovna, good afternoon. Ask the President your question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Ruzana Veselayeva: Perhaps, it is worth launching a dedicated programme? |
| А.Шенкао: Здравствуйте. Владимир Владимирович! Меня зовут Шенкао Анна Аликовна, родилась и проживаю в городе Сургуте, Ханты-Мансийский автономный округ, являюсь матерью пятерых детей. Один ребёнок имеет статус инвалида. Хотелось бы узнать: с июля 2023 года подаю ежемесячно на пособие – получаю отказ. Причина отказа – превышение прожиточного минимума. Было даже такое, что превышал прожиточный минимум на 78 рублей, и мне было отказано. Хотелось бы узнать такие моменты. Пенсия по инвалидности на ребёнка. Является ли это доходом? Почему учитывается доход за предыдущий год? И вот такой момент: супруг получает официально зарплату, и, когда учитывает полный доход, они считают налог, который потом у него высчитывается. Мы же по факту не получаем эти деньги. Вот хотелось бы узнать такие моменты. И, если позволите, ещё один вопрос – по поводу отпуска. Вот как вообще в такой ситуации нам, многодетным, да и не только многодетным в принципе ездить отдыхать? Отдыхать-то всё равно хотелось, но буквально позавчера-вчера смотрели, просто анализировали билеты: 140–150 тысяч в среднем на самолёте только в одну сторону. Хотелось бы услышать ответ на вопрос. Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Шенкао: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich. My name is Anna Alikovna Shenkao; I was born and live in Surgut, in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, and I am a mother of five children. One child has disability status. I would like to know: since July 2023 I have applied for the benefit every month and been refused. The reason for the refusal is exceeding the subsistence minimum. There was even a case where the subsistence minimum was exceeded by 78 rubles, and I was refused. I would like to clarify these points. A child’s disability pension: is it income? Why is income for the previous year taken into account? And another point: my husband receives an official salary, and when they take total income into account, they count the tax that is subsequently deducted from it. We do not actually receive that money. So I would like to clarify these points. And, if I may, one more question—about holidays. In this situation, how can we, large families, and not only large families in principle, travel for a holiday at all? We would still like to have a holiday, but literally the day before yesterday and yesterday we looked at, simply analyzed, ticket prices: 140–150 thousand on average by plane, just one way. I would like to hear an answer to the question. Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Анна Аликовна, у Вас пять детей? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Anna Alikovna, do you have five children? |
| А.Шенкао: Да. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Шенкао: Yes. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Ruzana Veselayeva: But would it not make sense to introduce a separate programme for regions that are most efficient in this area? If I may, a second question. Last year, you approved the high-speed railway strategy, which includes three stages. One of them – the third stage – covers the Moscow-Adler route. According to most experts, including Grozny and Makhachkala in the Moscow-Adler Railway would make the project more cost-effective and efficient. What is your opinion on this? Do you see it as a practicable solution? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: И я Вас с этим поздравляю. Вы уже счастливый человек. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: And I congratulate you on that. You are already a happy person. |
| А.Шенкао: Благодарю. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Шенкао: I thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Khamzat Batukayev: Khamzat Batukayev, Grozny Chechen State Television and Radio Company. My colleague has already asked the question we had for you and you answered it. Thank you very much. However, when you were talking to my colleague from Tatarstan, you shared the way you view Kazan. By the way, I was also at the BRICS Summit. And this reminded me that you had visited the Chechen Republic not that long ago. So I am asking you: Is Grozny a beautiful city? |
| В.Путин: Это точно. Хочу, чтобы многие наши зрители, слушатели к этому присоединились, к этой оценке, и брали с Вас и Вашей семьи пример, во-первых. Во-вторых, когда посчитается доход, учитываются все доходы, и, как правило, всё подсчитывается за предыдущий год. Я приводил пример подсчётов роста экономики – всё равно досчёт идёт только в следующем году. Поэтому берётся предыдущий год. Здесь можно, конечно, подумать. Я попрошу Татьяну Алексеевну Голикову, Министерство труда и соцзащиты подумать. Но самое главное не это – самое главное то, что и по другим причинам может возникать та проблема, о которой Вы сказали, а именно: небольшое превышение доходов от того параметра, при котором ещё выплачивают деньги в рамках единого пособия. Это чисто формальный подход. Долго думали на тему о том, как избежать той ситуации, с которой столкнулась Ваша семья и Вы. В принципе решение принято. Оно заключается в следующем: мы должны, учитывая эти ситуации, делать перерасчёт налога на доходы физических лиц, НДФЛ, и потом возвращать как минимум семь процентов от уплаченного Вашей семьёй налога. Мы посмотрим, как это будет работать. Надеюсь, что это будет компенсировать Ваши потери, связанные с недополучением известных денег в рамках пособия, о котором Вы сказали. Мы посмотрим, как это получится. Правительство исходило как раз из того, что это вернёт Вам деньги, недополученные в рамках получаемого пособия. Это решение принято не так давно. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: That is exact. I want many of our viewers and listeners to join in this assessment, and to take an example from you and your family, first of all. Second, when income is reckoned, all income is taken into account, and as a rule everything is reckoned for the previous year. I gave the example of reckonings of economic growth: the final count still comes only in the following year. So the previous year is taken. Here one can of course think about it. I will ask Tatyana Alekseyevna Golikova, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, to think about it. But the most important thing is not this — the most important thing is that the problem you spoke of can arise for other reasons too, namely a small excess of income over the parameter at which money is still paid within the unified benefit. This is a purely formal approach. We thought for a long time about how to avoid the situation your family and you ran into. In principle a decision has been taken. It consists in the following: we must, taking these situations into account, recalculate the tax on the income of natural persons, the personal income tax, and then return at least seven percent of the tax paid by your family. We will see how this works. I hope it will compensate your losses connected with not receiving the known money within the benefit you spoke of. We will see how it turns out. The Government proceeded precisely from the view that this will return to you the money not received within the benefit being received. This decision was taken not so long ago. |
| Повторяю: надеюсь, что эта проблема будет решена. Это первое. Второе, что касается отдыха и переезда. Вы правы, есть такая проблема. Я говорил на эту тему уже с соответствующими руководителями. Кстати, у нас отрасль авиаперевозок работает очень стабильно, успешно. В прошлом году они перевезли, по-моему, 105 миллионов пассажиров, в этом году будет 111 миллионов пассажиров. Что там происходит? Есть решение, в кодексе изложено, что многодетным семьям, семьям с детьми должны предоставлять льготу 50 процентов, по-моему, от тарифа. Это от стандартного тарифа. Что компания авиационные делают? Они вводят свои льготы – маленькие, незначительные, но это уже не стандартные тарифы. Потом говорят: это же у нас льготный, у нас уже нестандартный тариф, поэтому скидку 50 процентов предоставлять не будем. Эта практика должна быть прекращена. Я с Вами полностью согласен и прошу Правительство вместе с компаниями авиационными отрегулировать эту проблему не позднее, чем 14 января следующего года. Мы решим эту проблему. Что касается превышения дохода, возврат семь процентов НДФЛ тоже посмотрим, как работает. |
Full house translation — pending review Повторяю: I hope this problem will be resolved. That is the first point. Second, regarding holidays and travel. You are right, there is such a problem. I have already spoken about this with the relevant executives. Incidentally, our air transport industry is operating very steadily and successfully. Last year they carried, I think, 105 million passengers; this year it will be 111 million passengers. What is happening there? There is a decision, set out in the code, that large families and families with children must be given a discount of, I think, 50 percent off the fare. That is off the standard fare. What do the airlines do? They introduce their own discounts—small, insignificant ones—but these are no longer standard fares. Then they say: this is a discounted fare, we already have a nonstandard fare, so we will not provide the 50 percent discount. This practice must stop. I completely agree with you and ask the Government, together with the airlines, to resolve this problem no later than 14 January of next year. We will solve this problem. Regarding exceeding the income threshold, the refund of seven percent of personal income tax—we will also look at how that works. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Khamzat Batukayev: Mr President, I remember what you said during your visit to the mosque when you were talking to Chechnya’s mufti. You made an important point when you said that in terms of their spiritual and moral principles, Islam, the Orthodox faith, and all the traditional religions in general, share a common denominator and foundation. I would like to ask you about the Russian Special Forces University. You have visited this institution. It has recently been given your name, to honour you as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. What do you think about this training centre? Should it be expanded? Could you share your vision or your assessment? What do you think about it? |
| А.Шенкао: Благодарю. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Шенкао: I thank you. |
| В.Путин: Вам спасибо большое. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Thank you very much. |
| Д.Песков: Владимир Владимирович, я видел ещё там, хотят доспросить по демографии. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I also saw someone over there wanting to ask a follow-up question about demographics. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Let us take a couple of more questions from the audience. I see our Chinese friends from Xinhua, the sector right in front of me. Huang He: Mr President, good afternoon. My name is Huang He, and I represent the Xinhua News Agency of China. I am delighted to pose a question to you today. I have just two questions. The first question is this: How do you evaluate the current state of China-Russia relations? Please share with us the main outcomes of cooperation between our two countries. The second question: Next year, China and Russia will jointly celebrate the 80 th anniversary of Victory in the Second World War and the 80 th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Organisation. In your view, what role do the interaction and coordination between China and Russia play in upholding global strategic stability and international justice? Thank you very much. |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please. |
| Д.Песков: « Чечня, важно» – написано. Тоже про демографию. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: " Chechnya, important" — that is what is written. Also about demography. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Friends, I kindly remind you to keep your questions brief and to ask one at a time. I see Kuban, please pass the microphone. Marina Smirnova: Good afternoon. I am Marina Smirnova, representing the Ogni Kubani newspaper, Kavkazsky District, Krasnodar Territory. My question concerns the current discussions about migration issues and potential solutions. The Krasnodar Territory is large, welcoming, diverse, and strong, but the challenges related to migrants persist. We have tight restrictions, such as patents that give the right to work only in the construction industry. What is your perspective on such restrictions? There is a labour shortage in various |
| В.Путин: Да, пожалуйста. Где Вы? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, please. Where are you? |
| Р.Веселаева: ГТРК «Вайнах», Чеченская Республика. Владимир Владимирович, Вы очень часто говорите о важности демографического роста, при этом ставили в пример Чеченскую Республику. |
Full house translation — pending review Р.Веселаева: Vainakh State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, Chechen Republic. Vladimir Vladimirovich, you very often speak about the importance of demographic growth, and have held up the Chechen Republic as an example. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, we have been specially monitoring migration issues. This is indeed a very sensitive and complex problem. A significant part of these questions has come from people who come to our country and not always in search of employment. Many of them are Russian-speakers who wish to return to their homeland, obtain a Russian passport, and become full-fledged citizens of the Russian Federation. We have received such requests from a range of countries, including the CIS and Ukraine – as you said today, there are many Russians there. We have also received such questions from Germany. For example, we were contacted by Leo Seibel, our compatriot, who left for Germany in 1990 and returned in 2006. He currently resides in Tarusa [Kaluga Region], and says that, although he has a residence permit, he has not been able to obtain Russian citizenship for years, with the authorities always giving him the same answer: you are not entitled, there is no such law. A verbatim quote: only Putin can give you citizenship. Here is a small detail though. After he told the officials that he had written a letter to Putin, their tone changed, and they gave him a list of documents he needed to bring. The process seemed to have got off the ground, but he would like to bring it to its logical end. |
| В.Путин: Да. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. |
| Р.Веселаева: Может, стоит всё-таки запустить отдельную программу? |
Full house translation — pending review Р.Веселаева: Maybe it is still worth launching a separate program? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: At the very beginning of the programme we told you that we also used artificial intelligence in our work. GigaChat helped us select most frequent topics in the queries. Among the top queries, of course, is housing and mortgages. You also said at the beginning of the programme that we are going to revisit this issue more than once. If we look at our monitors now, we will see that this topic is at the top of the list. Actually, the number of queries is also significant. Let us now bring up a video question from a young family from Krasnodar. Question: For three months we’ve been trying to take out a family mortgage. The banks are constantly running out of limits, or they increase the down payment from 20 to 50 percent. Please, tell us how things will be with the family mortgage in general because at present it is very difficult to get it. Also, in addition to the family mortgage, it is next to impossible to get a rural and IT mortgage. That is, banks are constantly running out of limits, plus they do not want to approve it. They keep changing mortgage plans every day, when you apply. Banks have recently introduced a so-called “combo-mortgage” plan, when they add their interest, and the mortgage rate goes up from six to 13 percent. In other words, |
| В.Путин: Чеченскую Республику ставлю и Туву. Вот в Чечне и в Туве с демографией всё нормально. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I include the Chechen Republic and Tuva. In Chechnya and in Tuva everything is fine with demography. |
| Р.Веселаева: Может, стоит всё-таки ввести отдельную программу для регионов, которые наиболее эффективно справляются с этой задачей? И второй вопрос, с Вашего позволения уже. В прошлом году Вы утвердили стратегию высокоскоростной магистрали, три этапа, и один из них – третий этап: Москва – Адлер направление. По мнению большинства экспертов, если включить в магистраль Москва – Адлер Грозный и Махачкалу, то это направление было бы более быстро окупаемым и эффективным. Что Вы скажете по этому поводу, видите ли Вы целесообразность? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Р.Веселаева: Perhaps it is worth introducing a separate program after all for the regions that are tackling this task most effectively? And a second question, with your permission. Last year you approved a high-speed rail strategy with three stages, one of which, the third stage, is the Moscow–Adler route. In the opinion of most experts, if Grozny and Makhachkala were included in the Moscow–Adler line, this route would pay for itself faster and be more efficient. What do you say about this; do you see merit in it? Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: This also refers to Far Eastern regions and new regions. |
| В.Путин: Спасибо Вам за этот вопрос. Вы сказали о том, что в Чечне всё в порядке с демографией. Садитесь, пожалуйста, садитесь. Всё в порядке с демографией, так и есть, и в Чечне, и в Туве. У нас два субъекта Федерации, где всё нормально. И в этой связи вопрос: нужно ли дополнительно что-то делать? Только сказать спасибо, и поддержать, и брать всем остальным с вас пример. А вот что касается регионов, где уровень рождаемости меньше, чем коэффициент рождаемости – 1,41, вот там точно совершенно нужно делать отдельную программу и их поддерживать. Мы так и будем делать в отношении этих регионов. Их, по-моему, дай бог памяти, где-то 35 регионов. Вот для них создаётся отдельная программа поддержки объёмом финансирования 75 миллиардов рублей на ближайшие несколько лет. Так и будем делать. Что касается Москва – Адлер – Грозный – Махачкала. Вы знаете, у нас есть несколько вопросов в этой связи. Они какие: нам нужно обеспечить проезд по побережью Черного моря, нужно обеспечить въезд в Сочи и нужно уничтожить пробки, которые скапливаются на подходе к Адлеру, особенно в туристический сезон. Там пробки, люди часами стоят. Это возникло потому, что когда готовились к Олимпиаде, сделали обход Сочи, а потом оказалось узкое горлышко. Старая, по сути, дорога, она немножко отремонтирована, но всё равно два потока сливаются – и старый поток, и поток обхода Большого Сочи сливаются на подходе к Адлеру. Вот это нужно расшить сначала. Надо это расшить, с тем чтобы люди там в пробках не стояли. Кстати говоря, или там, или там, или на входе, либо на подходе к Адлеру, я уж не знаю там деталей, не помню, будут работать, сказали, чеченские строители, чеченские строительные компании. Что касается Грозный – Махачкала. Тоже правильно, тоже об этом нужно подумать, но следующим этапом, а идея сама по себе хорошая. Давайте, чтобы никого не обидеть, «Чечня. Магистры». Вы то же самое хотели сказать или что? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Thank you for this question. You said that in Chechnya everything is in order with demography. Sit down, please, sit down. Everything is in order with demography; so it is, both in Chechnya and in Tuva. We have two constituent entities of the Federation where everything is normal. And in this connection the question is: does something additional need to be done? Only to say thank you, and to support them, and for everyone else to take an example from you. But as for the regions where the birth rate is lower than the fertility coefficient of 1.41, there one most certainly needs to make a separate program and support them. That is what we will do in relation to these regions. There are, I think, God grant my memory, somewhere around 35 regions. A separate support program is being created for them, with a volume of financing of 75 billion rubles for the next several years. That is what we will do. As for Moscow — Adler — Grozny — Makhachkala. You know, we have several questions in this connection. They are these: we need to ensure passage along the Black Sea coast, we need to ensure entry into Sochi, and we need to eliminate the traffic jams that pile up on the approach to Adler, especially in the tourist season. There are jams there; people stand for hours. This arose because, when they were preparing for the Olympics, they made a bypass of Sochi, and then it turned out to be a narrow neck. The old road, in essence, has been repaired a little, but all the same two streams merge — both the old stream and the stream of the Greater Sochi bypass merge on the approach to Adler. This needs to be widened first. It must be widened so that people do not stand in jams there. By the way, either there, or there, or at the entrance, or on the approach to Adler — I do not know the details, I do not remember — Chechen builders, Chechen construction companies, will be working, they said. As for Grozny — Makhachkala. That is right too; one must think about that too, but as the next stage, and the idea itself is a good one. Come, so as not to offend anyone, Chechnya. Magistri. Did you want to say the same thing, or what? |
| Х.Батукаев: Хамзат Батукаев, Чеченская государственная телерадиокомпания «Грозный». Наш вопрос уже прозвучал, Вы на него ответили, большое спасибо. Но в ходе общения с моим татарским коллегой Вы дали оценку городу Казани. Я, кстати, тоже был на саммите БРИКС. И я вспомнил о том, что Вы не так давно были и в Чеченской Республике. Я вас спросил с места: «Грозный – красивый город?» |
Full house translation — pending review Х.Батукаев: Khamzat Batukayev, the Chechen State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Grozny. Our question has already been asked, and you answered it; thank you very much. But while speaking with my Tatar colleague, you gave your assessment of the city of Kazan. Incidentally, I was at the BRICS summit too. And I remembered that not long ago you also visited the Chechen Republic. I called out from my seat: “Is Grozny a beautiful city?” |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, I suggest we now address an issue that, unfortunately, remains pressing year after year – the problem of phone scammers. We warn people daily about this on television. |
| В.Путин: Супер. Вы знаете, это чудо, это современное российское чудо. Я летал над Грозным в суровые годы, когда там шла борьба с терроризмом, в том числе и прежде всего – международным. Сплошные развалины, и из этих развалин ещё раздавались пулемётные очереди по вертолёту. Тогда Президент сказали: «Нет, Грозный – это традиционно историческая столица всей Чечни, чеченского народа, будем восстанавливать». То, что сделано за последние два года в Грозном, – это чудо. Это, конечно, результат работы прежде всего и действующего Президента, а главным образом – результат работы чеченского народа. Его трудолюбие, его талант сыграли в этом огромную роль. Я не говорю про мечеть, на которую любо-дорого смотреть, но какие новые сооружения, здания, архитектурные решения. Это не может не вызывать чувства гордости за то, что сделано в Чечне и в Грозном за последние годы. Я Вас поздравляю с этим. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Superb. You know, this is a miracle, a modern Russian miracle. I flew over Grozny in the harsh years, when the fight against terrorism was going on there, including and above all international terrorism. Nothing but ruins, and from those ruins machine-gun bursts were still fired at the helicopter. Then the President said: "No, Grozny is traditionally the historic capital of all Chechnya, of the Chechen people; we will restore it." What has been done in Grozny over the last two years is a miracle. This is of course the result, above all, of the work of the serving President too, and chiefly the result of the work of the Chechen people. Its diligence and its talent played an enormous part in this. I am not speaking of the mosque, which is a joy to behold, but of what new structures, buildings, architectural solutions there are. This cannot but arouse a feeling of pride in what has been done in Chechnya and in Grozny over recent years. I congratulate you on this. |
| Х.Батукаев: Владимир Владимирович, мне вспоминаются Ваши слова, когда Вы были в мечети, общались с муфтием Чеченской Республики. Вы сказали важную мысль о том, что в своих нравственных, моральных ориентирах ислам и православие, да и вообще все традиционные религии имеют один общий корень, общее начало. Если можно, я Вас спрошу про Российский университет спецназа, Вы его посещали. С недавних пор он носит Ваше имя – в честь Верховного Главнокомандующего. Видите ли Вы этот опыт – расширение, пожелания, оценка, – какое впечатление сложилось от этого комплекса? |
Full house translation — pending review Х.Батукаев: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I recall your words when you were in the mosque speaking with the Mufti of the Chechen Republic. You expressed an important idea: that in their ethical and moral guidelines, Islam and Orthodox Christianity, and indeed all traditional religions, have one common root, a common origin. If I may, I would like to ask you about the Russian Special Forces University; you visited it. Since recently it has borne your name, in honor of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Do you see this experience—expansion, wishes, assessment—what impression did this complex leave on you? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Yelena Markelova: Good afternoon, Mr President. My name is Yelena Markelova. I am a pensioner from Kazan, 63 years old. Recently, I fell for a scam. My account on Gosuslugi (public services) portal was hacked, and as a result of their actions, I now owe two banks 1.9 million rubles. My appeal is a cry for help. How is it possible that the banks, where I am a client and receive a pension of 18,770 rubles, approve such loans without requesting any income documents, without asking for any of my contacts who could act as a guarantor for me, and for such large amounts with monthly payments that exceed my monthly income? Given the large number of pensioners being targeted by scammers, is it not time to take more serious measures and require banks to more thoroughly monitor the actions of their employees and rigorously verify applications, especially from elderly people? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Отлично. Вообще нужен. Росгвардия активно его использует, и люди там проходят подготовку ведь не только из Чечни – со всей Российской Федерации. Я когда с некоторыми бойцами разговариваю, которые сейчас в зоне боевых действий воюют, причём вроде как и не из Чечни. В других подразделениях спрашиваю: «Где вы? Откуда?» Проходили подготовку в этом центре. Этот центр играет важную роль в повышении обороноспособности всей страны. Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Excellent. It is needed in general. The Rosgvardiya is actively using it, and the people there undergo training not only from Chechnya — from the whole Russian Federation. When I speak with some fighters who are now fighting in the zone of combat operations, and who seem not even to be from Chechnya, in other units I ask: "Where are you? Where from?" They underwent training at this center. This center plays an important role in raising the defense capability of the whole country. Thank you. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте ещё парочку из зала дадим. Я вижу, наши китайские друзья, «Синьхуа», вот этот сектор прямо передо мной. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us take another couple from the audience. I see our Chinese friends, Xinhua, in this section directly in front of me. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Yelena Markelova. |
| Хуан Хэ: Владимир Владимирович, здравствуйте. Меня зовут Хуан Хэ, я представляю китайское информационное агентство «Синьхуа». Очень рад сегодня задавать Вам вопрос. У меня всего два вопроса к Вам. Первый. Как Вы оцениваете нынешнее состояние развития китайско-российских отношений? Расскажите нам, пожалуйста, какие главные итоги сотрудничества между нашими странами? Второй вопрос. В следующем году Китай и Россия совместно отметят 80-летие Победы во Второй мировой войне, а также 80-летие со дня основания Организации Объединённых Наций. По Вашему мнению, какую роль играет взаимодействие и координация между Китаем и Россией в поддержании глобальной стратегической стабильности, а также международной справедливости? Спасибо Вам большое. |
Full house translation — pending review Хуан Хэ: Vladimir Vladimirovich, hello. My name is Huang He, and I represent the Chinese news agency Xinhua. I am very pleased to ask you a question today. I have just two questions for you. First: how do you assess the current state of development of Chinese-Russian relations? Please tell us what the main results of cooperation between our countries are. Second question: next year China and Russia will jointly mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Second World War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In your opinion, what role do interaction and coordination between China and Russia play in maintaining global strategic stability, as well as international justice? Thank you very much. |
| В.Путин: Мы очень часто говорим о взаимодействии России и Китайской Народной Республики. В следующем году мы отмечаем 75 лет установления дипломатических отношений между нашими странами. За эти годы очень многое происходило в наших отношениях, но вот в последнее десятилетие уровень, качество отношений стали такими, которых на протяжении всей нашей истории, пожалуй, не было никогда. Я сейчас скажу и об экономической составляющей, но прежде всего это связано со взаимным доверием. Всё, что мы делаем в отношении друг друга и как мы делаем, основано на полном доверии к политике с одной и с другой стороны. Мы ничего не делаем, что противоречило бы нашим интересам, и делаем очень многое, что отвечает интересам как китайского народа, так и народов Российской Федерации. Я уже говорил по экономике: по разным оценкам, это 220–230, по китайской статистике, до 240 миллиардов долларов, если в долларовом эквиваленте говорить, оборот – это очень хороший оборот. За прошедший год, несмотря на такую хорошую, большую базу, рост продолжается, он умеренный, по-моему, 3 процента роста будет, но тоже рост есть. Первая часть. Вторая – инвестиционная деятельность. У нас чуть ли не 600 проектов для совместных инвестиций в объёме 200 миллиардов долларов. О чём это говорит? Это говорит о том, что будущее обеспечено. Наконец, очень важной составляющей, на мой взгляд, является гуманитарная часть. Мы постоянно проводим перекрёстные годы: Год культуры, Год молодёжных обменов, и того, и другого. Это всё очень важно для конкретных людей. Это база для развития экономических связей и политического взаимодействия. Важнейшей частью является региональное взаимодействие. Руководители регионов общаются друг с другом: там и маотай присутствует, и водочка, конечно. Но всё там в меру, насколько я понимаю. И вот эта личная химия имеет значение, и между студентами обмены происходят, между высшими учебными заведениями и так далее. Теперь Великая Отечественная война. Российская Федерация и Китайская Народная Республика – это наиболее пострадавшие страны, которые добились своей победы в ходе Второй мировой войны в результате тяжелейших потерь. То мы говорили 20, то 25, сейчас некоторые историки говорят, 27 миллионов погибших. В Китае – ещё больше. Об этом вообще мало говорят, но в Китае больше, там свыше 30 миллионов. И то, что делали японские милитаристы на китайской земле, – это ужас, просто ужасное испытание. Через эти испытания прошёл китайский народ. Мы были вместе тогда, и сейчас мы вместе, и это важнейший фактор, всё время об этом говорю, стабильности в мировых делах. Таким инструментом стабильности изначально был, он для этого создавался, такой инструмент, как Организация Объединённых Наций: Россия, Китай, основатели Организации, члены Совета Безопасности, постоянные члены Совета Безопасности. Мы очень часто, практически всегда координируем свои действия на международной арене, и это очень серьёзный такой элемент международной жизни. Мы и дальше будем это делать. И самые наилучшие приветы лидеру Китайской Народной Республики, человеку, которого я считаю своим другом, Председателю Си Цзиньпину. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: We very often speak of the interaction of Russia and the People's Republic of China. Next year we mark 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. Over these years a great deal has happened in our relations, but in the last decade the level and quality of relations have become such as, over the whole of our history, perhaps never existed. I will speak now of the economic component too, but above all this is connected with mutual trust. Everything we do in relation to each other, and how we do it, is based on complete trust in the policy on one side and on the other. We do nothing that would contradict our interests, and we do a great deal that answers the interests both of the Chinese people and of the peoples of the Russian Federation. I have already spoken of the economy: by various estimates this is 220–230, and by Chinese statistics up to 240 billion dollars, if one speaks in dollar equivalent; the turnover is a very good turnover. Over the past year, despite such a good, large base, growth continues; it is moderate, I think there will be 3 percent growth, but there is growth all the same. The first part. The second is investment activity. We have almost 600 projects for joint investment in a volume of 200 billion dollars. What does this say? It says that the future is secured. Finally, a very important component, in my view, is the humanitarian part. We constantly hold cross years: a Year of Culture, a Year of Youth Exchanges, both the one and the other. All this is very important for specific people. This is the base for the development of economic ties and political interaction. A most important part is regional interaction. The heads of regions communicate with each other: maotai is present there, and vodka too, of course. But everything there is in moderation, so far as I understand. And this personal chemistry matters, and exchanges take place between students, between higher educational institutions, and so on. Now the Great Patriotic War. The Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China are the countries that suffered most, which achieved their victory in the course of the Second World War as a result of the heaviest losses. Now we said 20, now 25; now some historians say 27 million dead. In China still more. People speak little of this at all, but in China it is more; there it is over 30 million. And what the Japanese militarists did on Chinese soil is horror, simply a terrible ordeal. The Chinese people went through these ordeals. We were together then, and now we are together, and this is a most important factor, I say this all the time, of stability in world affairs. Such an instrument of stability from the start was, and it was created for this, an instrument such as the United Nations: Russia and China, founders of the Organization, members of the Security Council, permanent members of the Security Council. We very often, practically always, coordinate our actions in the international arena, and this is a very serious element of international life. We will do this further too. And the very best greetings to the leader of the People's Republic of China, a person I consider my friend, Chairman Xi Jinping. |
| Д.Песков: Друзья, я по-прежнему призываю задавать по одному вопросу очень сжато. Вижу Кубань, передайте, пожалуйста, микрофон. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Friends, I continue to urge you to ask one question each, very briefly. I see Kuban; please pass the microphone. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Do you know anyone who has suffered from phone scams? |
| М.Смирнова: Добрый день! Краснодарский край, Кавказский район, газета «Огни Кубани», Смирнова Марина. У меня вопрос такого характера. Дело в том, что сейчас идёт очень много разговоров о миграционной проблеме, рассматриваются пути её решения. Краснодарский край большой, дружный, многонациональный, крепкий, но тем не менее проблема мигрантов существует. У нас введены строгие ограничения: по патентам можно работать только в строительной отрасли. Как Вы относитесь к таким ограничениям? В регионах не хватает рабочих рук. Как Россия выходит из этого состояния? Ваше видение проблемы. |
Full house translation — pending review М.Смирнова: Good afternoon! Krasnodar Territory, Kavkazsky District, Ogni Kubani newspaper, Marina Smirnova. My question is as follows. The fact is that there is a great deal of discussion now about the migration problem, and ways to resolve it are being considered. Krasnodar Territory is large, united, multiethnic and strong, but nevertheless the problem of migrants exists. We have introduced strict restrictions: people with work patents may work only in the construction industry. What is your attitude toward such restrictions? The regions lack workers. How is Russia finding a way out of this situation? Your view of the problem. |
| 9 Migration Policy | |
| В.Путин: Это очень чувствительный и острый вопрос. Он является острым не только для нас, для Европы является ещё гораздо более острым. Здесь, действительно, с одной стороны, не хватает рабочих рук. Я уже сказал, у нас 2,3 процента безработица. Это значит, что её почти нет. Представители наших бизнес-кругов и министерств и ведомств говорят, сколько не хватает в строительном секторе, сколько не хватает в промышленности. Там счёт идёт на сотни тысяч. Это факт, никуда не деться. Какой выход? Первое. Чтобы сокращать количество трудовых мигрантов, нужно повышать производительность труда, нужно вводить и использовать такие технологии, которые не требуют большого количества неквалифицированных рабочих рук, и, таким образом, сосредотачивать конечный результат на высокотехнологичных сферах деятельности, и не нужно будет привлекать соответствующее количество мигрантов для неквалифицированного труда. Первое. Второе. Если это неизбежно, то нужно вместе с нашими партнёрами в некоторых странах, прежде всего, конечно, речь идёт о странах Центральной Азии, работать над тем, чтобы людей к этому готовить. То есть развивать там сеть русских школ, изучение русского языка, знакомить людей, которые собираются приехать к нам на работу, с традициями, с культурой, с требованиями российского закона и, конечно, ужесточать требования к тем, которые находятся на нашей территории, – требования к тому, чтобы они уважали людей, в среде которых они появляются и живут. И это, конечно, дело правоохранительных органов. То есть здесь два компонента: экономический и правоохранительный, и вот эти два компонента должны быть объединены в одном месте. Очень много дискуссий было по поводу того, делать нам отдельное ведомство (у нас оно когда-то было) либо оставить его в рамках МВД. Я считаю, что сегодня нужно укреплять эту составляющую, эту работу, в рамках Министерства внутренних дел. Там нужно создавать отдельное мощное подразделение, отдельный центр: или в рамках МВД, либо при МВД, куда нужно делегировать представителей из экономических ведомств – так, чтобы всё решилось в одном комплексе, но в тесной работе с другими министерствами, ведомствами, и с регионами, естественно. Большой объём регулирования – он имеется и должен оставаться на региональном уровне, и всё это из одного центра должно управляться, а потом, по мере его, условно говоря, взросления, по мере получения нужных компетенций, может быть, в будущем создать и отдельное ведомство. Но так, чтобы там присутствовала и правоохранительная компонента, и экономическая. Отдельные шаги в этом направлении сделаны уже, Госдума приняла закон по поводу того, что есть право не принимать в школы детей мигрантов, которые не владеют русским языком. В целом это понятно. Как можно ребёнка учить в школе, если он не владеет языком? Это отдельно нужно с ним заниматься русским языком. Кто за это будет платить? Нужно, чтобы и люди не ущемлялись, которые приезжают, чтобы были обеспечены гарантии, права соответствующие в области здравоохранения, в области социального обеспечения, но так, чтобы это не ложилось дополнительной нагрузкой на местное население и люди не чувствовали себя в состоянии дискомфорта. Много вопросов. И конечно, Правительство должно уделить этому большее внимание. А как это развивать? Я сейчас только сказал: сначала в рамках МВД, а потом, может быть, если сложится такая обстановка, что это потребуется сделать, создать и отдельное ведомство, где работали бы представители и правоохранительных органов, и экономических ведомств. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: This is a very sensitive and sharp question. It is sharp not only for us; for Europe it is still much sharper. Here, indeed, on the one hand, there are not enough working hands. I have already said we have 2.3 percent unemployment. That means it is almost nonexistent. Representatives of our business circles and of the ministries and agencies say how many are lacking in the construction sector, how many are lacking in industry. The count there runs to the hundreds of thousands. This is a fact; there is no getting away from it. What is the way out? The first thing. In order to reduce the number of labor migrants, one must raise labor productivity; one must introduce and use technologies that do not require a large number of unskilled working hands, and in this way concentrate the end result on high-technology spheres of activity, and it will not be necessary to attract the corresponding number of migrants for unskilled labor. The first thing. The second. If this is inevitable, then one must, together with our partners in some countries — above all, of course, this concerns the countries of Central Asia — work on preparing people for this. That is, develop a network of Russian schools there, the study of the Russian language, acquaint people who are going to come to us to work with the traditions, with the culture, with the requirements of Russian law, and, of course, tighten the requirements on those who are on our territory — requirements that they respect the people in whose midst they appear and live. And this, of course, is a matter for the law-enforcement bodies. That is, there are two components here: the economic and the law-enforcement, and these two components must be united in one place. There were a great many discussions about whether we should make a separate agency (we once had one) or leave it within the framework of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I consider that today this component, this work, needs to be strengthened within the framework of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A separate powerful subdivision needs to be created there, a separate center: either within the framework of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or attached to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to which representatives from the economic agencies need to be delegated — so that everything would be decided in one complex, but in close work with the other ministries and agencies, and with the regions, naturally. A large volume of regulation exists and must remain at the regional level, and all of this must be managed from one center, and then, as it, conditionally speaking, matures, as it acquires the needed competencies, perhaps in the future a separate agency can be created too. But in such a way that both a law-enforcement component and an economic one would be present there. Separate steps in this direction have already been taken; the State Duma has adopted a law to the effect that there is a right not to accept into schools the children of migrants who do not command the Russian language. On the whole this is understandable. How can one teach a child in school if he does not command the language? This needs to be worked on with him separately, the Russian language. Who will pay for this? People who arrive must not be infringed either; the corresponding guarantees and rights in the field of health care, in the field of social provision, must be ensured, but in such a way that this does not lay an additional burden on the local population and people do not feel themselves in a state of discomfort. Many questions. And of course the Government must give this greater attention. And how is this to be developed? I have just said: first within the framework of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and then, perhaps, if a situation takes shape in which this is required, create a separate agency too, where representatives both of the law-enforcement bodies and of the economic agencies would work. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, мы специально мониторили вопросы по теме миграции. Тема эта действительно очень острая и сложная. Значительная часть этих вопросов поступила от тех, кто приезжает и приезжает далеко не всегда на заработки. Это часто наши люди, которые знают русский язык, которые хотят вернуться на родину, получить паспорт России, стать полноправным гражданином Российской Федерации. Такие обращения были из разных стран: из стран СНГ, с Украины, как Вы сегодня говорили, там тоже много наших людей. Поступали и из Германии такие вопросы. К примеру, к нам обратился Лев Иванович Зейбель, наш соотечественник, уехавший в Германию в 90-м году, и вернулся в 2006-м. Сейчас он живёт в городе Тарусе, говорит, что, имея вид на жительство, он много лет не может получить гражданство. Ответ всегда один и тот же: Вам не положено, нет такого закона. Цитата: только Путин может дать Вам гражданство. И вот маленькая деталь. После того как он сказал чиновникам о том, что он написал письмо Путину, разговор поменялся, сказали, какие документы приносить. И дело вроде бы пошло, но хотелось бы довести его до логического конца. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, we specifically monitored questions on migration. This is indeed a very sensitive and complex issue. A substantial proportion of these questions came from people arriving here, and by no means always to earn money. They are often our people, who know Russian, want to return to their homeland, obtain a Russian passport and become full citizens of the Russian Federation. Such appeals came from different countries: from CIS countries, from Ukraine—as you said today, there are also many of our people there. Questions of this kind also came from Germany. For example, Lev Ivanovich Zeibel contacted us, a compatriot who left for Germany in 90 and returned in 2006. He now lives in the town of Tarusa and says that, despite having a residence permit, he has been unable to obtain citizenship for many years. The answer is always the same: you are not entitled to it; there is no such law. To quote: only Putin can grant you citizenship. And here is a small detail. After he told the officials that he had written a letter to Putin, the conversation changed; they told him which documents to bring. And the matter seems to have started moving, but we would like to see it through to its logical conclusion. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: It seems that these phone calls will keep coming. |
| В.Путин: Послушайте, гражданство присваивается действительно указами Президента. Но это чисто формальный акт, который должен готовиться на местах, готовиться соответствующими подразделениями, комиссиями и так далее. Вы сейчас подняли вопросы, которые называются «работа с соотечественниками», то есть это с теми людьми, которые чувствуют себя частью России. Они владеют русским языком, они считают себя частью нашей культуры, частью русского мира, как правило, они являются высококвалифицированными специалистами. И мы заинтересованы в привлечении именно высококвалифицированных специалистов в Россию, чтобы они здесь работали и жили. У нас вроде как целая программа даже создана для этого. Ну, видимо, не всё ещё работает эффективно. Безусловно, нужно совершенствовать эти механизмы. Вы сказали про украинцев. Мне кажется, что украинцев уже в России проживает если не столько же, сколько в Украине, а может, даже больше. Я не шучу, вполне это может быть, имею в виду тех людей, которые живут на новых территориях, в Крыму и тех, которые переехали к нам, – это миллионы людей. В целом у нас примерно столько же, сколько на Украине сейчас украинцев проживает. Кстати, мы приветствуем, пожалуйста. Эти люди – наша культура, это часть нашего народа, по сути. Эти механизмы, как я сказал, безусловно, нужно совершенствовать. Мы заинтересованы в том, чтобы в страну приезжали высококвалифицированные работники. В том числе и те, кстати говоря, которые просто являются – не «просто», это не простая вещь, но тем не менее, – являются носителями наших традиционных ценностей. Это сложно определить. Для того чтобы сделать это эффективно, нужно над этим работать. Будем это, безусловно, продолжать делать. А конкретно по Вашему примеру – дайте мне потом данные на этого человека. Мы точно ему поможем. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Listen, citizenship is indeed conferred by decrees of the President. But this is a purely formal act, which must be prepared locally, prepared by the corresponding subdivisions, commissions, and so on. You have now raised questions that are called "work with compatriots," that is, with those people who feel themselves part of Russia. They command the Russian language; they consider themselves part of our culture, part of the Russian world; as a rule they are highly qualified specialists. And we are interested in attracting precisely highly qualified specialists to Russia, so that they would work and live here. We even seem to have a whole program created for this. Well, apparently not everything yet works effectively. These mechanisms must without doubt be improved. You spoke of Ukrainians. It seems to me that there already live in Russia, if not as many Ukrainians as in Ukraine, then perhaps even more. I am not joking; this may quite be so, having in mind those people who live in the new territories, in Crimea, and those who have moved to us — these are millions of people. On the whole we have living here roughly as many Ukrainians as there are in Ukraine now. By the way, we welcome them; please. These people are our culture; this is part of our people, in essence. These mechanisms, as I said, must without doubt be improved. We are interested in highly qualified workers coming to the country. Including those, by the way, who simply are — not "simply"; this is not a simple thing, but nevertheless — bearers of our traditional values. This is hard to define. In order to do this effectively, one must work on it. We will without doubt go on doing this. And specifically on your example — give me the particulars of this person afterward. We will certainly help him. |
| Д.Кулько: Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Thank you. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Quite often, these unfamiliar voices come from call centres in Ukraine. There were reports that the number of phone calls from scammers declines whenever the Ukrainian energy system suffers They do not have enough electric power capacity. |
| А.Суворова: В самом начале программы мы рассказали, что с нами ещё есть и искусственный интеллект. GigaChat помогал нам выбирать популярные темы по запросам. Среди самых топовых запросов, конечно, вопросы жилья, ипотеки. Вы в самом начале программы тоже говорили о том, что ещё будем не единожды обращаться. Если сейчас посмотреть на наши мониторы, мы видим, что на первом месте находится. Впрочем, количество обращений тоже значительное. Давайте сейчас выведем видеовопрос от молодой семьи из Краснодара. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: At the very beginning of the program, we said that artificial intelligence is also with us. GigaChat helped us select popular topics based on the requests. Among the most popular requests, of course, are housing and mortgage questions. At the very beginning of the program, you also said that we would return to this more than once. If we look at our monitors now, we see that in first place is. However, the number of submissions is also substantial. Let us now show a video question from a young family in Krasnodar. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: What about adding these call centres to the list of our priority targets? |
| Вопрос: Уважаемый Владимир Владимирович, на протяжении трёх месяцев мы не можем взять семейную ипотеку. Постоянно то у банков лимиты кончаются, то они увеличивают первоначальный взнос с 20 до 50 процентов. Подскажите, пожалуйста, как будут обстоять дела вообще дальше с семейной ипотекой, потому что сейчас её очень сложно получить. Также помимо семейной ипотеки практически нереально получить и сельскую, и IT. То есть постоянно у банков кончаются лимиты, плюс они её не хотят одобрять.Меняют программы постоянно, каждый день, при подаче. Банки с недавнего времени ввели так называемую программу «Комбо-ипотека», когда они накидывают свой процент, и процентная ставка возрастает с шести до 13 процентов. То есть под семейную банки просто не хотят выдавать ипотеку.Как нам быть? |
Full house translation — pending review Вопрос: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, for three months we have been unable to obtain a family mortgage. The banks are constantly either running out of lending limits or raising the down payment from 20 to 50 percent. Please tell us how things will develop with family mortgages in general, because getting one is very difficult now. Besides family mortgages, it is also practically impossible to get rural or IT mortgages. In other words, the banks keep running out of limits, and they do not want to approve them either. They constantly change the programs, every day, when applications are submitted. Recently, banks introduced a so-called “Combo Mortgage” program, where they add their own interest, and the interest rate rises from six to 13 percent. In other words, banks simply do not want to issue mortgages under the family program. What should we do? |
| 6 Mortgage and Housing Issues | |
| В.Путин: Спасибо Вам за этот вопрос и за то, что Вы обратили на это внимание. Это безобразие, во-первых, потому что не должно быть никаких лимитов, и мы с Правительством уже эту тему обсуждали. Мне было обещано, и я это обещание проверю, насколько оно исполняется, что никаких лимитов не будет. Потому что в конечном итоге всё это связано с субсидиями со стороны государства. Для банков это только в удовольствие должно быть – получать шесть процентов от тех, кто использует кредит семейной ипотеки, а разницу между банковской ставкой и этими шестью процентами должно возмещать государство. И здесь никаких лимитов со стороны государства быть не должно. Эта разница-то в банках оседает, между прочим, для них это доход, и немаленький. Поэтому если они отказывают, то это значит, что Правительство вовремя не направляет эту субсидию в банк, наверное. Я проверю, обещаю Вам, обязательно проверю. Но мы договорились о том, что никаких лимитов не будет. Это первое. Второе – это касается семейной ипотеки под три процента, касается и сельской ипотеки. Семейная ипотека – под шесть процентов, сельская – под три процента. Это очень важный инструмент в жилищном строительстве. Почему? Потому что у нас из всего объёма построенного жилья, а это в прошлом году 110 миллионов квадратных метров – рекорд со времён Советского Союза, ничего подобного раньше не было, – 50 процентов было построено ИЖС, в основном на селе. Более того, такую ипотеку берут люди до 40 лет или чуть старше, переезжают в сельскую местность, живут, берут ипотеку, семьи строят. Эта ипотека тоже не должна иметь никаких лимитов. Это несколько десятков миллиардов для бюджета – некритично абсолютно, её нужно сохранить. То же самое касается IT-ипотеки. Сколько она у нас? Шесть процентов или пять. Во всяком случае, это льготная ипотека, не так уж много народа. Совсем недавно мы это обсуждали, кто-то предлагал её прикрыть – смысла большого с точки зрения экономии бюджетных средств нет. Семейная точно остаётся, сельскохозяйственная точно остаётся. Я прошу Правительство обеспечить объёмы необходимых субсидий. Мы здесь наведём порядок. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Thank you for this question and for having drawn attention to this. This is a disgrace, first, because there must be no limits, and we have already discussed this topic with the Government. I was promised, and I will check how far this promise is being fulfilled, that there will be no limits. Because in the final analysis all of this is connected with subsidies from the state. For the banks this ought to be nothing but a pleasure — to receive six percent from those who use a family-mortgage credit, and the difference between the bank rate and these six percent ought to be reimbursed by the state. And here there must be no limits on the part of the state. This difference, by the way, settles in the banks; for them it is income, and not a small one. So if they refuse, that means the Government is not sending this subsidy to the bank in time, probably. I will check; I promise you I will certainly check. But we agreed that there will be no limits. That is the first thing. The second concerns the family mortgage at three percent, and it concerns the rural mortgage too. The family mortgage is at six percent, the rural one at three percent. This is a very important instrument in housing construction. Why? Because of the whole volume of housing built — and last year this was 110 million square meters, a record since the times of the Soviet Union; nothing of the kind had existed before — 50 percent was built as individual housing construction, mainly in the countryside. Moreover, people under 40, or a little older, take such a mortgage, move to the countryside, live there, take the mortgage, and build families. This mortgage too must have no limits. This is several tens of billions for the budget — absolutely not critical; it must be preserved. The same concerns the IT mortgage. How much is it with us? Six percent or five. In any case this is a preferential mortgage, and not so very many people. Quite recently we discussed this; someone proposed shutting it down — there is no great sense in it from the point of view of saving budget funds. The family one certainly remains; the agricultural one certainly remains. I ask the Government to ensure the volumes of the necessary subsidies. We will put things in order here. |
| А.Суворова: Дальневосточные и новые регионы тоже. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: The Far Eastern and the new regions too. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Dmitry, Mr Peskov seems to be casting rather unfriendly glances our way. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Dmitry Peskov: Let’s shift our focus back to the audience for a moment. Ukraine has been mentioned. I see the sign “Other Ukraine.” Galina Merkulova: Mr President, My name is Galina Merkulova, I am a deputy head of media resources for Other Ukraine, an international public movement that represents the interests of millions of Ukrainian citizens both within Ukraine, regrettably still under the control of the Kiev regime, and in Russia, Europe, and across the globe, where we have 55 offices in operation. The Other Ukraine public movement believes that the sole means of rescuing Ukrainians from Zelensky’s criminal illegitimate regime, which has usurped the executive, legislative, and judicial powers, is through the reunification of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples. Now, here is our question: under what conditions are you prepared to commence negotiations with Kiev? If not with Zelensky, then with whom? Additionally, one more crucial aspect: in Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church is not merely under attack; it is virtually expelled. What is your stance on this matter, and do you believe that the position of the Russian Orthodox Church has been undermined? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Дальневосточная остаётся два процента, Арктика – два процента, новые регионы – два процента. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: The Far Eastern one remains two percent, the Arctic two percent, the new regions two percent. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, сейчас предлагаю перейти к проблеме, которая, к сожалению, остаётся острой из года в год, – тема телефонных мошенников. Мы ежедневно предупреждаем людей на телевидении. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I now suggest moving on to a problem that unfortunately remains acute year after year: telephone scammers. We warn people on television every day. |
| В.Путин: Извините, кстати говоря, 110 миллионов квадратных метров было построено в прошлом году. В этом году будет построено чуть поменьше – где-то 105 миллионов, но это тоже очень хороший показатель. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Excuse me, by the way, 110 million square meters were built last year. This year a little less will be built — somewhere around 105 million, but that is also a very good figure. |
| Д.Кулько: Телефонные мошенники. Насколько актуальна эта проблема, можно понять хотя бы по цифре: 250 миллиардов рублей – столько мошенники в этом году украли у россиян. Это подсчёты «Сбера». Злоумышленники звонят и чего только не говорят: представляются ЦБ, ФСБ, говорят, что во всех банках вклады заморозят, требуют переводить деньги на другие счета, даже брать кредиты. В подобной ситуации оказалась и Елена Ильинична Маркелова из Казани. Предлагаю посмотреть сейчас её видеовопрос. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Telephone scammers. How pressing this problem is can be understood from just one figure: 250 billion rubles—that is how much scammers have stolen from Russians this year. These are Sber's estimates. The criminals call and say all sorts of things: they pretend to represent the Central Bank or the FSB, say that deposits in all banks will be frozen, demand that people transfer money to other accounts, even take out loans. Yelena Ilyinichna Markelova from Kazan found herself in a similar situation. I suggest watching her video question now. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: There was also a question about the Russian Orthodox Church. |
| Е.Маркелова: Здравствуйте, Владимир Владимирович! Меня зовут Маркелова Елена Ильинична, я из города Казани, 63 года, пенсионерка. Недавно я стала жертвой мошенников. Был взломан мой личный кабинет в «Госуслугах», и в результате их действий я должна двум банкам один миллион 900 тысяч рублей. Моё обращение – это крик души. Как же банки, клиентом которых я являюсь и получаю пенсию 18 770 рублей, одобряют такие кредиты, при этом не запрашивая никаких документов о моём доходе, не запрашивая никакие контакты знакомых, которые могли бы поручиться за меня, и такие большие суммы ежемесячным платежом, который превышает мой ежемесячный доход? В связи с тем что сейчас большое количество обманутых мошенниками пенсионеров, не пора ли принять более серьёзные меры и обязать банки более тщательно контролировать действия своих сотрудников и так же тщательно проверять заявки, особенно от лиц пожилого возраста? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Маркелова: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! My name is Markelova, Yelena Ilyinichna; I am from the city of Kazan, 63 years old, a pensioner. Recently I became a victim of scammers. My personal account on Gosuslugi was hacked, and as a result of their actions I owe two banks one million 900 thousand rubles. My appeal is a cry from the heart. How can the banks, whose customer I am and through which I receive a pension of 18 770 rubles, approve such loans without asking for any documents about my income, without requesting any contact details of acquaintances who could vouch for me, and such large sums with a monthly payment that exceeds my monthly income? Given that there are now so many pensioners deceived by scammers, is it not time to take more serious measures and require banks to monitor their employees' actions more carefully and check applications just as carefully, especially those from elderly people? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Да, Вы правы. Как зовут? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, you are right. What is the name? |
| Д.Кулько: Маркелова Елена Ильинична. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Markelova Elena Ilyinichna. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Let us take a couple more questions from the audience. I would be remiss not to give Radio Purga a chance to ask a question. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Anastasia Lavrentyeva: Good afternoon. Radio Purga, Chukotka Autonomous Area. My name is Anastasia Lavrentyeva. Thank you very much for this opportunity. I am looking at the monitors showing the relevance of topics for various regions, and I see confirmation that my question is indeed important and concerns many residents of our region. It is about connectivity and internet access. Mr President, in Chukotka, high-speed internet is available only in the regional capital, the only city. All other residents of the region are deprived of the benefits and opportunities the internet has to offer. Beyond entertainment, essential services like the Gosuslugi portal, banking services for the business are inaccessible to most of Chukotka residents. Could you help address this issue of digital inequality, if possible? |
| 7 Telephone Fraud and Cybersecurity | |
| В.Путин: Елена Ильинична, Вы абсолютно правы. Комментариев здесь немного. Действительно, банки у нас научились быстро выдавать кредиты, выдают их просто моментально, что называется, но они обязаны проверять платёжеспособность. Даже есть определённое правило, согласно которому если более чем 50 процентов доходов гражданина идёт на обслуживание кредита, то в этом случае выдача таких кредитов становится для банка более дорогим удовольствием, и нагрузка на капитал для банка увеличиваться. Есть правило Центрального банка. Но то, что происходит сейчас, конечно, очень большую тревогу вызывает, потому что объёмы этого жульничества зашкаливают. Совсем недавно на мероприятии «Сбера» мне Герман Оскарович Греф докладывал. Рассказал о том, что по всей банковской системе у нас со счетов граждан только с территории Украины, где возведена деятельность мошенническая в ранг государственной политики, там под контролем спецслужб работают специалисты, центры целые по выманиванию денег у граждан России, только с этого направления выманили более 250 миллиардов рублей. Это, конечно, приобретает очень серьёзный размах. Это примерно то, что делала гитлеровская Германия, печатая деньги наших союзников во время Второй мировой войны, в том числе Великобритании: фунт стерлингов печатали и распространяли, для того чтобы подорвать экономику Великобритании. Примерно то же самое сейчас происходит на Украине по линии этого жульничества. Конечно, нужно дисциплинировать эту ситуацию, нужно обратить серьёзное внимание на это. Кредиты, скажем, до 50 тысяч рублей пускай выдают, что называется, в режиме онлайн, немедленно. А от 50 до 200 тысяч рублей надо бы дать, безусловно, людям хотя бы несколько часов, чтобы что-то проверить дополнительно и принять окончательное решение. А 200 тысяч и более – это точно нужно растянуть хотя бы на несколько дней. Я знаю, что эти вопросы обсуждаются и в Государственной Думе, и в Центральном банке, где будут совершенствовать вот эти решения, связанные с нагрузкой на капитал в отношении тех банков, которые дают вот такие необеспеченные кредиты. Надеюсь, что всё это приведёт к искомому результату. Здесь есть ещё одна проблема, о которой мне и Председатель Центрального банка докладывала, и МВД. Открываются карты на людей, которые вроде в этой схеме жульнической участия не принимают, но потом, когда у граждан деньги выманивают, их сначала переводят на посреднические карты так называемые, а потом уже мошенники оттуда сдирают деньги своих жертв. А те, кто открывает эти карты, вроде как и ни при чём, они в этом участия не принимают. Но есть предложение усилить не только контроль, но и ответственность этих людей, которые на самом-то деле являются соучастниками этих преступлений, участвуют в этих мошеннических схемах. Формально вроде ничего не делают, но они понимают, для чего открывается карта на их имя. Есть предложение и уголовную ответственность за такую деятельность определить. Я сейчас не говорю, что это решение, но в этом направлении, безусловно, нужно думать. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yelena Ilyinichna, you are absolutely right. There are few comments here. Indeed, our banks have learned to issue credits quickly; they issue them simply instantly, as the saying goes, but they are obliged to check solvency. There is even a definite rule according to which, if more than 50 percent of a citizen's income goes to servicing a credit, then in this case the issuance of such credits becomes a more expensive pleasure for the bank, and the burden on capital for the bank increases. There is a rule of the Central Bank. But what is happening now of course causes very great alarm, because the volumes of this cheating are off the scale. Quite recently, at a Sber event, German Oskarovich Gref reported to me. He told of the fact that across the whole banking system, from citizens' accounts, from the territory of Ukraine alone, where fraudulent activity has been raised to the rank of state policy, specialists work there under the control of the special services, whole centers for wheedling money out of citizens of Russia; from this direction alone they wheedled out more than 250 billion rubles. This of course is acquiring a very serious scale. This is roughly what Hitler's Germany did, printing the money of our allies during the Second World War, including Great Britain's: they printed the pound sterling and spread it in order to undermine the economy of Great Britain. Roughly the same thing is now happening in Ukraine along the line of this cheating. Of course this situation needs to be disciplined; serious attention needs to be paid to this. Credits, say, of up to 50 thousand rubles, let them issue, as the saying goes, online, immediately. And from 50 to 200 thousand rubles one ought, without doubt, to give people at least several hours to check something additionally and take a final decision. And 200 thousand and more — this certainly needs to be stretched out for at least several days. I know that these questions are being discussed both in the State Duma and in the Central Bank, where they will improve these decisions connected with the burden on capital in relation to those banks that give such unsecured credits. I hope that all this will lead to the desired result. There is one more problem here, of which both the Chair of the Central Bank and the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported to me. Cards are opened in the names of people who seem not to take part in this fraudulent scheme, but then, when money is wheedled out of citizens, it is first transferred to so-called intermediary cards, and then the fraudsters scrape their victims' money off from there. And those who open these cards seem to have nothing to do with it; they do not take part in this. But there is a proposal to strengthen not only control but also the responsibility of these people, who in fact are accomplices in these crimes and take part in these fraudulent schemes. Formally they seem to do nothing, but they understand why a card is being opened in their name. There is a proposal to define criminal liability for such activity too. I am not saying now that this is a decision, but one must without doubt think in this direction. |
| А.Суворова: А есть у Вас знакомые, которые, может быть, сами пострадали тоже от телефонных мошенников? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Do you have any acquaintances who may themselves also have suffered at the hands of telephone scammers? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Alexander is one of the patriarchs of Russian journalism. Please. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Alexander Gamov: Thank you very much. Komsomolskaya Pravda website, radio, and newspaper. And “Putin’s team.” I am sitting here today with young ladies, Yulia and Marina, who welcomed me into their group. This has not been mentioned yet, but I would like to congratulate all of us, and you, Mr President, because, by my estimates, today marks the 20 th news conference, even though some colleagues argue that it is the 21 st conference. There is no other format like this elsewhere in the world, and I hope it continues for as long as possible. Now, my question. Contrary to sceptics’ predictions, the presidential programme “The Time of Heroes” has not become a fleeting project or a mere formality. It is working. What hopes did you personally have for it? Have they been realised? What hopes do you have for it now? In the past few days and hours, a question has increasingly occupied my mind: why do we not adequately care for and protect our heroes? I am speaking not only about the death of General Kirillov, which was briefly mentioned here today, but also about numerous instances where participants in the special military operation have been insulted. Fortunately, law enforcement agencies have been vigilant, and justice has prevailed, as was extensively reported. As concerns the Time of Heroes programme. I represent the heroic newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, which served as a frontline publication during the Great Patriotic War and continues to do so today. Our war correspondents work with courage, and since 2014, we have been publishing KP in Donetsk, Donbass. Next year, we will be celebrating our 100 th anniversary on May 24, 2025. My colleagues have asked me to extend an invitation to you. Mikhail Petrov shared with us how the TASS agency commemorated its 120 th anniversary with great ceremony and was honoured with an order. We look forward to welcoming you on May 24 at about noon. Will you attend, Mr President? |
| В.Путин: Таких знакомых у меня нет, но есть, правда, люди, это точно знакомые мои, которые мне сообщали, что им звонят, им звонили. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I have no acquaintances of that kind, but there are, it is true, people — these are certainly acquaintances of mine — who told me that they are being called, that they were called. |
| А.Суворова: И, видимо, будут звонить, судя по всему. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: And, by all appearances, they will call. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexander Gamov: Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Может быть, и будут звонить, но, как только они слышат незнакомый голос и какие-то предложения, в конечном итоге связанные с какими-то действиями, они сразу кладут трубку. Я очень рекомендую всем гражданам страны поступать точно таким же образом. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Perhaps they will call, but as soon as they hear an unfamiliar voice and some proposals ultimately connected with some actions, they immediately hang up. I very much recommend that all citizens of the country act in exactly the same way. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, часто такие незнакомые голоса звонят из колл-центров, которые находятся на территории Украины. Замечено, что после ударов по украинской энергетике число звонков телефонных мошенников снижается. Вероятно, в этих колл-центрах просто свет пропадает. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, unfamiliar voices like these often call from call centers located in Ukraine. It has been observed that after strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the number of calls from telephone scammers declines. Probably the power simply goes out in these call centers. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexander Gamov: There was also a question about protecting our heroes. |
| В.Путин: Электричества не хватает. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: There is not enough electricity. |
| Д.Кулько: Может быть, мы эти колл-центры можем внести в список приоритетных целей? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Perhaps we could put these call centers on the list of priority targets? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexander Gamov: Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Нет. В списке приоритетных целей находятся военные объекты и объекты военно-промышленного комплекса. Могут быть и центры принятия решений, но на эти центры боезапасы мы тратить не будем – ни к чему. Нужно принимать соответствующие решения внутри России в соответствующих инстанциях: в Центральном банке и Правительстве Российской Федерации, в органах внутренних дел. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: No. Military facilities and military-industrial complex facilities are on the list of priority targets. Decision-making centers may be there too, but we will not spend ammunition on these centers—there is no point. Appropriate decisions need to be taken within Russia by the appropriate authorities: the Central Bank and the Government of the Russian Federation, and the internal affairs agencies. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: You know, I have caught sight of a very popular young blogger. He is getting up. |
| А.Суворова: Дима, на нас с тобой не по-доброму смотрит Дмитрий Сергеевич. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Dima, Dmitry Sergeyevich is looking at you and me in an unkind way. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vlad Bumaga: Mr President, good afternoon. My name is Vlad Bumaga, and I am a popular video blogger. I have over 80 million subscribers on social networks, mostly young people. As we know, young people spend a lot of time online – an average of five to eight hours per day, with half of that time devoted to watching video content. For my part, like many other creators, I am actively involved in developing our Russian platforms, such as VK Video. Of course, these platforms are not yet very large, but they demonstrate good and confident growth and provide high-quality services. My question in this connection is this: why block YouTube if our platforms are coping well as they are? They are competitive and offer excellent terms and alternatives for creators? Moreover, we can upload content there and transmit our ideas and messages to audiences that extend beyond the Russian-speaking community. There is another important issue. As I mentioned before, practically all children in this country know and watch me. I will add that I became a father myself earlier this year. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте чуть-чуть в зал вернёмся. Упоминали Украину. Я вижу надпись «Другая Украина». |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us return to the hall for a little while. Ukraine was mentioned. I see a sign saying “The Other Ukraine.” |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: My congratulations! |
| Г.Меркулова: Уважаемый Владимир Владимирович! Я Меркулова Галина, заместитель руководителя медиаресурсов международного общественного движения «Другая Украина», представляющего интересы миллионов граждан Украины как на Украине, к сожалению, пока ещё подконтрольной киевскому режиму, так и в России, странах Европы, мира, где открыты 55 наших организаций. Общественное движение «Другая Украина» считает единственным способом спасения украинцев от преступного нелегитимного режима Зеленского, узурпировавшего исполнительную, законодательную и судебную власть, воссоединение украинского и российского народов. И вот наш вопрос: при каких условиях Вы готовы начать переговоры с Киевом? Если не с Зеленским, то с кем? И ещё один важный аспект. На Украине сейчас не просто нападки на Русскую православную церковь, а она практически изгнана. Как Вы относитесь к этому факту и не считаете ли, что позиции РПЦ подорваны? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Г.Меркулова: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! I am Galina Merkulova, deputy head of media resources for the international public movement “The Other Ukraine,” which represents the interests of millions of Ukrainian citizens both in Ukraine, unfortunately still controlled by the Kyiv regime, and in Russia, the countries of Europe and the world, where 55 of our organizations have opened. The public movement “The Other Ukraine” considers the reunification of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples the only way to save Ukrainians from Zelensky's criminal, illegitimate regime, which has usurped executive, legislative and judicial power. And here is our question: under what conditions are you prepared to begin negotiations with Kyiv? If not with Zelensky, then with whom? And one more important aspect. In Ukraine now, the Russian Orthodox Church is not merely being attacked; it has practically been expelled. How do you view this fact, and do you not think that the position of the Russian Orthodox Church has been undermined? Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vlad Bumaga: Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Да. Прежде всего по поводу нелегитимности режима, я уже об этом говорил. Я так понимаю, что руководитель, идейный вдохновитель этого движения, организации… Это организация «Другая Украина»? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. First of all, regarding the illegitimacy of the regime, I have already spoken about this. As I understand it, the leader, the ideological inspirer of this movement, of the organization… Is this the organization "Another Ukraine"? |
| Г.Меркулова: Движение. |
Full house translation — pending review Г.Меркулова: Movement. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vlad Bumaga: I will do so without fail. I would like to ask what values I, as a person whose videos nurture an entire generation, should communicate to the audience. Or, perhaps, what messages I should not communicate to the audience. What is your personal opinion on the ideas and messages that should be prioritised when it comes to young people? Give us a direction, so to speak. We will take note and start working. Thank you. |
| 8 International Relations – Ukraine, US, China | |
| В.Путин: Да, это, видимо, Виктор Медведчук? Мы с ним практически не видимся, но знаю, что и он тоже так считает. Нелегитимность режима в чём заключается? Повторю ещё раз, в конституции Украины нет указаний на возможность продления полномочий Президента даже в условиях военного положения. Есть только один орган власти, это представительный орган власти – Совет, то есть Рада, – полномочия которого могут быть продлены без выборов в условиях военного положения. Это, повторяю, Рада. В чём проблема для Украины? Я понимаю, что Вы в курсе этого, в том, что государственное устройство на Украине таково, что целый ряд органов власти формируется президентом. Это и руководители областей, регионов, и руководство всех силовых структур и так далее. Но если само первое лицо нелегитимно, то всё остальное тоже теряет свою легитимность по линии исполнительных органов власти и силовых структур. И всё, что они делают, исполняя его приказы, они знают, что они соучастники этой противоправной деятельности. Это первое. Теперь условия начала переговоров. У нас нет предварительных условий. Мы готовы вести диалог без предварительных условий. Но на базе того, о чём мы договорились, я уже сто раз об этом сказал, в ходе переговорного процесса в Стамбуле в конце 2022 года и исходя из реалий, которые складываются на земле сегодня. Наши тезисы были изложены Российской Федерацией, в том числе в моём июньском выступлении перед руководством Министерства иностранных дел Российской Федерации. Там всё сказано. Нет смысла повторяться. Если не с главой режима, то с кем? Если он сам нелегитимный. Вы знаете, если кто-то пойдёт на выборы, получит легитимность, мы будем с любым человеком разговаривать, в том числе и с Зеленским. Сейчас, если Украина действительно хочет идти по пути мирного урегулирования, они, конечно, в состоянии это сделать. Они могут организовать внутри Украины этот процесс, как хотят. Просто подписывать мы можем только с теми, кто являются легитимными, а легитимными являются Рада и председатель Рады. Он полностью под главой режима находится. Это чисто формальный юридический вопрос. Внутри могут организовывать, как хотят. Но подписывать, если мы дойдём когда-то до подписания документа, мы можем только с представителями легитимных органов власти, вот и всё. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, this is apparently Viktor Medvedchuk? We practically do not see each other, but I know that he too thinks so. What does the illegitimacy of the regime consist of? I will repeat once more: in the constitution of Ukraine there are no indications of the possibility of extending the powers of the President even under conditions of martial law. There is only one body of authority, a representative body of authority — the Council, that is, the Rada — whose powers may be extended without elections under conditions of martial law. This, I repeat, is the Rada. What is the problem for Ukraine? I understand that you are aware of this: that the state structure in Ukraine is such that a whole series of bodies of authority is formed by the president. These are the heads of the oblasts, the regions, and the leadership of all the security structures, and so on. But if the first person himself is illegitimate, then everything else also loses its legitimacy along the line of the executive bodies of authority and the security structures. And everything they do, carrying out his orders, they know that they are accomplices in this unlawful activity. That is the first thing. Now the conditions for the start of negotiations. We have no preliminary conditions. We are ready to conduct a dialogue without preliminary conditions. But on the basis of what we agreed, I have already said this a hundred times, in the course of the negotiating process in Istanbul at the end of 2022, and proceeding from the realities that are taking shape on the ground today. Our theses were set out by the Russian Federation, including in my June address to the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Everything is said there. There is no sense in repeating oneself. If not with the head of the regime, then with whom? If he himself is illegitimate. You know, if someone goes to elections and receives legitimacy, we will talk with any person, including with Zelensky. Now, if Ukraine really wants to go along the path of a peaceful settlement, they are of course in a position to do this. They can organize this process inside Ukraine as they wish. We can simply sign only with those who are legitimate, and the legitimate ones are the Rada and the chairman of the Rada. He is wholly under the head of the regime. This is a purely formal legal question. Inside they can organize it as they wish. But signing, if we ever come to the signing of a document, we can do only with representatives of legitimate bodies of authority, and that is all. |
| А.Суворова: Ещё про РПЦ был вопрос. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: There was also a question about the Russian Orthodox Church. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vlad Bumaga: No, it is my real name. |
| В.Путин: Вы знаете, то, что происходит с РПЦ, – это вообще уникальная вещь. Ведь это грубейшее, вопиющее нарушение прав человека, прав верующих. Идёт растерзание церкви на глазах у всего мира. Это как расстрел. И все во всём мире предпочитают этого не замечать. Я думаю, что тем, кто это делает, это ещё аукнется. Вы сказали, они разрывают. Да, так и происходит. Понимаете, дело в чём? Эти люди ведь даже не атеисты. Атеисты – это тоже люди, которые во что-то верят. Они верят в то, что Бога нет, но это их вера, их убеждения. А это не атеисты. Это люди вообще без всякой веры, безбожники. Они – этнические евреи, но кто их видел в синагоге? По-моему, в синагоге их никто не видел. Они вроде как и не православные, потому что в церквях тоже не бывают. Они уж точно не приверженцы ислама, потому что и в мечети они вряд ли появляются. Это люди без роду, без племени. Им ничего не дорого, то, что дорого нам и подавляющей части украинского народа. Они удерут когда-то и будут ходить не в церковь, а на пляж. Но это их выбор. Я думаю, что когда-нибудь они вспомнят об этом, и люди на Украине, а подавляющее большинство жителей Украины всё-таки имеют отношение к православию, дадут им оценку. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: You know, what is happening with the Russian Orthodox Church is in general a unique thing. This is the grossest, most flagrant violation of human rights, of the rights of believers. The church is being torn apart before the eyes of the whole world. It is like an execution by firing squad. And everyone in the whole world prefers not to notice it. I think that for those who are doing this, it will yet come back on them. You said they are tearing it apart. Yes, that is what is happening. You see, what is the point? These people are not even atheists. Atheists are also people who believe in something. They believe that there is no God, but that is their faith, their convictions. And these are not atheists. These are people with no faith at all, godless people. They are ethnic Jews, but who has seen them in a synagogue? In my view no one has seen them in a synagogue. They are not Orthodox either, it seems, because they do not go to churches either. They are certainly not adherents of Islam, because they hardly appear in a mosque either. These are people without kin or tribe. Nothing is dear to them that is dear to us and to the overwhelming part of the Ukrainian people. One day they will run off and will go not to church but to the beach. But that is their choice. I think that someday they will remember this, and the people in Ukraine — and the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of Ukraine do after all have a relation to Orthodoxy — will pass judgment on them. |
| Д.Песков: Давайте ещё пару-тройку вопросов в зал дадим. Я не могу не дать вопрос радио «Пурга». |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us take another two or three questions from the hall. I cannot pass up the opportunity to let Radio Purga ask a question. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Thank you. May I interrupt you for a second? We were just talking about children, and I see a young woman over there with a “Families with children deceived” sign. How were they deceived? Anna Suvorova: Apparently, this is not about child benefits, because we have already discussed them. |
| А.Лаврентьева: Здравствуйте! Радио «Пурга», Чукотский автономный округ. Меня зовут Анастасия Лаврентьева, спасибо большое за эту возможность. Я смотрю на мониторы, где показывают актуальность тем для регионов, и получаю подтверждение тому, что мой вопрос действительно актуален и волнует многих жителей нашего региона. Вопрос касается связи и интернета. Владимир Владимирович, у нас на Чукотке скоростной интернет есть только в столице региона, это один-единственный город. Все остальные жители региона не получают тех прелестей и важности, которые предлагает нам интернет. Мало того, что развлечения, госуслуги, банковские услуги для бизнеса тоже недоступны большинству жителей Чукотки. Помогите как-то решить вопрос с устранением цифрового неравенства, если это возможно. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Лаврентьева: Hello! Radio Purga, Chukotka Autonomous Area. My name is Anastasia Lavrentyeva; thank you very much for this opportunity. I am looking at the monitors showing how relevant topics are for the regions, and I see confirmation that my question is indeed relevant and concerns many residents of our region. The question concerns communications and the internet. Vladimir Vladimirovich, here in Chukotka we have high-speed internet only in the regional capital; that is just one single city. All other residents of the region do not receive the pleasures and important benefits that the internet offers us. Not only entertainment, but government services and banking services for businesses are also unavailable to most residents of Chukotka. Please help somehow to resolve the issue of eliminating the digital divide, if possible. |
| В.Путин: Да. Здесь много говорить не стоит, потому что у нас есть программа развития интернета, скоростного интернета, развития вообще связи, в этой связи развития спутниковой группировки и так далее, особенно это касается спутниковой группировки, связанной с организацией связи. Всё это, безусловно, будет делаться. Сейчас не буду говорить, они широко известны, это открытые данные, каким темпом у нас идёт работа по этому направлению, соответствующие ресурсы выделены и намечены. Никаких сбоев здесь не будет, будем идти по этому плану. Очень рассчитываю на то, что и жители отдалённых регионов, в том числе и на Чукотке, будут в полном смысле пользоваться всеми прелестями современной цивилизации. Для такой страны, как наша, это чрезвычайно важно, потому что людей работает всё больше и больше удалённо, образование получают удалённо. И здесь скоростной интернет имеет принципиальное значение. Безусловно, будем это делать, даже сомнений нет никаких. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. There is no need to say much here, because we have a program for developing the internet, high-speed internet, and communications in general, and in that connection for developing the satellite constellation, and so on; this concerns especially the satellite constellation connected with organizing communications. All of this will of course be done. I will not say now — they are widely known, these are open figures — at what pace our work in this direction is going; the corresponding resources have been allocated and earmarked. There will be no failures here; we will follow this plan. I count very much on the inhabitants of remote regions, including in Chukotka, being able in the full sense to enjoy all the amenities of modern civilization. For a country such as ours this is extremely important, because more and more people work remotely and receive their education remotely. And here high-speed internet is of fundamental importance. Of course we will do this; there are no doubts whatever. |
| Д.Песков: Александр Гамов, сидит на первом ряду, – один из патриархов отечественной журналистики. Пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Alexander Gamov, sitting in the front row, is one of the patriarchs of Russian journalism. Please go ahead. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Please, listen to me. It is not about the banks at all. We have created a system of escrow accounts, where people transfer their money when they take out a mortgage. The money is then frozen in those escrow accounts until the new owners receive their housing. Where have they transferred the money? Yelena Usmanova: No, this is |
| А.Гамов: Спасибо огромное. Сайт, радио и газета «Комсомольская правда». И «команда Путина» – я сегодня сижу с девушками, Юля и Марина меня приняли в свою группу. Сегодня об этом не говорилось, и мне бы хотелось прежде всего поздравить нас всех и Вас, Владимир Владимирович: сегодня, по моим прикидкам, 20-я пресс-конференция, хотя коллеги пытались меня поправить, что 21-я. В мире нет ещё такого формата, и дай бог, чтобы он у нас продолжался как можно дольше, дольше и дольше. А вопрос у меня такой. Вопреки прогнозам скептиков президентская программа «Время героев» не стала проектом сиюминутным, так сказать, «для галочки она работает». Вы лично какие надежды возлагали, оправдались ли они? [Какие] возлагаете сейчас? И ещё, буквально в последние дни-часы у меня родился такой вопрос: почему мы недостаточно бережём и охраняем своих героев? Я имею в виду не только гибель генерала Кириллова, о которой здесь сегодня вскользь говорили, но и была масса случаев, когда обижали наших участников СВО. Собственно, правоохранительные органы становились на стражу, справедливость восторжествовала, много об этом писали. И ещё о программе «Время героев». Я представляю героическую газету – «Комсомольскую правду», которая и в Великую Отечественную была фронтовой, и сейчас она фронтовая: наши военкоры мужественно работают, с 2014 года мы выпускаем КП в Донбассе, в Донецке. В следующем году нам 100 лет – 24 мая 2025 года. Коллеги просили передать Вам приглашение, чтобы пришли к нам. Здесь Михаил Петров рассказывал, как торжественно отметили 120-летие ТАСС, наградили их орденом. Мы Вас ждём 24 мая, часов в 12. Придёте, Владимир Владимирович? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Гамов: Thank you very much. The website, the radio, and the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. And "Putin's team" — today I am sitting with the girls; Yulia and Marina have taken me into their group. This was not spoken of today, and I would like above all to congratulate all of us, and you, Vladimir Vladimirovich: today, by my reckoning, is the 20th press conference, although colleagues tried to correct me that it is the 21st. There is not yet such a format in the world, and God grant that it continue with us as long as possible, longer and longer. And my question is this. Contrary to the forecasts of the skeptics, the presidential program Time of Heroes did not become a momentary project, so to speak, "it works for the checkbox." What hopes did you personally place on it; have they been justified? [What] hopes do you place on it now? And one more thing: literally in the last days and hours a question of this kind was born in me: why do we not take enough care of our heroes, and not guard them enough? I mean not only the death of General Kirillov, which was spoken of here today in passing, but there has also been a mass of cases when our participants in the SMO were offended. The law-enforcement bodies did, in fact, stand guard, justice triumphed, and much was written about this. And one more thing about the Time of Heroes program. I represent a heroic newspaper — Komsomolskaya Pravda, which was a front-line paper in the Great Patriotic War too, and is a front-line paper now: our war correspondents work courageously; since 2014 we have been publishing KP in the Donbass, in Donetsk. Next year we turn 100 — on 24 May 2025. Colleagues asked me to pass on an invitation to you, that you come to us. Here Mikhail Petrov was telling how they solemnly marked the 120th anniversary of TASS and awarded them an order. We are waiting for you on 24 May, around 12. Will you come, Vladimir Vladimirovich? |
| В.Путин: Я постараюсь. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I will try. |
| А.Гамов: Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Гамов: Thank you. |
| 11 Social Programs – "Time of Heroes" and Youth Values | |
| В.Путин: Спасибо большое за приглашение. «Комсомолка» – часть жизни многих поколений наших граждан, с которой люди утром начинали свой день и начинают или в течение дня обращаются к «Комсомолке». «Комсомолка» становится всё более и более современным средством массовой информации – работает во всех информационных средах, является устойчивым, надёжным, объективным средством массовой информации. Я Вас хочу поздравить с результатами этой работы, и спасибо за приглашение. Что касается платформы «Время героев», я уже говорил: эта идея возникла у меня после встречи с ребятами, в основном студентами – участниками СВО, в Петербурге, когда я посмотрел на них и подумал: вот они – будущее страны, кадровое будущее страны. Так возникла идея создать такую платформу. Не буду скрывать, когда я приехал в Москву, изложил, то попросил коллег в Администрации реализовать эту идею. Они уже придумали название этой платформы – «Время героев». На мой взгляд, это очень удачное название. В первый поток поступило 43 тысячи заявок. Естественно, отбор очень серьёзный: только 83 человека мы отобрали из этих 43 тысяч. И понятно почему: здесь нужны люди, которые имеют опыт административной работы, имеют образование, подходят по параметрам для будущей деятельности во главе крупных компаний или муниципальных образований, целых регионов, министерств и ведомств и так далее. На съезде «Единой России» говорил и сейчас хочу повторить: конечно, все достойны – все наши ребята, которые сражаются за Родину, не жалея своей жизни и здоровья, они все достойны. Но есть вопрос соответствия тому направлению деятельности, где они хотели бы себя видеть. Повторяю ещё раз: и образование нужно, и опыт нужен. И вообще, всё-таки одно дело – воевать за Родину, а другое дело – работать с людьми. Нужно иметь к этому определённый талант и склонность, понимаете? Это всё-таки разные виды деятельности. Нам нужно из этой среды выбрать подходящих людей, которые хотят и могут работать в этих областях. Промашки пока нет ни одной: они просто замечательные ребята. Сейчас уже идёт отбор на второй [поток]. 15 с лишним тысяч заявок поступило. Сбор будет продлён на следующий год, по-моему, до середины января или до февраля. Во всяком случае, работа идёт активно. А по первому набору работа продолжается, но уже многим сделали предложения, многие уже даже работают, и руководителями регионов даже некоторые назначены, чему я очень рад. И в бизнес попадают, и попадают в органы власти и управления всех уровней: и регионального, и местного, и федерального, и в крупные компании попадают. Хочу повторить то, что было мной сказано на съезде «Единой России». Я был недавно в центре реабилитации, посмотрел – там ребята с тяжёлыми травмами: и без ноги, и без руки. Но вы знаете, что я хочу сказать? У них глаза горят. Они хотят, готовы работать и работать активно, и они могут это делать. Современные средства реабилитации, именно современные, позволяют всё сделать практически без всяких исключений и скидок на ограничения по здоровью. Надо им только помочь. Один, повторю это ещё раз, я запомнил его лицо, говорит: я понимаю, что здесь образование нужно, опыт, но у меня нет ни образования должного, ни опыта, но я хочу. Такие люди нам и нужны. Те, кто готов и хочет работать. Им нужно только помочь, найти и помочь. Знаете, когда я приходил в секцию по дзюдо – сейчас мне в голову это пришло, – нам тренер, Рахлин Анатолий Соломонович, в своё время сказал: подтянитесь, кто сколько может. И некоторых не взял, кто подтянулся больше, чем я. Мы потом уже, через несколько лет, спрашивали: Анатолий Соломонович, почему так – тех ребят Вы не взяли, а нас [взяли], мы поменьше же подтянулись. Знаете, что ответил, он был мудрый человек: а потому, что вы делали до последнего – руки дрожали, подбородком тянулись, прямо вовсю старались; а кто больше вас, они подтянулись спокойно, а могли бы ещё, они не боролись, они не отдавали себя. А вот эти ребята отдают себя целиком, они хотят, и надо им помочь, надо их поддержать. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Thank you very much for the invitation. Komsomolka is part of the life of many generations of our citizens, with which people began their day in the morning and begin it, or turn to Komsomolka in the course of the day. Komsomolka is becoming a more and more modern means of mass information — it works in all information environments; it is a stable, reliable, objective means of mass information. I want to congratulate you on the results of this work, and thank you for the invitation. As for the Time of Heroes platform, I have already said: this idea arose in me after a meeting with the fellows, mainly students who are participants in the SMO, in St. Petersburg, when I looked at them and thought: here they are, the future of the country, the cadre future of the country. Thus the idea arose of creating such a platform. I will not conceal that when I arrived in Moscow and set it out, I asked colleagues in the Administration to realize this idea. They had already thought up the name of this platform — Time of Heroes. In my view this is a very successful name. 43 thousand applications came into the first intake. Naturally the selection is very serious: we selected only 83 people out of these 43 thousand. And it is clear why: people are needed here who have experience of administrative work, have an education, fit the parameters for future activity at the head of large companies or municipal formations, whole regions, ministries and agencies, and so on. At the congress of United Russia I said, and I want to repeat now: of course everyone is worthy — all our fellows who are fighting for the Motherland, not sparing their lives and health; they are all worthy. But there is the question of correspondence to the direction of activity in which they would like to see themselves. I repeat once more: both an education is needed and experience is needed. And in general, it is one thing to fight for the Motherland and another thing to work with people. One must have a definite talent and inclination for this, do you understand? These are all the same different kinds of activity. We need to choose from this milieu suitable people who want to and can work in these fields. There has not been a single miss so far: they are simply remarkable fellows. Selection for the second [intake] is already going on now. 15-plus thousand applications have come in. The collection will be extended into next year, I think until the middle of January or until February. In any case the work is going on actively. And on the first intake the work continues, but many have already been made offers, many are even already working, and some have even been appointed heads of regions, which I am very glad of. And they get into business, and they get into bodies of authority and administration at all levels: regional, and local, and federal, and they get into large companies. I want to repeat what was said by me at the congress of United Russia. I was recently at a rehabilitation center and looked — the fellows there have severe injuries: both without a leg and without an arm. But do you know what I want to say? Their eyes burn. They want to, they are ready to work and to work actively, and they can do this. Modern means of rehabilitation, precisely modern ones, make it possible to do everything practically without any exceptions or discounts for limitations of health. One only needs to help them. One, I will repeat this once more, I remember his face, says: I understand that an education is needed here, experience, but I have neither a proper education nor experience, but I want to. Such people are what we need. Those who are ready and want to work. They only need to be helped, found and helped. You know, when I came to the judo section — this has come into my head now — our coach, Anatoly Solomonovich Rakhlin, said to us in his time: do pull-ups, as many as you can. And he did not take some who did more pull-ups than I did. We afterward, several years later, asked: Anatoly Solomonovich, why so — you did not take those fellows, and you [took] us, and we did fewer pull-ups. Do you know what he answered; he was a wise person: because you did it to the last — your arms shook, you reached with your chin, you tried with all your might; and those who did more than you, they did the pull-ups calmly, and they could have done more; they were not struggling, they were not giving themselves. And these fellows give themselves wholly; they want to, and one must help them, one must support them. |
| А.Гамов: Ещё озащите героев. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Гамов: And more on the defense of heroes. |
| В.Путин: Да, это очень важный вопрос. Понимаю, Вы правы. Что можно сказать? Во-первых, эти попытки не первые, они известны, устремления противника нам понятны. К сожалению, это покушение является не единичным и не только на военнослужащих. Я уже говорил вашему американскому коллеге: и на журналистов покушения, на общественных деятелей покушения – достаточно вспомнить только убийство Дугиной. Что это такое? Это признаки террористического характера действующего в Киеве режима. Но это, конечно, значит, что наши соответствующие правоохранительные и специальные службы пропускают эти удары, они пропустили эти удары. Что здесь можно сказать? Нужно совершенствовать эту работу и не допускать таких тяжелейших для нас проколов. Вот и всё. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, this is a very important question. I understand; you are right. What can one say? First, these attempts are not the first; they are known, and the adversary's aims are clear to us. Unfortunately this attempt is not an isolated one, and not only against servicemen. I have already told your American colleague: there are attempts on journalists too, attempts on public figures — it is enough to recall only the murder of Dugina. What is this? These are signs of the terrorist character of the regime operating in Kyiv. But this of course means that our corresponding law-enforcement and special services are letting these blows through; they let these blows through. What can one say here? This work must be improved, and such blunders, the gravest for us, must not be permitted. That is all. |
| А.Гамов: Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Гамов: Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Listen, please, what is your name? Yelena Usmanova: Yelena. Yelena, these details matter. Yelena Usmanova: There were definitely no escrow accounts there. |
| Д.Песков: Вы знаете, я увидел весьма популярного молодого блогера. Вот он встал. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: You know, I spotted a very popular young blogger. There, he has stood up. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: How could this have happened? This may be another fraudulent scheme, like the ones scammers use to steal money from people’s accounts. We will need to look into this, because this particular case may give us leads on other possible cases of this kind and help prevent this kind of fraud. Right now, I cannot make heads or tails of what you are saying. Please provide us with more information. All right, Yelena? This is extremely important. Why? Because the main point here is that we still have numerous unfinished housing projects. However, the total amount we now have in the escrow accounts is about 7 trillion rubles, or maybe even a little more. This is more than 65 percent of the amount needed to complete the projects co-financed by the people in 2025. I can almost guarantee that this housing will be built. And no one will be cheated out of their apartments, because part of the work is already done. The money is in these accounts; it is protected. If you are referring to cases where no escrow accounts were used, please provide this information – this needs to be sorted out. Thank you. |
| В.Бумага: Владимир Владимирович, здравствуйте! Меня зовут Влад Бумага, я известный видеоблогер. Мои соцсети насчитывают более 80 миллионов подписчиков, в основном это молодёжь. Как нам известно, молодёжь сейчас в интернете проводит очень много времени, в среднем от пяти до восьми часов каждый день, половину от этого времени они проводят за просмотром видеоконтента. А я в свою очередь, как и многие другие авторы, занимаюсь развитием, активным развитием наших российских платформ, например, таких как «VK Видео». Да, эти площадки сейчас не такие большие, но демонстрируют хороший, уверенный рост и предоставляют действительно качественный сервис. В связи с этим вопрос: зачем блокировать YouTube, если наши площадки и так хорошо справляются? Они конкурентоспособны и предлагают отличные условия, альтернативу для авторов. Тем более туда можно выкладывать контент и транслировать наши идеи и смыслы на более широкую аудиторию, чем только на русскоязычную. Скажу больше: я и сам в этом году стал отцом. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Бумага: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! My name is Vlad Bumaga; I am a well-known video blogger. My social media accounts have more than 80 million subscribers, mostly young people. As we know, young people now spend a great deal of time online, an average of five to eight hours every day, and they spend half of that time watching video content. For my part, like many other creators, I am working on developing, actively developing, our Russian platforms, such as VK Video. Yes, these platforms are not as big at present, but they are showing good, steady growth and providing a genuinely high-quality service. In this connection, my question is: why block YouTube if our platforms are already doing well? They are competitive and offer excellent terms, an alternative for creators. Moreover, content can be posted there and our ideas and messages conveyed to a wider audience than just Russian speakers. I will say more: I myself became a father this year. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Yes, we will request this information. We wanted to give the floor to the TV-3 channel. |
| В.Путин: Поздравляю. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I congratulate you. |
| В.Бумага: Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Бумага: Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: All right, let it be Turkiye then. |
| В.Путин: И поздравьте Вашу жену, это её заслуга. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: And congratulate your wife; this is her doing. |
| В.Бумага: Обязательно. Да, и скажите, я, как человек, на чьих видео растёт фактически целое поколение, какие ценности я должен транслировать аудитории? Или, может быть, что я точно не должен транслировать аудитории? Как Вы считаете лично, какие идеи и смыслы должны быть во главе у молодёжи? Так сказать, дайте напутствие – мы возьмём на заметку и будем работать. Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Бумага: Certainly. Yes, and tell me, as someone whose videos practically an entire generation is growing up on, what values should I convey to my audience? Or perhaps what should I definitely not convey to my audience? In your personal view, what ideas and messages should be foremost for young people? Give us some guidance, so to speak—we will take note and get to work. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Ali Cura: My name is Ali Cura, Anadolu news agency. Mr President, Israel is violating international law, killing tens of thousands of people, including children, in Palestine and Lebanon. Israel is using the current situation to occupy Syria and is infringing on its sovereignty. What can you say about Israel’s actions? Have you spoken with President Erdogan about the region as a whole? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Первое – по поводу торможения YouTube. Здесь, пожалуй, вопросов больше на стороне YouTube, чем на нашей стороне. Извините, сначала: Влад Бумага – это Ваш псевдоним? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: First, regarding the slowing-down of YouTube. Here there are perhaps more questions on YouTube's side than on ours. Excuse me, first: is Vlad Bumaga your pseudonym? |
| В.Бумага: Это моя настоящая фамилия. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Бумага: This is my real surname. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: We’ve promised to call on a TV-3 war correspondent. |
| 14 YouTube Blocking and Digital Sovereignty | |
| В.Путин: Понятно, отлично. Бумага в известной игре сильнее камня, поэтому я Вас поздравляю – 80 миллионов [подписчиков], Вы сказали, да? Это, конечно, уникальный результат. Это значит, что контент, который Вы создаёте, отвечает тому, чего ждут эти 80 миллионов человек. Это результат Вашей творческой работы, и я Вас с этим поздравляю. Что касается торможения, дело в чём? Google же хозяин YouTube, он когда создавал у нас свою сеть, он создал и соответствующие «дочки» в России – юрлица, которым он платит, создавал соответствующие сервисы, которые надо обслуживать. Создав эти «дочки», он работал с ними, а после того, как на Западе начали вводить различные ограничения и санкции, Google практически перестал или сократил их финансирование, сократил поставку сюда соответствующей техники и, таким образом, создал сам для себя определённые проблемы. Это первое. Второе – YouTube и Google должны соблюдать наши законы, должны избегать какого-то жульничества в сети, а именно: не должны использовать сеть и злоупотреблять сетью для достижения политических целей своих правительств. Что имею в виду? В поисковике человек начинает что-то искать, какую-то тему – культуру, музыку, а там вместо культуры и музыки вылезают какие-то вещи, которые ни к культуре, ни к музыке не имеют никакого отношения, а являются пропагандой какой-то политической платформы. Или начинают практически изымать из оборота имена наших артистов, тех же блогеров, политических деятелей и так далее. Это всё является нарушением соответствующих законов Российской Федерации. Роскомнадзор соответствующим образом предъявляет к ним претензии, контролирующие организации предъявляют претензии – и правильно делают. Поэтому они должны выбрать: или они соблюдают наши законы и, наверное, тогда могут попадать под какие-то ограничения у себя в стране, но тогда там пусть и работают; или, если хотят здесь работать, пусть действуют в соответствии с законами Российской Федерации. А то, что Вы сказали, – свято место, как у нас говорят, пусто не бывает, конкуренция растёт: и VK, и Telegram, и Rutube – всё развивается. Поэтому если Google и YouTube, понимая это, как-то будут изменять свой контур работы, то и никаких проблем у них не будет. Теперь по поводу того, на чём воспитывать, как это делать, чего не делать. Вы знаете, я уверен, что советы эти бесполезны. У таких людей, как Вы, – особенно теперь, когда Вы отцом стали, когда у Вас ребёнок появился, – чувство ответственности наверняка возрастает. Это ответственность перед своим ребёнком, перед его будущим и страной, где Ваш ребёнок будет жить. И это чувство ответственности вас сориентирует – вы люди умные, современные, – оно сориентирует вас даже лучше, чем я это сделаю, по поводу того, что является полезным для наших детей в будущем, а что является вредоносным и недопустимым и с чем вам нужно бороться – не по моему указанию, а по зову сердца. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Understood, excellent. Paper in a known game is stronger than stone, so I congratulate you — 80 million [subscribers], you said, yes? This is of course a unique result. It means that the content you create answers what these 80 million people are waiting for. This is the result of your creative work, and I congratulate you on it. As for the slowdown, what is the point? Google is the owner of YouTube, after all; when it created its network with us, it also created the corresponding "daughters" in Russia — legal entities to which it pays, and it created the corresponding services that must be maintained. Having created these "daughters," it worked with them, and after various restrictions and sanctions began to be introduced in the West, Google practically stopped or reduced their financing, reduced the supply of the corresponding equipment here, and in this way created certain problems for itself. That is the first thing. The second: YouTube and Google must observe our laws, must avoid any cheating on the network, namely: they must not use the network and abuse the network to achieve the political goals of their governments. What do I mean? A person begins to search for something in the search engine, some topic — culture, music — and there, instead of culture and music, some things crawl out that have no relation either to culture or to music, and are propaganda for some political platform. Or they begin practically to withdraw from circulation the names of our artists, of those same bloggers, of political figures, and so on. All of this is a violation of the corresponding laws of the Russian Federation. Roskomnadzor presents claims to them in the corresponding way; the controlling organizations present claims — and they do right. So they must choose: either they observe our laws and then probably may fall under some restrictions in their own country, but then let them work there; or, if they want to work here, let them act in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation. And what you said — a holy place, as we say, does not stay empty; competition is growing: VK, and Telegram, and Rutube — everything is developing. So if Google and YouTube, understanding this, somehow change the contour of their work, then they will have no problems either. Now as regards what to bring people up on, how to do this, what not to do. You know, I am sure these pieces of advice are useless. In people like you — especially now, when you have become a father, when you have had a child — the sense of responsibility surely grows. This is responsibility before one's own child, before his future, and before the country where your child will live. And this sense of responsibility will orient you — you are intelligent, modern people — it will orient you even better than I will, as to what is useful for our children in the future and what is harmful and inadmissible, and what you need to fight — not on my instruction, but at the call of the heart. |
| Д.Песков: Спасибо. Я абсолютно незаслуженно обделил вниманием, вижу, ТВ-3. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Thank you. I have absolutely undeservedly given too little attention, I see, to TV-3. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexander Malkevich: Alexander Malkevich, Itogovaya Programma, TV-3. A brief message to begin with: our soldiers asked me to thank you. Last week, you met with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights and supported their idea of creating a federal museum of the special military operation. Preserving historical memory, particularly in creative formats, is our media Oreshnik in the information war that the West is attempting to wage against us. The fighters from St Petersburg convey their special thanks for awarding our legendary Leningrad Regiment the honorific Guards title. Now, my question is about the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. Created in April 2023 by your Executive Order, it has operated for one and a half years. How do you assess its performance in 2024 on a five-point or ten-point scale? What main goals have you set for the foundation for next year? What is the chief criterion of its efficiency, as you see it? |
| В.Путин: Можно Вас на секундочку прервать. Поскольку про детей говорили, девушка сидит – «Обман семей с детьми». В чём заключается обман? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: May I interrupt you for just a second. Since we were speaking about children, a young woman is sitting here — "Deception of families with children." What does the deception consist of? |
| А.Суворова: Видимо, не про пособия, потому что про них мы уже поговорили. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Apparently not about benefits, because we have already talked about them. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Kulko: I suggest we return to the concerns of Russian citizens. You've probably seen them. Vladimir |
| В.Путин: Не знаю, я вроде говорил про них. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I don't know; I believe I spoke about them. |
| Е.Усманова: Я вам сейчас расскажу. Здравствуйте, Владимир Владимирович! Меня зовут Елена Усманова, деловая газета Татарстана «Бизнес-онлайн», снова Татарстан. Сначала хочу Вас, действительно, поблагодарить от имени Казани, что ей выпала такая честь проводить саммит БРИКС, но вопрос мой, как Вы понимаете по плакату, совсем о другом. В Татарстане группа мошенников обманула сотни семей, которые мечтали о своём доме. Они взяли льготную ипотеку с господдержкой, но дома им так и не построили. Расскажите, пожалуйста, будут ли помогать обманутым ижээсникам, как когда-то помогали обманутым дольщикам. Получается, сейчас люди продолжают платить ипотеку фактически за воздух, при этом государство продолжает перечислять банкам господдержку фактически за те дома, которые не существуют. Когда же всё-таки будут помогать людям, а не банкам? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Усманова: I will tell you now. Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! My name is Yelena Usmanova, Tatarstan's business newspaper Business Online—Tatarstan again. First, I really want to thank you on behalf of Kazan for the honor of hosting the BRICS summit, but my question, as you can see from the poster, is about something quite different. In Tatarstan, a group of fraudsters deceived hundreds of families who dreamed of having their own home. They took out subsidized mortgages with state support, but their homes were never built. Please tell us whether help will be provided to defrauded individual homebuilders, as it once was to defrauded participants in shared-equity housing construction. As things stand, people are now continuing to pay mortgages for what is effectively thin air, while the state continues transferring subsidies to banks for homes that effectively do not exist. When will help finally be given to people rather than banks? Thank you. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Sobchak: Mr President, Ksenia Sobchak, Ostorozhno Media. You touched on a very important topic regarding the one-stop shop concept and the capabilities of the Ministry of Defence. I would like to discuss this issue from a different perspective. Many of us – journalists, celebrities and concerned citizens – are involved in various initiatives. For example, for the past two years, we have been running a large-scale project to help residents of Belgorod and Kursk regions – our fellow citizens affected by attacks from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This year alone, we have managed to help over 600 families. I believe there are many other compassionate individuals out there. Would it be possible, in your opinion, to create a one-stop shop for these civic initiatives as well? This could help integrate public and volunteer efforts with social workers and existing state structures. Such a platform could function on a voluntary basis but provide a unified mechanism for coordinating assistance across a wide range of needs. For example, we often encounter challenges like finding employment in new locations or securing spots in kindergartens and other institutions for families with children that are temporarily relocating. Could such a one-stop shop be established to support these civic initiatives? Vladimir |
| 15 Housing Scams and Escrow Accounts | |
| В.Путин: Послушайте меня. Дело совершенно не в банках. У нас создана соответствующая система эскроу-счетов, куда люди, если они берут ипотеку, перечисляют деньги – на эскроу-счета, и эти деньги являются замороженными до тех пор, пока люди не получают свои квадратные метры. Куда они деньги направили? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Listen to me. The matter is not in the banks at all. A corresponding system of escrow accounts has been created, to which people, if they take out a mortgage, transfer money — to escrow accounts — and this money remains frozen until the people receive their square meters. Where did they direct the money? |
| Е.Усманова: Нет, дело об ИЖС, то есть дома. |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Усманова: No, the case is about individual housing construction, that is, houses. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, I suggest we continue the topic of the special military operation and the support for the military and their families. You must have seen that among the inquiries we received for this programme, there were also requests for assistance with payments and benefits that are supposed to be allocated for the military and their families. There were also requests for assistance with finding people who are reported missing or with whom there is no contact, or who, according to their families, are being held captive. Mr President, is it possible to issue an instruction to the Defence Military specifically to deal with these cases? The families are struggling without knowing for certain |
| В.Путин: ИЖС – то же самое. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Individual housing construction — the same thing. |
| Е.Усманова: На тот момент, видимо, это не действовало. |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Усманова: At that time, apparently, this was not in effect. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Meanwhile, we have been working for more than three hours; almost three hours and ten minutes. We have many questions, and they are different. I propose a a quick round of questions. Dmitry, what do you think? Shall we begin? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Dmitry Kulko: Let’s start with a question from Georgy Arefyev from the Smolensk Region: Why do high-ranking officials have to ask for your instructions at the meetings you hold so that they can start doing something? |
| В.Путин: ИЖС у нас полностью попадает под ипотечное кредитование: на селе, как я сказал, – 3 процента, и в тех 110 в прошлом году и 105 миллионах квадратных метров, которые мы построили, 50 процентов ИЖС. 50 процентов – это вообще прорыв. Но деньги должны быть на эскроу-счетах. Куда люди перечислили эти деньги и зачем, если это не эскроу-счета? Я вообще не понимаю даже, о чём Вы сейчас говорите. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Individual housing construction fully falls under mortgage lending for us: in the countryside, as I said, 3 percent, and of those 110 last year and 105 million square meters that we built, 50 percent is individual housing construction. 50 percent is a breakthrough altogether. But the money must be in escrow accounts. Where did people transfer this money, and for what, if these are not escrow accounts? I do not even understand at all what you are talking about now. |
| Е.Усманова: Вот такой случай у нас случился в Татарстане. Сотни семей действительно оказались в таких ситуациях. |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Усманова: That is the sort of case we have had in Tatarstan. Hundreds of families have indeed found themselves in such situations. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: The next question is: “Who would you like to have a cup of tea with from among currently living or deceased people?” |
| В.Путин: Куда деньги они перевели, Вы можете мне ответить? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Can you answer me as to where they transferred the money? |
| Е.Усманова: Я Вам здесь об этих тонкостях не скажу. Я знаю, что они брали… |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Усманова: I will not tell you about these fine points here. I know that they were taking… |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: With China, as you said. Vladimir |
| В.Путин: Послушайте меня, как Вас зовут? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Listen to me, what is your name? |
| Е.Усманова: Елена. |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Усманова: Elena. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Next question. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, I have something between a question and request for advice from Tatyana Prokhorova from Chuvashia: “Do you have bank deposits? If so, in which banks?” |
| В.Путин: Лена, но эти тонкости имеют значение. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Lena, but these fine points matter. |
| Е.Усманова: Эскроу-счетов там точно не было. |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Усманова: There were certainly no escrow accounts there. |
| В.Путин: Послушайте, а как же? Леночка, это может иметь отношение к тому, что делается с деньгами наших граждан, когда выманивают у них деньги с их счетов. Давайте с этим обязательно разберёмся, потому что этот конкретный случай надо будет проецировать на другие возможные случаи подобного рода и предотвращать это мошенничество. Я даже не понимаю сейчас, о чём Вы говорите. Дайте, пожалуйста, нам более подробную информацию. Хорошо, Лена? Это чрезвычайно важная вещь. Потому что дело в чём? Дело в том, что у нас ещё недостроенность жилья. Но я что могу сказать? Что деньги, которые пришли на эскроу-счета, их в общем объёме почти или даже чуть больше 7 триллионов рублей. Это больше, чем 65 процентов от того, что собрано и что нужно для того, чтобы достроить жильё, которое профинансировано гражданами в 2025 году. Я почти гарантированно могу утверждать, что это жильё будет построено. И никто без квартир не останется, потому что задел сделан. Деньги есть на этих счетах, они защищены. Если речь идёт о каких-то случаях без использования эскроу-счетов, дайте, пожалуйста, эту информацию, с этим надо разобраться. Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Listen, but what else? Lenochka, this may bear on what is done with our citizens' money, when money is drawn out of their accounts. Let us by all means look into this, because this particular case will have to be set against other possible cases of the kind, and this fraud prevented. I do not even understand now what you are talking about. Please give us fuller information. All right, Lena? This is an extremely important thing. Because what is the point? The point is that we still have housing left unfinished. But what can I say? That the money which has come into the escrow accounts comes, in the total volume, to almost, or even a little more than, 7 trillion rubles. That is more than 65 percent of what has been collected, and of what is needed to finish the housing that citizens financed in 2025. I can say, almost with a guarantee, that this housing will be built. And no one will be left without an apartment, because the groundwork has been done. The money is in these accounts; it is protected. If the talk is of some cases where escrow accounts are not used, please give us that information; it has to be sorted out. Thank you. |
| Д.Песков: Да, мы возьмём эту информацию. Мы хотели дать слово ТВ-3, Владимир Владимирович. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Yes, we will take that information. We wanted to give the floor to TV-3, Vladimir Vladimirovich. |
| В.Путин: Давайте, Турция есть. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Go ahead, there is Turkey. |
| Д.Песков: Извините, давайте Турция. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Excuse me, let us take Turkey. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: I propose returning to the blitz a bit later, near the end. |
| В.Путин: Сейчас обязательно к Вам вернёмся. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: We will certainly return to you now. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: The blitz can go on forever. |
| А.Джура: Али Джура, агентство «Анадолу». Господин Президент, Израиль нарушает международные права, убивая десятки тысяч людей, в том числе детей Палестины и Ливана. Сейчас Израиль пользуется ситуацией в регионе, чтобы оккупировать Сирию, и нарушает её суверенитет. Как Вы прокомментируете действия Израиля? У Вас был разговор с Президентом Эрдоганом в целом о регионе? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Джура: Ali Dzhura, Anadolu Agency. Mr. President, Israel is violating international rights by killing tens of thousands of people, including children in Palestine and Lebanon. Israel is now taking advantage of the situation in the region to occupy Syria and is violating its sovereignty. How would you comment on Israel's actions? Have you had a conversation with President Erdogan about the region as a whole? Thank you. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Yes, sure, with 2,200 questions. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Dmitry Peskov: I cannot quite see what you have written on the paper, but you’ve been raising your hand for a long time. |
| 16 International Relations and the Middle East | |
| В.Путин: Мы находимся в постоянном контакте с Президентом Эрдоганом. Я уже не помню, когда мы разговаривали с ним последний раз, но мы, конечно, обсуждали ситуацию в регионе, на Ближнем Востоке. Отношение Президента Эрдогана и Турции к происходящим на Ближнем Востоке событиям всем хорошо известно. И наша позиция хорошо известна и по Ливану, и по Палестине. Наша позиция не подвержена текущей конъюнктуре. Мы всегда так считали и сейчас полагаем, что решить палестинскую проблему можно, только убрав причины её возникновения. Было принято решение Советом Безопасности ООН в своё время о том, что должны быть образованы два государства – Израиль и Палестина. Израиль создан, Палестина фактически до сих пор так и не создана. В этом вся проблема. Больше того, со стороны Израиля продолжается так называемая незаконная поселенческая деятельность. Я не знаю, какие окончательные цели Израиль преследует в секторе Газа, но это достойно только осуждения. Мы неоднократно это делали практически на всех уровнях, начиная с общественного уровня и нашей позиции в Совете Безопасности Организации Объединённых Наций. Здесь и добавить нечего. То же самое касается Ливана. Что в отношении Сирии? Мне думается, что, скажем откровенно, Турция делает всё, для того чтобы обеспечить свою безопасность на своих южных рубежах в ходе развития ситуации в Сирии, создать условия для возвращения беженцев со своей территории на другие территории, которые сконцентрированы на территории Сирии, находящиеся под контролем фактически Турции, отодвинуть, может быть, курдские формирования от границы. Всё это, наверное, возможно и, может быть, даже будет в какой-то степени, в каком-то объёме сделано. Но всё-таки главный бенефициар происходящих событий в Сирии, главным бенефициаром является, на мой взгляд, Израиль. И можно как угодно относиться к тому, что делает Израиль, Россия осуждает захват любых сирийских территорий, это очевидно, наша позиция здесь не подлежит никакой корректировке, но Израиль решает тоже для себя вопросы, связанные с безопасностью. Вот уже линия на Голанских высотах, всем хорошо известная линия, Израиль продвинулся по фронту на 62–63 километра на глубину до 20–25 километров. Он вошёл в укрепления, которые были созданы для Сирии ещё Советским Союзом, это типа линии Мажино. Там такие, знаете, серьёзные укрепления, по-настоящему. Мы надеемся, что Израиль когда-то выйдет с территории Сирии, но сейчас он заводит туда дополнительные войска. Уже, по-моему, несколько тысяч войск там. И у меня такое впечатление, что они не только уходить не собираются, а собираются там усиливаться. Более того, местное население уже обратилось с просьбой включить их в состав еврейского государства. Это уже тогда будет другая проблема. Если всё, что происходит, приведёт к дезинтеграции Сирии, то тогда это вопросы, которые должны будут решаться местным населением в соответствии с Уставом Организации Объединённых Наций и с правом наций на самоопределение. Это сложный вопрос, это не для сегодняшнего обсуждения. У Турции, конечно, мы знаем, такая длящаяся уже десятилетиями проблема с «Рабочей партией Курдистана». Надеюсь, что никакого обострения не будет, но некоторые политические деятели Европы совсем недавно мне ещё на встречах говорили, что после Первой мировой войны курдам обещали собственное государство, их обманули и так далее. Вот курдов в этом регионе – в Турции не один десяток миллионов, в Иране, в Ираке – они компактно проживают, сколько там курдов? Вы, наверное, лучше меня знаете, но минимум миллионов 30–35, да? Вот это серьёзная курдская проблема, и курды серьёзные ребята, серьёзные бойцы, они Манбидж, по-моему, оставили, но бились до последнего. Они так и делают. И нужно решать курдскую проблему. В рамках Сирии при Президенте Асаде нужно было это решать, сейчас нужно решать с теми властями, которые контролируют территорию Сирии, нужно и Турции как-то обеспечить свою безопасность. Мы это всё понимаем. Это не для сегодняшней нашей встречи, чтобы не терять время. Просто хочу сказать о том, что проблем будет много, но мы на стороне международного права и за суверенитет всех государств при соблюдении их территориальной целостности, имея в виду и Сирию, в том числе имею в виду и позицию по этим вопросам действующих властей, которые контролируют сегодня территорию Сирийской Арабской Республики. В этом смысле мы на их стороне. Мы, кстати говоря, с ними в контакте, мы в контакте со всеми группировками, в том числе с основными, которые сейчас в Сирии контролируют ситуацию. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: We are in constant contact with President Erdogan. I no longer remember when we last spoke with him, but we of course discussed the situation in the region, in the Middle East. The attitude of President Erdogan and of Turkey to the events taking place in the Middle East is well known to everyone. And our position is well known both on Lebanon and on Palestine. Our position is not subject to the current conjuncture. We always thought so, and we now suppose that the Palestinian problem can be solved only by removing the causes of its emergence. A decision was taken by the UN Security Council in its time that two states must be formed — Israel and Palestine. Israel has been created; Palestine in fact has still not been created to this day. That is the whole problem. More than that, so-called illegal settlement activity continues on Israel's side. I do not know what final aims Israel is pursuing in the Gaza Strip, but this is worthy only of condemnation. We have repeatedly done this at practically all levels, beginning from the public level and our position in the Security Council of the United Nations. There is nothing to add here. The same concerns Lebanon. What about Syria? It seems to me that, let us say it frankly, Turkey is doing everything to ensure its security on its southern borders in the course of the development of the situation in Syria, to create conditions for the return of refugees from its territory to other territories that are concentrated on the territory of Syria under the control, in effect, of Turkey, to push Kurdish formations back from the border, perhaps. All this is probably possible and perhaps will even be done to some degree, in some volume. But all the same the main beneficiary of the events taking place in Syria, the main beneficiary, is, in my view, Israel. And one can take any attitude one likes to what Israel is doing; Russia condemns the seizure of any Syrian territories; this is obvious; our position here is not subject to any correction; but Israel is also solving for itself questions connected with security. The line on the Golan Heights, a line well known to everyone, Israel has advanced along the front by 62–63 kilometers, to a depth of up to 20–25 kilometers. It has entered fortifications that were created for Syria back by the Soviet Union; this is of the Maginot Line type. There are, you know, serious fortifications there, genuinely. We hope that Israel will someday leave the territory of Syria, but now it is bringing additional troops in there. Already, I think, several thousand troops are there. And I have the impression that they not only do not intend to leave but intend to reinforce themselves there. Moreover, the local population has already turned with a request to include them in the Jewish state. That will then be another problem. If everything that is happening leads to the disintegration of Syria, then these are questions that will have to be decided by the local population in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and with the right of nations to self-determination. This is a complicated question; it is not for today's discussion. Turkey, of course, we know, has a problem with the Kurdistan Workers' Party that has already been going on for decades. I hope there will be no exacerbation, but some political figures of Europe quite recently, at meetings, also told me that after the First World War the Kurds were promised a state of their own, they were deceived, and so on. The Kurds in this region — in Turkey not just one ten of millions, in Iran, in Iraq — they live compactly; how many Kurds are there? You probably know better than I do, but a minimum of 30–35 million, yes? This is a serious Kurdish problem, and the Kurds are serious fellows, serious fighters; they left Manbij, I think, but they fought to the last. That is how they do it. And the Kurdish problem needs to be solved. Within the framework of Syria under President Assad this needed to be solved; now it needs to be solved with those authorities that control the territory of Syria, and Turkey too needs somehow to ensure its security. We understand all this. This is not for our meeting today, so as not to lose time. I simply want to say that there will be many problems, but we are on the side of international law and for the sovereignty of all states while observing their territorial integrity, having in mind Syria too, including having in mind the position on these questions of the acting authorities that today control the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. In this sense we are on their side. We, by the way, are in contact with them; we are in contact with all the groupings, including the main ones that now control the situation in Syria. |
| Д.Песков: Обещали ТВ-3, тем более военкор. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: They promised TV-3, all the more so a war correspondent. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Svetlana Shevchenko: I can speak, aren’t I? |
| В.Путин: Да, извините. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, excuse me. |
| А.Малькевич: Александр Малькевич, «Итоговая программа» на ТВ-3. Сначала коротко: бойцы просили передать слова благодарности. На прошлой неделе Вы встречались с членами СПЧ, поддержали идею о создании федерального музея СВО. Сохранение исторической памяти, особенно в креативных формах, – это и есть наш «медиа-Орешник» в той информационной войне, которую Запад пытается с нами вести. От питерцев отдельные слова благодарности за присвоение высокого почётного звания «гвардейский» нашему легендарному Ленинградскому полку. Теперь вопрос по поводу фонда «Защитники Отечества». Созданный в апреле 2023 года Вашим Указом, он работает полтора года. Как Вы оцениваете работу фонда в этом году по пятибалльной или десятибалльной шкале? В следующем году какие Вы ставите основные задачи перед фондом? Главный критерий эффективности фонда для Вас. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Малькевич: Alexander Malkevich, the Final Program on TV-3. First, briefly: the fighters asked me to convey their thanks. Last week you met with members of the Human Rights Council and supported the idea of creating a federal museum of the special military operation. Preserving historical memory, especially in creative forms, is our “media Oreshnik” in the information war that the West is trying to wage against us. Special thanks from the people of St. Petersburg for awarding the high honorary title “Guards” to our legendary Leningrad Regiment. Now a question about the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. Established by your decree in April 2023, it has been operating for a year and a half. How would you rate the foundation's work this year on a five-point or ten-point scale? What main tasks are you setting for the foundation next year? Your main criterion for the foundation's effectiveness. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Svetlana Shevchenko: Svetlana Shevchenko, Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Region. We are an agroindustrial region and produce high-quality products with added value for export. However, recently we have had an acute shortage of young personnel in the countryside. It has had a real impact: there are not enough personnel despite rural mortgages and the development of rural areas. Mr President, what would you advise us? What measures should we take to attract new youth and retain those who already live in the countryside? |
| 13 Support for Veterans and the "Defenders of the Fatherland" Fund | |
| В.Путин: Что касается работы фонда «Защитники Отечества», по-моему, он был создан в июне, а не апреле, но это не важно. Начал работать в июне. Он был создан после того, как у меня прошла встреча с матерями участников специальной военной операции, со вдовами. Я понял, что обычных методов поддержки ребят, которые нуждаются в этой помощи и получили тяжёлые ранения, инвалидность, и семей погибших героев недостаточно, нужно создавать какой-то отдельный механизм, отдельный инструмент, в том числе для тех, кто теряет свои связи с Вооружёнными Силами. Фонд «Защитники Отечества» для этого был и создан: для того чтобы поддержать ребят, которые уходят с военной службы, но требуют внимательного отношения со стороны государства, причём не формального внимания, а именно индивидуального подхода к каждому человеку в каждой семье. Фонд для этого был создан. В его задачи что входит? Решение социальных вопросов, получение различных пособий, выплат для тех, кто нуждается в протезировании и получил инвалидность, в организации этого протезирования. Надо отдать должное фонду: они молодцы, они заказывают не просто какое-то изделие, они заказывают услугу целиком. Это связано с обучением ребят, с подбором соответствующего объекта для протезирования, они смотрят дальше по обслуживанию, причём так, чтобы оно было необременительным, чтобы для обслуживания не нужно было ехать через всю страну – у нас страна огромная. Эта проблема до сих пор существует, но они над этим работают. Это была всё их задача. Я разговаривал недавно с Анной Евгеньевной Цивилевой, она говорит, что сейчас в запросах появляется знаете что? Что меня очень порадовало, что идут запросы от ребят по поводу трудоустройства, и это одно из важнейших направлений деятельности, кстати говоря. Но сейчас идёт всё больше и больше запросов по поводу занятия спортом и участия в культурных мероприятиях. Вот это, конечно, здорово. Понимаете, это значит, что всё-таки какой-то тренд на изменение ситуации к лучшему, он всё-таки имеет место, он наметился. Это очень хорошо. Но важнейшая задача – это, конечно, трудоустройство. Я уже говорил: молодые ребята, глаза горят, и подготовка есть, многие хотят такую подготовку получить. В современных условиях, конечно, можно оставаться в Вооружённых Силах, такое решение принято, но не только работать в военкоматах, где, кстати, уровень доходов не такой уж и большой, достаточно скромный уровень дохода. Но можно работать в ИТ-сфере, можно работать в медицине, да можно где угодно, в спорте тоже можно работать – и в военном спорте, и в таком гражданском спорте. Способов найти себя очень много, таких возможностей всё больше и больше, с учётом современных технологий и пожеланий конкретного человека. Над этим они работают, работают в целом успешно. Знаете, в такой масштабной работе всегда есть какие-то проблемы. Но там работает очень много людей, которые имеют прямое отношение к проведению специальной военной операции: либо, к сожалению, вдовы погибших наших ребят, матери наших ребят, которые ещё воюют там, – в общем, это люди, неравнодушные к тому, что происходит. В этом смысле и, может быть, поэтому – да, кстати говоря, и сами ребята, которые вернулись с фронта, там работают, – наверное, в значительной степени поэтому и достаточно эффективно складывается работа. Я не хотел соглашаться с тем, чтобы руководитель фонда Цивилева Анна Евгеньевна перешла на работу в Министерство обороны, но потом всё-таки уступил предложению Министра Белоусова, потому что он мне сказал, что он полагает целесообразным потом организовать такую «бесшовную» работу, то есть и с теми ребятами, которые остаются в рамках Вооружённых Сил, в рамках Министерства обороны, и с теми, кто ещё воюет, но нуждается в каких-то мерах поддержки, и с теми, кто уже вышел за периметр Министерства обороны. Нужно сделать такую «бесшовную» работу. И они вот совсем недавно, летом, по-моему, создали такой социальный центр. И теперь этот социальный центр Министерства обороны и фонд «Защитники Отечества» организуют свою работу в рамках «одного окна», где и люди, которые в Министерстве обороны остаются, и те, кто уже покинул, так сказать, периметр Министерства, – там объединяются работы по двум этим направлениям. Проблем наверняка много, но в целом так работа настраивается. Вы знаете, вот по ранениям они тоже принимали участие в выработке решений. У нас все получали по три миллиона: и за мелкое, такую небольшую царапину, ну и даже за ранение, но небольшое, и те, кто получал тяжёлую травму, связанную с инвалидностью, – все получали по три миллиона. Сами же военнослужащие попросили, обращаясь к Министерству обороны, к фонду «Защитники Отечества», поменять эту систему. И мы начали платить тем, кто получил тяжёлое ранение, четыре миллиона. Но, когда мне это всё докладывалось, я увидел, что за периметром этой выплаты остались ребята, которые получили тяжёлые ранения, инвалидность получили, – получили три миллиона. А теперь мы начали платить четыре. Ну, естественно, мне в голову пришла простая мысль: тем, кто получил три, значит, им не доплатило государство миллион. Я сказал: нет, надо заплатить всем задним числом. Сейчас все ребята получают этот дополнительный миллион, и получают достаточно активно. Эту работу тоже организует фонд «Защитники Отечества». |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: As for the work of the Defenders of the Fatherland fund, I think it was created in June, not in April, but that does not matter. It began to work in June. It was created after I had a meeting with the mothers of participants in the special military operation, with the widows. I understood that the ordinary methods of support for the fellows who need this help and have received severe wounds, disability, and for the families of fallen heroes, are not enough; some separate mechanism, a separate instrument, needs to be created, including for those who lose their ties with the Armed Forces. The Defenders of the Fatherland fund was created for this: in order to support the fellows who are leaving military service but require an attentive attitude from the state, and not formal attention, but precisely an individual approach to each person in each family. The fund was created for this. What does its task include? The solution of social questions, the receipt of various benefits and payments for those who need prosthetics and have received a disability, the organization of this prosthetics. One must give the fund its due: they are fine fellows; they order not simply some article, they order the service as a whole. This is connected with training the fellows, with selecting the corresponding object for prosthetics; they look further at servicing, and in such a way that it would not be burdensome, so that for servicing one would not need to travel across the whole country — our country is enormous. This problem still exists, but they are working on it. This was all their task. I spoke recently with Anna Evgenyevna Tsivileva; she says that now, do you know what is appearing in the requests? What gladdened me very much is that requests are coming from the fellows about employment, and this is one of the most important directions of activity, by the way. But now more and more requests are coming about taking up sport and taking part in cultural events. This, of course, is fine. You understand, this means that some trend toward a change in the situation for the better all the same is taking place; it has appeared. This is very good. But the most important task is, of course, employment. I have already said: young fellows, their eyes burn, and there is training; many want to receive such training. In modern conditions one can of course remain in the Armed Forces; such a decision has been taken, but not only work in the military commissariats, where, by the way, the level of income is not so very large, a fairly modest level of income. But one can work in the IT sphere, one can work in medicine, one can work anywhere one likes, in sport too — both in military sport and in civilian sport of that kind. There are a great many ways of finding oneself; such possibilities are more and more numerous, taking into account modern technologies and the wishes of a specific person. They are working on this, working successfully on the whole. You know, in work on such a scale there are always some problems. But a great many people work there who have a direct relation to the conduct of the special military operation: either, unfortunately, the widows of our fallen fellows, the mothers of our fellows who are still fighting there — in general, these are people who are not indifferent to what is happening. In this sense, and perhaps for this reason — yes, by the way, the fellows themselves who have returned from the front work there too — probably to a significant degree for this reason the work is taking shape fairly effectively. I did not want to agree to the head of the fund, Anna Evgenyevna Tsivileva, moving to work in the Ministry of Defense, but then I all the same yielded to the proposal of Minister Belousov, because he told me that he considers it expedient afterward to organize such "seamless" work, that is, both with those fellows who remain within the framework of the Armed Forces, within the framework of the Ministry of Defense, and with those who are still fighting but need some measures of support, and with those who have already gone beyond the perimeter of the Ministry of Defense. Such "seamless" work needs to be made. And quite recently, in the summer, I think, they created such a social center. And now this social center of the Ministry of Defense and the Defenders of the Fatherland fund are organizing their work within the framework of a "single window," where both the people who remain in the Ministry of Defense and those who have already left, so to speak, the perimeter of the Ministry, have the work in these two directions joined. There are surely many problems, but on the whole the work is being tuned that way. You know, on wounds they also took part in working out decisions. With us everyone received three million: both for a minor thing, such a small scratch, and even for a wound, but a small one, and those who received a severe injury connected with disability — everyone received three million. The servicemen themselves asked, turning to the Ministry of Defense and to the Defenders of the Fatherland fund, to change this system. And we began to pay four million to those who received a severe wound. But when all this was being reported to me, I saw that outside the perimeter of this payment there remained fellows who had received severe wounds, had received a disability — they had received three million. And now we have begun to pay four. Well, naturally, a simple thought came into my head: those who received three, that means the state underpaid them a million. I said: no, everyone must be paid retroactively. Now all the fellows are receiving this additional million, and receiving it fairly actively. The Defenders of the Fatherland fund organizes this work too. |
| Д.Кулько: Я предлагаю вернуться к обращениям россиян. Вы наверняка видели. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: I suggest we return to appeals from people in Russia. You have surely seen them. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Mr |
| В.Путин: Извините, Ксения руку всё время тянет. Пожалуйста, Ксюша. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Excuse me, Ksenia keeps raising her hand. Please, Ksyusha. |
| К.Собчак: Владимир Владимирович, Ксения Собчак, «Осторожно Media». Вы затронули как раз очень важную тему про «одно окно» и такие возможности у Министерства обороны. Я хотела об этой проблеме поговорить с другой стороны. Мы, в частности, и многие другие люди, журналисты, звёзды шоу-бизнеса, просто неравнодушные граждане делают различные проекты. В частности, мы уже два года занимаемся большим проектом по помощи людям из Белгородской и Курской областей, нашим согражданам, которые пострадали от атак ВСУ. Уже более чем 600 семьям в этом году мы сумели помочь. Мне кажется, таких неравнодушных людей очень много. Было бы очень хорошо, как Вы считаете, можно было бы в этом помочь, тоже сделать «единое окно», для того чтобы совместить эти общественные, гражданские инициативы с соцработниками и с той государственной структурой, которая уже есть. То есть сделать это на общественных началах, но так, чтобы была возможность этого «единого окна» по всему спектру помощи. Потому что в основном мы сталкиваемся с проблемами трудоустройства на новых местах, с проблемой устройства в детские сады и прочие учреждения для семей, которые с детьми временно переселяются. Возможно ли было создать такое «единое окно» для подобных гражданских инициатив? |
Full house translation — pending review К.Собчак: Vladimir Vladimirovich, Ksenia Sobchak, Ostorozhno Media. You have just touched on a very important topic: a “one-stop service” and such capabilities at the Defense Ministry. I wanted to discuss this problem from another angle. We in particular, and many other people—journalists, show-business stars, simply concerned citizens—are running various projects. In particular, for two years now we have been running a major project to help people from Belgorod and Kursk regions, our fellow citizens who have suffered from attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This year we have already managed to help more than 600 families. It seems to me that there are a great many such concerned people. It would be very good—what do you think, could help be provided with this—to create a “one-stop service” here too, in order to bring these public and civic initiatives together with social workers and the state structure that already exists. That is, to do this on a voluntary basis, but with the possibility of this “one-stop service” across the entire range of assistance. Because we mainly encounter problems with finding employment in new locations and with securing places in kindergartens and other institutions for families temporarily relocating with children. Would it be possible to create such a “one-stop service” for civic initiatives of this kind? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Knyazev: I have already taken off the mask. I wear it because I use the metro as probably most of those present here do. I am Andrei Knyazev, a volunteer with Argumenty Nedeli – Uzbekistan, and head of The World of the Young, a studio of young and adult journalists in Moscow. Here is my question. This year marks 45 years of my journalistic career which I started in Uzbekistan and have been persuing here for the past 30 years. I see that paper journalism is dying out. Maybe bloggers like Vlad Bumaga will help independent newspapers which depend only on their readers, not on the goverment or business people. What do you think can be done to stop at least weekly press from dying? Becasue the bloggers we have now are not always intelligent, not always sincere and not always good. This is my short question. I asked my second question to many officials, inlcuding Ms Zakhartova, the Foreign Minsitry spokeswoman. She told me to address the President’s Direct Line. That’s why I am here. A great number of our scientists and many clairvoyants say that within the coming 10 to 12 years European countries, Japan, the United States and the American continent will be submerged or destroyed. However, the peopole will survive and they will ask to come to us, Mr President. Meanwhile, they are against us. Should they be informed in advance? This is hypothecal, of course. Yet, there are such forecasts. I read a lot, and I basically read newspapers, not those lying Telegram channels and others of the kind. So I have two questions to you. Sorry for that. |
| В.Путин: Во-первых, хочу сказать Вам спасибо за то, что Вы это делаете, это чрезвычайно важная вещь – помощь конкретным людям. Первое. Второе. Конечно, когда это делают волонтёры, за что всем волонтёрам хочу выразить слова благодарности, они не просто работают, они собой рискуют. Есть и потери, к сожалению, среди волонтёров. Когда они это делают, то, конечно, они доходят до конкретного человека и тоньше иногда чувствуют, что получается у государства, а где что-то сбоит, как в народе говорят, где что-то не получается. Конечно, здесь у нас есть, я уже говорил в отношении Курской области, есть просто программа восстановления Курской области, на которую средства выделяются. Они практически выделены уже. То же самое будет происходить и происходит, конечно, и в других пограничных областях: и Белгородской, и Брянской. Здесь никто не останется без внимания. Вы, наверное, чувствуете это тоньше и острее. Я подумаю сам, как это сделать, и обязательно попрошу наши соответствующие ведомства и Минобороны, и с губернатором поговорим, как, каким образом объединить эти усилия: «одно окно» создать либо какой-то инструмент для координации усилий. Обязательно подумаем. Ксения, спасибо. У меня сейчас нет прямого ответа, но постановка вопроса абсолютно правильная, и мы подумаем, как это сделать. Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: First, I want to thank you for doing this; it is an extremely important thing, help to particular people. First. Second. Of course, when volunteers do this — and I want to express words of gratitude to all volunteers — they do not simply work, they risk themselves. There are losses too, unfortunately, among the volunteers. When they do this, they of course reach a particular person and sometimes feel more finely what the state is managing to do, and where something is failing, as people say, where something is not working out. Of course here we have — I have already spoken with regard to the Kursk region — there is simply a program for restoring the Kursk region, for which funds are allocated. They have practically been allocated already. The same thing will happen, and is happening, of course, in the other border regions too: both Belgorod and Bryansk. No one will be left without attention here. You probably feel this more finely and more sharply. I will think myself about how to do this, and I will certainly ask our corresponding departments, and the Ministry of Defense, and we will talk with the governor, about how, in what way, to join these efforts: to create a "one window" or some instrument for coordinating efforts. We will certainly think about it. Ksenia, thank you. I do not have a direct answer just now, but the way the question is put is absolutely right, and we will think about how to do this. Thank you. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, тему СВО предлагаю продолжить, тему поддержки военнослужащих и их семей. Вы наверняка видели, что среди обращений, которые пришли в программу, были также просьбы помочь разобраться с начислением выплат семьям, военнослужащим. Также были просьбы помочь отыскать людей, которые сейчас числятся пропавшими без вести, либо с ними нет связи, либо, по имеющейся информации родственников, они попали в плен. Владимир Владимирович, можно ли дать отдельное поручение Минобороны разобраться с этими случаями? Людям тяжело в неведении. Можно как-то скорректировать, настроить систему информирования семей военнослужащих? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I suggest continuing the topic of the special military operation, the topic of support for service personnel and their families. You have surely seen that among the appeals sent to the program were also requests for help sorting out the calculation of payments to families and service personnel. There were also requests for help finding people who are currently listed as missing in action, or with whom there is no contact, or who, according to information available to their relatives, have been taken prisoner. Vladimir Vladimirovich, could a separate instruction be given to the Defense Ministry to look into these cases? It is hard for people not to know. Could the system for informing service members' families somehow be adjusted and fine-tuned? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Knyazev: Mr President, but they will run to us. What are we going to do with them? |
| В.Путин: Это очень чувствительный вопрос для многих людей. Одно дело, когда человек воюет, дай бог, чтоб всё было хорошо. Разные виды выплат существуют. Они в целом достойные: это боевые так называемые, в некоторых случаях так называемые командировочные для тех, кто оказался в некоторых регионах до начала специальной военной операции, и это рассматривалось как командировка, начисления за участие в наступательных, штурмовых операциях, за участие в организации обороны. Разница есть небольшая, но всё ясно, за что. Когда человек с радаров исчезает, то возникает вопрос поддержки семей. Мы обсуждали этот вопрос, и перед Министром обороны этот вопрос стоял, он знает об этой проблеме. Здесь как минимум две вещи нужно сделать. Во-первых, нужно ускорить или сократить сроки принятия окончательных решений. Потому что информации нет, семьи перестают получать соответствующие выплаты, потому что человека нет, он не участвует ни в наступательных, ни в оборонительных мероприятиях, не получает боевые и так далее – и сокращаются объёмы поддержки семей. Здесь Министерство обороны вместе с Правительством должны принять другое решение: что может заменить хотя бы часть этих выплат. Там есть разные идеи: сформулировать про какое-то пособие на детей либо принять какое-то другое решение. Но нужно принять решение и по временным мерам, и ускорить принятие решения по окончательному закрытию вопроса. Я сейчас не буду вдаваться в детали. В целом Министерство обороны знает об этом и над этим работает. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: This is a very sensitive question for many people. It is one thing when a person is fighting; God grant that everything be well. Different kinds of payments exist. On the whole they are decent: these are the so-called combat payments, in some cases the so-called travel allowances for those who found themselves in certain regions before the start of the special military operation, and this was treated as a posting, payments for taking part in offensive, assault operations, for taking part in organizing the defense. There is a small difference, but it is all clear, for what. When a person disappears from the radar, the question of support for the families arises. We discussed this question, and this question stood before the Minister of Defense; he knows of this problem. Here at least two things must be done. First, the time for taking final decisions must be speeded up or shortened. Because there is no information, families stop receiving the corresponding payments, because the person is not there, he is taking part neither in offensive nor in defensive measures, he does not receive combat pay, and so on — and the volumes of support for the families are reduced. Here the Ministry of Defense, together with the Government, must take a different decision: what can replace at least part of these payments. There are various ideas there: to formulate some benefit for children, or to take some other decision. But a decision must be taken both on temporary measures and to speed the taking of a decision on finally closing the question. I will not go into the details now. On the whole the Ministry of Defense knows of this and is working on it. |
| А.Суворова: Тем временем мы работаем уже больше трёх часов, практически три часа и десять минут. Вопросов у нас много, вопросы поступают разные. Я предлагаю сделать короткий блиц. Дмитрий, Вы как на это смотрите? Начинаем? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Meanwhile, we have been working for more than three hours now, almost three hours and ten minutes. We have many questions, and all kinds of questions are coming in. I suggest a short rapid-fire round. Dmitry, what do you think? Shall we begin? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Knyazev: And about the paper journalism. |
| Д.Кулько: Начну с вопроса Георгия Арефьева из Смоленской области: почему на совещаниях, которые Вы проводите, большие чиновники просят Вашего поручения, чтобы самим начать что-то делать? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: I will begin with a question from Georgy Arefyev from Smolensk Region: why, at the meetings you hold, do senior officials ask for your instruction before they themselves start doing anything? |
| В.Путин: Не нужно здесь ругаться на чиновников. Дело в чём? Дело в том, что процесс принятия решений, он непростой, и когда вопрос доходит до меня, то это, как правило, такие вопросы, такие проблемы. К решению подходов есть разные точки зрения: одни коллеги считают, что нужно решить это таким способом, другие – таким способом. И поручения, как правило, нужны для того, чтобы определиться. Вот есть спор какой-то, есть развилка, как говорят в Правительстве при решении какого-то вопроса, тогда коллеги приходят ко мне и просят принять окончательное, что называется, командирское решение. Просят поручение, чтобы уже ничего не забылось, решение окончательное такое, сформулировано в поручении – вперёд, все начинают работать. Бюрократических всяких заковырок много, иногда просто все согласны, но нужно, чтобы это было положено на бумагу и исполнялось как нормативный акт. Следующий вопрос: «С кем из ныне живущих или ушедших личностей Вы бы хотели выпить чашку чая?» |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: There is no need to scold the officials here. What is the point? The point is that the process of taking decisions is not a simple one, and when a question reaches me, these are as a rule questions and problems of that kind. There are different points of view about how to approach a solution: some colleagues consider that it must be settled in this way, others in that way. And instructions are as a rule needed in order to decide. There is some dispute, there is a fork in the road, as they say in the Government when settling some question; then colleagues come to me and ask me to take a final, what is called a commander's, decision. They ask for an instruction so that nothing is forgotten, a final decision of that kind set down in the instruction — and forward, everyone starts to work. There are many bureaucratic snags of every sort; sometimes everyone is simply in agreement, but it is necessary that this be put on paper and carried out as a normative act. The next question: "With which of the personalities now living, or of those who have passed on, would you like to drink a cup of tea?" |
| В.Путин: Из ныне живущих личностей я бы хотел почаще встречаться со своими друзьями и близкими мне людьми. И чайку с ними выпить, пообщаться, поговорить. Если говорить об ушедших мировых лидерах, то у меня были контакты, не такие уж и близкие, но тем не менее на протяжении достаточно большого, длительного времени с канцлером ФРГ [Гельмутом] Колем. Он был фигурой международного масштаба, и не только в силу того, что он был крупный мужчина, но и по своим действиям, по своим убеждениям. Буквально после первой встречи с ним в 1993 году и на протяжении длительного времени, и когда он уже перестал быть канцлером, нечасто, но регулярно приезжал ко мне в гости. Я имел удовольствие – именно удовольствие – с ним беседовать. Это был, как говорили в своё время в Советском Союзе, крупный политический деятель современности. Он много сделал для своей родины, для немцев многое сделал. Он был крупным европейским и мировым политиком. Я с интересом вспоминаю многие наши разговоры. Они были очень для меня полезными. Говорю без всякого преувеличения – очень полезными. Очень интересным человеком был президент Франции [Жак] Ширак. Просто интересным. Он вообще был, знаете, как энциклопедист, как академик: чего не спросишь – всё знает. Даже любопытно, честное слово. На всё у него было своё мнение, он его строго придерживался. Он был очень корректным, галантным человеком. Я от него тоже многому научился, говорю честно, так же как от Коля многое услышал и для себя это подметил. И от Ширака тоже: его манера поведения, интеллигентность его поведения и так далее. Немножко другим человеком, но тоже весьма тёплым в общении, но деятельным, очень хватким был Берлускони. Он очень много сделал, так же, как и Ширак, для развития российско-итальянских отношений. Даже несмотря на то, что происходит сегодня, мы чувствуем, в итальянском обществе есть определённая симпатия к России, так же как у нас есть симпатия к Италии. Все они внесли очень существенный вклад в развитие двусторонних отношений и в мировую политику. С ними было интересно. Они были личностями с собственным мнением. Это всё концентрировалось на достижении максимального результата для своих собственных стран, на укреплении суверенитета их государств. У меня и сейчас много [друзей] в Азии, я уже говорил про дружеские отношения с… |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Of living persons I would like to meet more often with my friends and with people close to me. And to drink a little tea with them, to spend time, to talk. If one speaks of world leaders who have passed on, I had contacts, not so very close, but nevertheless over a fairly long, extended time, with the Chancellor of the FRG, [Helmut] Kohl. He was a figure of international scale, and not only because he was a large man, but also by his actions, by his convictions. Literally after the first meeting with him in 1993, and over a long time, and when he had already ceased to be chancellor, he came to visit me, not often, but regularly. I had the pleasure — precisely the pleasure — of conversing with him. He was, as they used to say in their time in the Soviet Union, a major political figure of the present day. He did much for his homeland; he did much for the Germans. He was a major European and world politician. I recall many of our conversations with interest. They were very useful for me. I say this without any exaggeration — very useful. A very interesting person was the President of France, [Jacques] Chirac. Simply interesting. He was, you know, like an encyclopedist, like an academician: whatever you ask, he knows everything. Even curious, honestly. He had his own opinion on everything, and he held to it strictly. He was a very correct, gallant person. I learned a great deal from him too, I say honestly, just as I heard a great deal from Kohl and noted it for myself. And from Chirac too: his manner of behavior, the intelligence of his behavior, and so on. A somewhat different person, but also very warm in communication, yet active, very tenacious, was Berlusconi. He did a great deal, just as Chirac did, for the development of Russian-Italian relations. Even despite what is happening today, we feel that in Italian society there is a certain sympathy for Russia, just as we have sympathy for Italy. All of them made a very substantial contribution to the development of bilateral relations and to world politics. It was interesting with them. They were personalities with an opinion of their own. All of this was concentrated on achieving the maximum result for their own countries, on strengthening the sovereignty of their states. I have many [friends] in Asia now too; I have already spoken of friendly relations with… |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Mr President, let us think about home, above all, a healthy one. This topic is among those the Russians are most concerned about. If we look at statistics, healthcare and related issues come second – people ask about the shortage of doctors in outpatient clinics, and pretty often about a lack of some medicines. I suggest we listen to a telephone call from Irina Sychyova from Nizhny Novgorod. Mr Sychyova, good afternoon. Please, ask your question. |
| А.Суворова: С Китаем говорили, да. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: We did speak with China, yes. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Irina Sycheva: Good afternoon, Mr President. My name is Irina Sycheva. I am from Nizhny Novgorod. I would like to draw your attention to our free medical care. First, I would like to sincerely thank you for the renovated outpatient clinics. Thank God, they are starting to make them look decent. However, these outpatient clinics are in a dire shortage of medical specialists and primary care physicians as the doctors are leaving to work in commercial clinics. What should we, retired and low-income people, do in this situation? For over a month, I have been unable to obtain an appointment with a cardiologist for my father who suffered a heart attack recently. This doctor receives patients only once a week. There are no online appointments because the doctor is not working full-time. To get an appointment, people have to queue outside the clinic from 5 or 6 am, and their chances are pretty slim. The people are standing on the street until 7 am, when the outpatient clinic opens. Many elderly people are unable to cope with this situation. We hope that you will resolve this issue. Thank you very much in advance. |
| В.Путин: С Китаем и с Индией. У меня очень тёплые отношения с Премьер-министром Индии. Есть с кем общаться. Но, так же как и любому человеку, хочу ещё раз сказать, прежде всего это мои близкие, и некоторые у меня друзья сохранились ещё с детства, поэтому я этим очень дорожу. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: With China and with India. I have very warm relations with the Prime Minister of India. There are people to associate with. But, just as for any person, I want to say once more: first of all these are the people close to me, and I have also kept some friends from childhood, so I value this very much. |
| А.Суворова: Следующий вопрос. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: The next question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Yes. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, у меня то ли вопрос, то ли просьба дать совет от Татьяны Прохоровой из Чувашии: «У Вас есть вклады в банках? Если да, то в каких?». |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, I have either a question or a request for advice from Tatyana Prokhorova in Chuvashia: “Do you have deposits in banks? If so, which ones?” |
| В.Путин: Изначально у меня был вклад в Сбере, по-моему, там сохранился, а потом, когда Банк «Россия» был поставлен под санкции, это было первое финансовое учреждение, я просто демонстративно перевёл туда свои деньги. И, по-моему, зарплату туда перечисляют. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Initially I had a deposit at Sber; I think it is still there, and then, when Bank Rossiya was placed under sanctions — it was the first financial institution — I simply, as a demonstration, transferred my money there. And I think my salary is transferred there. |
| А.Суворова: Следующий вопрос: «Вам Эльвира Набиуллина сказала, какая будет завтра ставка ЦБ?» Я думаю, это интересует не только Валерия Семёнова из Псковской области, который написал этот вопрос. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: The next question: “Has Elvira Nabiullina told you what the Central Bank's rate will be tomorrow?” I think this interests not only Valery Semyonov from Pskov Region, who sent in this question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Let us continue with the topic of healthcare. It is important. Compared to last year, the number of complaints regarding shortage of medicines has gone down this year, but we still have them, and they mainly concern subsidised prescription drugs. For instance, here is what a pensioner from Kerch wrote us, “I have cancer. I was prescribed free medication, but the last time I had it for free was three months ago. I called the hotline in Simferopol and was told the drugs were unavailable. I have to buy them with my own money now. Please help resolve this issue.” This is not limited to expensive medications – the situation with absence of normal saline was especially striking. People with diabetes also report difficulties with obtaining insulin. Here are a few examples. Rashida Gainutdinova had the following to write to us: “In Neftekamsk, I have not been able to obtain insulin for four months now. I used to get it from a hospital, but it is no longer available there. I cannot buy it at the pharmacy either.” Vitaly Mayorov from Atkarsk, the Saratov Region, “I have had type 1 diabetes for 50 years now. I have never experienced such poor insulin and test strip availability.” Mr President, where does the domestic pharmaceutical industry stand at this point, and what is your take on patients’ access to essential medications for cancer and other acute conditions? |
| В.Путин: Нет, она мне не говорит, какая будет ставка. Она сама, наверное, этого пока не знает, потому что они обсуждают это на совете директоров, на своей «комсомольской ячейке», и в ходе дискуссии принимают окончательное решение. Но надеюсь, что оно будет взвешенным и будет отвечать требованиям сегодняшнего дня. Такой вопрос: «Прогнозы Владимира Жириновского о развитии ситуации на Ближнем Востоке и на Южном Кавказе сбываются. Сбудутся ли другие предсказания основателя ЛДПР?» |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: No, she does not tell me what the rate will be. She herself probably does not yet know, because they discuss it on the board of directors, in their "Komsomol cell," and take the final decision in the course of the discussion. But I hope it will be a balanced one and will meet the requirements of the present day. A question like this: "Vladimir Zhirinovsky's forecasts of how the situation will develop in the Middle East and in the South Caucasus are coming true. Will other predictions of the founder of the LDPR come true?" |
| В.Путин: Я, естественно, был знаком хорошо с Владимиром Вольфовичем. Он не предсказатель, он не был предсказателем, но он любил эпатаж и с удовольствием, эффектно всё это делал, занимался этим. Но он был человеком очень эрудированным и очень хорошо подготовленным, он же вообще специалист был по Ближнему Востоку, он был реально экспертом. И всё, что он говорил, сбывается действительно, потому что он говорил это на основе анализа того, что происходило и в нашей стране, и в мире, и прогнозировал развитие ситуации. Это сбывается, действительно. Но это именно прогноз, основанный на реальных знаниях и на том опыте, который у него был как у специалиста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I naturally knew Vladimir Volfovich well. He is not a soothsayer, he was not a soothsayer, but he loved shocking people and enjoyed doing all this with flair. But he was a very erudite and very well-prepared man; after all, he specialized in the Middle East, he really was an expert. And everything he said really is coming true, because he said it on the basis of an analysis of what was happening both in our country and in the world, and he forecast how the situation would develop. It really is coming true. But this is precisely a forecast based on real knowledge and on the experience he had as a specialist. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr Peskov, please take the baton. |
| А.Суворова: Я предлагаю к блицу вернуться чуть позже, к концу программы. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: I suggest we return to the blitz a little later, toward the end of the program. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Thank you. Let’s go into the audience. Remark from the audience. You know, we won’t go far like that. |
| Д.Песков: Блиц может до бесконечности идти. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: A blitz can go on to infinity. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Go ahead, please. But let’s not act that way. Chaos will reign this hall, and we won’t be able to cope with it. Please. |
| А.Суворова: Да, 2200 тысяч вопросов, конечно. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Yes, 2200 thousand questions, of course. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Ksenia Aksyonova: Thank you. I apologise. Ksenia Aksyonova, Spas TV channel. I will ask questions that have in common a phrase of a person whom I know you respect very much and whom the entire Russian church loves. This is the spiritual father of our Patriarch, Elder Iliy (Nozdrin). At the beginning of the special military operation, he listed three conditions for victory: ban abortions, ban foul language, and bury Lenin’s body. I have three questions on these three points. First, abortions. Our Patriarch has been talking about removing abortions from the compulsory medical insurance system each and every year, because it is not a medical procedure, and it does not help but maims. The leaders of traditional religions in Russia support the Patriarch in this. Will this be done? Second, foul language. Recently, you have given an exhaustive opinion on the subject saying that it is anti-prayer and an invocation of dark forces. In order not to repeat myself, I will ask specifically about dark forces, because esoterics, occult science, fortune telling, accessible pornography are currently booming in Russia, and people are now spending more money on psychics than on doctors. Porn sites are now the most visited in our country. Will there be any measures taken to restrict these clearly dangerous types of activity? Third, burying Lenin’s body. I am not talking about an assessment of his actions right now. You have done that many times. I’m referring specifically to fulfilling his will and that of his family, and that keeping an embalmed body in the Mausoleum is a pagan and ungodly custom. Please tell me what is preventing us from burying Lenin's body? Thank you. |
| Д.Песков: Я не совсем вижу, что у Вас на бумажке, но Вы давно тянете руку. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: I cannot quite see what you have on the slip of paper, but you have been raising your hand for a long time. |
| В.Путин: Там мужчина в маске. Вы следующий, хорошо? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: There is a man in a mask there. You are next, all right? |
| С.Шевченко: Могу, да, говорить? |
Full house translation — pending review С.Шевченко: May I, yes, speak? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Can we take a question from that sector? Mr President, Kolesnikov is there. I have completely forgotten about him. If I may. |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста-пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please, please. |
| С.Шевченко: Светлана Шевченко, Новосибирск, Новосибирская область. Дело в том, что мы являемся аграрно-промышленным регионом, производим продукцию по добавленной стоимости на экспорт, качественную продукцию. Однако последнее время у нас острая нехватка молодых кадров на селе. Мы действительно это чувствуем: несмотря на сельскую ипотеку, несмотря на развитие сельских территорий, кадров не хватает. Владимир Владимирович, что бы Вы нам посоветовали, какие меры принять, чтобы привлечь новые молодые кадры и сохранить тех, кто уже проживает на селе? |
Full house translation — pending review С.Шевченко: Svetlana Shevchenko, Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Region. The point is that we are an agricultural and industrial region; we produce value-added products for export, quality products. Recently, however, we have had an acute shortage of young personnel in rural areas. We really feel it: despite rural mortgages and despite the development of rural areas, there is a shortage of personnel. Vladimir Vladimirovich, what would you advise us to do, what measures should we take to attract new young personnel and retain those already living in rural areas? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Kolesnikov: Good afternoon. Andrei Kolesnikov, Kommersant newspaper. |
| В.Путин: Очень важный вопрос, потому что сельское хозяйство – одна из ключевых отраслей экономики Российской Федерации. Я уже говорил, оно развивается хорошим темпом – три процента в год. И нас не может не радовать то, что происходит в сельском хозяйстве. Я уже приводил этот пример, если ничего не перепутаю, скажу. В 1986, что ли, году Советский Союз закупил 35 миллионов тонн зерновых. А в прошлом году мы поставили 56 миллионов тонн на экспорт. Ещё в 2000 году мы начали экспортировать, но это был 1,2 или 1,3 миллиона тонн, а сейчас 66 миллионов тонн. Это кажется просто невозможным, но это происходит. Смотрите, мы входим в число трёх крупнейших экспортёров продовольствия на мировой рынок, а по пшенице вообще занимаем первое место в мире. И, несмотря на то что у нас в прошлом году вообще был рекордный урожай – 148 миллионов, сейчас будет 130, но это тоже очень большой урожай, мы стабильны: на протяжении 10 лет у нас свыше 100 миллионов тонн и стабильный, очень большой ресурс для экспортных операций. Мы полностью, я уже сказал об этом, закрыли себя по мясу – 100 процентов – и экспортируем. Есть проблемы, связанные с молоком, с плодоовощной продукцией, но есть и программа развития. Всё постепенно, всё растёт. Одна из важнейших проблем – это социальные вопросы на селе: это жильё, это культура, образование. Есть программа социально-экономического развития села, она в целом обеспечена финансированием. Конечно, наверное, и этого мало, но самое главное – это повышение уровня благосостояния людей, которые проживают на селе, увеличение уровня их доходов. От этого будут решаться все остальные вопросы. Мы, уверен, в таком ключе и будем двигаться. Что касается кадров – тоже одна из ключевых составляющих. Традиционно, ещё со времён Советского Союза, мы всегда уделяли большое внимание кадрам, а сейчас работа на селе становится всё более интересной, это индустрия уже. Она требует специалистов высокого класса, высокой квалификации, причём разных уровней: и в области биологии, и в области химии, традиционные агрономы и так далее, в области генетики. У нас генетика, например, область генетики – вообще важнейшее направление, но она сейчас развивается наиболее высокими темпами как раз применительно и в интересах сельского хозяйства. Это всё, на мой взгляд, очень интересно, и нужно, чтобы мы говорили об этом не только на мероприятиях подобного рода раз в год, а чтобы об этом говорили постоянно и создавали условия для молодых людей, которые бы приходили и с интересом работали в этом секторе экономики. Государство со своей стороны всё будет делать для того, чтобы привлекать абитуриентов, нужных для этой отрасли, а производители должны делать то, что делают и в других отраслях производства, то есть создавать условия для того, чтобы целевым образом направлять людей на подготовку и в ходе подготовки уже смотреть, подбирать для себя кадры, обеспечивать их работу на предприятиях и производственную практику. Всё это вместе будем, безусловно, обеспечивать. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: A very important question, because agriculture is one of the key branches of the economy of the Russian Federation. I have already said it is developing at a good pace — three percent a year. And what is happening in agriculture cannot but gladden us. I have already given this example; if I do not mix anything up, I will say it. In 1986, or something like that, the Soviet Union bought 35 million tons of grain. And last year we supplied 56 million tons for export. Back in 2000 we began to export, but that was 1.2 or 1.3 million tons, and now it is 66 million tons. This seems simply impossible, but it is happening. Look, we are among the three largest exporters of food to the world market, and in wheat we hold first place in the world altogether. And despite the fact that last year we had a record harvest altogether — 148 million, and now it will be 130, but this too is a very large harvest — we are stable: over the course of 10 years we have had over 100 million tons and a stable, very large resource for export operations. We have fully, I have already said this, covered ourselves in meat — 100 percent — and we export. There are problems connected with milk, with fruit and vegetable products, but there is a development program too. Everything is gradual; everything is growing. One of the most important problems is social questions in the countryside: housing, culture, education. There is a program for the socio-economic development of the countryside; on the whole it is provided with financing. Of course this is probably not enough either, but the most important thing is raising the level of well-being of the people who live in the countryside, increasing the level of their incomes. All the other questions will be solved from this. We will, I am sure, move in this key. As for cadres, this too is one of the key components. Traditionally, back from the times of the Soviet Union, we always gave great attention to cadres, and now work in the countryside is becoming more and more interesting; it is already an industry. It requires specialists of a high class, of high qualification, and of different levels: both in the field of biology and in the field of chemistry, traditional agronomists and so on, in the field of genetics. Genetics with us, for example, the field of genetics, is a most important direction altogether, but it is now developing at the highest rates precisely as applied to and in the interests of agriculture. All of this, in my view, is very interesting, and we need to speak of this not only at events of this kind once a year, but to speak of it constantly and to create conditions for young people who would come and work with interest in this sector of the economy. The state for its part will do everything to attract the applicants needed for this branch, and producers must do what they do in other branches of production too, that is, create conditions for sending people for training in a targeted way and, in the course of training, already look, select cadres for themselves, and ensure their work at enterprises and their production practice. All of this together we will without doubt ensure. |
| Д.Песков: Владимир Владимирович, обещали журналисту в маске. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Vladimir Vladimirovich, you promised the journalist in the mask. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Kolesnikov: Mr President, the war has been on for nearly three years now, and we all have changed much. The war changed everyone. How have you changed? Have you found out anything new about yourself? I have one more question, if Mr Peskov does not object. No one has asked this question yet, and perhaps never will, but I am curious. Some time ago, as is widely known, US President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter, who had been convicted of making a false statement when buying a firearm. This caused quite a stir around the world, and everyone had something to say about that, yet you remained silent. Perhaps, you have nothing to say about that. What do you think about that anyway? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Да, пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, please. |
| А.Князев: Уже снял маску. Просто езжу в метро, как большинство, наверное, здесь. Князев Андрей, «Аргументы недели. Узбекистан», на волонтёрских началах, и руководитель студии юных и взрослых журналистов и блогеров «Мир молодых», Москва. Мой вопрос. 45 лет в этом году будет, как я начал в журналистике, ещё в Узбекистане начинал, последние 30 лет – здесь. Вижу, что бумажная журналистика умирает. Может, такие блогеры, как Влад Бумага, помогут газетам, которые независимые, которые не зависят ни от государства, ни от бизнесменов, а только от читателей. Как Вы считаете, что делать, чтобы хотя бы еженедельная бумажная пресса не умерла? Потому что блогеры, какие сейчас есть, они не всегда умны, не всегда искренни, не всегда хороши. Это короткий вопрос. А второй вопрос я задавал многим чиновникам, в том числе госпоже Захаровой, пресс-секретарю Министра иностранных дел. Она говорит: идите к Владимиру Владимировичу на прямую линию. Поэтому я добиваюсь. Очень многие наши учёные и очень многие люди, которые видят будущее, говорят о том, что в течение 10–12 лет страны Европы, Япония, Соединённые Штаты и не только, и континент Америка, могут уйти под воду или погибнуть, а люди-то останутся, они же к нам начнут проситься, Владимир Владимирович, а они против нас. Может быть, им заранее рассказать об этом? Это, конечно, гипотетически. Но ведь есть эти прогнозы. Я читаю, я очень много читаю и в основном газет, а не всяких телеграм-каналов-врунишек и всех остальных. Два вопроса у меня к вам. Извините, что два. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Князев: I have already taken off my mask. I simply travel on the metro, like most people here, probably. Andrei Knyazev, “Arguments of the Week. Uzbekistan,” on a voluntary basis, and head of the “World of the Young” studio for young and adult journalists and bloggers, Moscow. My question. This year marks 45 years since I started in journalism; I began back in Uzbekistan, and have spent the last 30 years here. I see that print journalism is dying. Perhaps bloggers such as Vlad Bumaga could help newspapers that are independent, that depend neither on the state nor on businesspeople, but only on readers. What do you think should be done so that at least the weekly print press does not die? Because today's bloggers are not always intelligent, not always sincere, not always good. That is the short question. And I have asked the second question of many officials, including Ms. Zakharova, the Foreign Minister's press secretary. She says: go to Vladimir Vladimirovich on the Direct Line. So I am pursuing this. Very many of our scientists and very many people who see the future say that within 10–12 years the countries of Europe, Japan, the United States and not only them, and the continent of America, could go underwater or perish, but the people will remain, and they will start asking to come to us, Vladimir Vladimirovich, yet they are against us. Perhaps we should tell them about this in advance? This is hypothetical, of course. But these forecasts do exist. I read, I read a great deal, mainly newspapers rather than all sorts of lying Telegram channels and all the rest. I have two questions for you. Forgive me for asking two. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: The first part of Andrei Kolesnikov’s question was about the three years of the special military operation and the ongoing hostilities. |
| В.Путин: Даже не знаю, говорить мне это или нет? Расскажу. Знаете этот известный анекдот, шуточку, когда за столом семья сидит, и маленький мальчик разгадывает кроссворд и говорит: слово назовите из трёх букв. Мама ему бум – ложкой по лбу. Он говорит: за что, это же дом! Папаша берёт, жене – бум: о доме надо думать! О доме надо думать. Вы сейчас сказали по поводу того, что какие-то континенты будут уходить под воду. И надо бы подумать о том, что делать с этими людьми. О доме надо думать! |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I do not even know whether to say this or not. I will tell it. You know that well-known joke, the little quip, when the family is sitting at the table and a little boy is doing a crossword and says: name a word of three letters. Mom goes whack — a spoon on his forehead. He says: what for, it is "house"! The father takes his turn and, to his wife, whack: one must think about the house! One must think about the house. You have just spoken of certain continents going under the water. And one ought to think about what to do with these people. One must think about the house! |
| А.Князев: Так они же к нам побегут, Владимир Владимирович! Что мы с ними делать будем? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Князев: But they will come running to us, Vladimir Vladimirovich! What will we do with them? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Kolesnikov: How have you changed over the past three years? |
| В.Путин: Я же Вас так внимательно слушал. Вы такой энергичный человек, дайте мне договорить. Спасибо Вам большое. Я почему это говорю? Потому что те прогнозы, о которых Вы сказали, – это же не эфемерные подсчёты. Это делают серьёзные учёные, которые говорят о том, что будет таять вечная мерзлота. Здесь огромные проблемы для окружающей среды, потому что отсюда идут выбросы в атмосферу больше, чем от всех автомобилей вместе взятых во всём мире. Значит, если они будут таять, то и прибрежные регионы Российской Федерации тоже могут оказаться под угрозой. Во-первых, у нас целые посёлки, города на сваях стоят, которые вбиты в вечную мерзлоту. Там уже что-то потрескивает. Вот об этом мы должны думать, о наших прибрежных городах, включая даже Петербург, Вы понимаете? Дамбу-то мы построили, о чём мечтали ещё со времён Петра I.Но надо думать, что дальше будет с прибрежными городами. О доме надо думать прежде всего. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I was listening to you so attentively. You are such an energetic person; let me finish speaking. Thank you very much. Why am I saying this? Because the forecasts you spoke of are not ephemeral reckonings. Serious scientists do this, and they say that the permafrost will thaw. There are enormous problems here for the environment, because the emissions into the atmosphere from here are greater than those from all the automobiles in the whole world taken together. So if they thaw, the coastal regions of the Russian Federation may also come under threat. First, we have whole settlements and cities standing on piles driven into the permafrost. Something is already creaking there. This is what we must think about: our coastal cities, including even Petersburg. Do you understand? We did build the dam, of which people had dreamed since the time of Peter I. But one must think what will happen next to the coastal cities. One must think of home first of all. |
| А.Князев: И о журналистике бумажной. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Князев: And about paper journalism. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Moving on. Let's go to the diametrically opposite sector. I see RBC. RBC, please. Polina Khimshiashvili: Good afternoon. Polina Khimshiashvili, RBC. Just to follow up on the question already posed. You have said that now you laugh and smile less. If it were possible to go back to February 2022, would you change your decision? |
| В.Путин: Сейчас-сейчас. Если кто-то к нам будет переселяться, у нас 2,3 процента безработица, она отсутствует. Мы говорим о трудовой миграции и возникающих в этой связи проблемах. Вы правы, подумайте над этим. Если будет какой-то серьёзный приток, надо думать, что с этим делать, где и как людей размещать. Мы самая большая страна по территории в мире, но за Уральским хребтом у нас проживает знаете сколько человек? 12 миллионов, что ли. Это что такое? Нам есть куда расселять людей. В принципе заранее надо подумать о социальной и прочей инфраструктуре, о правилах. На самом деле это не праздный вопрос. Вы так с эпатажем всё это излагаете, но на самом деле вопрос есть. Повторяю ещё раз: прежде всего нужно думать о проблемах, которые у нас в стране возникают. Бумажная журналистика и помощь со стороны Влада Бумаги. Я думаю, что такие ребята, конечно, с удовольствием вас поддержат, тем более что речь идёт в данном случае о бумажной журналистике. Мне думается, что бумажная журналистика будет иметь своё место в этом огромном меняющемся мире, так же как и бумажная книга. Есть же возможность полистать гаджет, там всё хорошим шрифтом изложено, на разных языках. Я сам, честно говоря, иногда этим пользуюсь. Но взять в руки книгу – другая история. Не только потому, что там картинки есть, хотя это тоже интересно посмотреть, и книжная иллюстрация – это иногда тоже произведение искусства. Взять в руки те же «Известия» или «Комсомолку», полистать, покопаться – в этом есть кайф какой-то, правда? Я надеюсь, что те, кто занимается бумажной журналистикой, тоже учтут это и будут этот ещё наверняка имеющийся интерес у публики сохранять. Самое главное, конечно, контент, содержание, потому что, каким бы ни был носитель, самое главное, как Влад Бумага говорил, что там внутри, содержание. Вот это самое главное. Если у бумажного носителя будет достойный и интересный контент по сравнению с какой-то интернетной шелухой, она никуда не денется, она не умрёт. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: One moment, one moment. If someone is going to resettle to us, we have 2.3 percent unemployment; it is absent. We are speaking of labor migration and of the problems that arise in this connection. You are right; think about this. If there is some serious inflow, one must think what to do with it, where and how to place people. We are the largest country in the world by territory, but beyond the Ural range, do you know how many people live? 12 million, or something like that. What is this? We have somewhere to settle people. In principle one must think in advance about the social and other infrastructure, about the rules. In fact this is not an idle question. You set all this out with a certain shock effect, but in fact the question exists. I repeat once more: above all one must think about the problems that arise in our country. Paper journalism, and help from Vlad Bumaga. I think that fellows like that will of course support you with pleasure, all the more so since in this case it is a matter of paper journalism. It seems to me that paper journalism will have its place in this enormous changing world, just as the paper book will. There is, after all, the possibility of leafing through a gadget; everything there is set out in a good typeface, in different languages. I myself, to tell the truth, sometimes use this. But to take a book in one's hands is another story. Not only because there are pictures there, although that is interesting to look at too, and a book illustration is sometimes a work of art as well. To take in one's hands those same Izvestia or Komsomolka, to leaf through them, to dig around — there is a certain pleasure in this, isn't there? I hope that those who are engaged in paper journalism will take this into account too and will preserve this interest, which the public surely still has. The most important thing, of course, is the content, the substance, because whatever the carrier may be, the most important thing, as Vlad Bumaga said, is what is inside, the content. That is the most important thing. If a paper carrier has worthy and interesting content by comparison with some internet chaff, it will not go anywhere; it will not die. |
| А.Суворова: Владимир Владимирович, давайте думать о доме, прежде всего здоровом. Дело в том, что это одна из тех тем, которые чаще всего интересуют россиян. Если посмотреть на статистику, фактически второе место [занимает]: спрашивают и про нехватку врачей в поликлиниках, и зачастую нехватку некоторых лекарств. Предлагаю сейчас вывести по телефонной связи Ирину Юрьевну Сычёву из Нижнего Новгорода. Ирина Юрьевна, добрый день! Ваш вопрос. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Vladimir Vladimirovich, let us think about home, above all a healthy home. The point is that this is one of the topics that most frequently concerns Russians. If we look at the statistics, it effectively [ranks] second: people ask both about the shortage of doctors in outpatient clinics and, often, shortages of certain medicines. I suggest we now bring in Irina Yuryevna Sychova from Nizhny Novgorod by telephone. Good afternoon, Irina Yuryevna! Your question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: Friends, we have already been working for four hours. |
| И.Сычева: Здравствуйте, уважаемый Владимир Владимирович! Меня зовут Сычёва Ирина Юрьевна, я из Нижнего Новгорода. Обращаюсь к Вам с просьбой обратить внимание на нашу бесплатную медицину. Вначале хочу выразить искреннюю благодарность за отремонтированные помещения поликлиник, слава богу, их приводят в божеский вид. Но в поликлиниках катастрофически не хватает узких специалистов и участковых терапевтов – врачи уходят в платные клиники. А что делать нам, пенсионерам и малоимущим гражданам? Второй месяц я не могу записать отца к кардиологу, он после инфаркта, врач принимает всего лишь один раз в неделю. Электронная запись отсутствует, так как врач не на полной ставке. За талоном нужно занимать очередь в пять-шесть утра, стоять на улице, и не факт, что достанется талон. Очередь стоит на улице до семи утра, то есть до открытия поликлиники. Многим пожилым людям такое испытание не под силу. Мы надеемся, что вы разберётесь в этом вопросе. Заранее спасибо большое. |
Full house translation — pending review И.Сычева: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! My name is Irina Yuryevna Sychova, and I am from Nizhny Novgorod. I am appealing to you to pay attention to our free healthcare. First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the renovated outpatient clinic premises; thank God they are being brought into a decent state. But outpatient clinics are catastrophically short of specialists and district general practitioners—doctors are leaving for fee-paying clinics. What are we pensioners and low-income citizens to do? For the second month now, I have been unable to book my father an appointment with a cardiologist; he has had a heart attack, and the doctor sees patients only once a week. There is no electronic booking because the doctor does not work full-time. To get an appointment slip, you have to join the queue at five or six in the morning and stand outside, with no guarantee that you will get a slip. The queue stands outside until seven in the morning, when the clinic opens. Many elderly people cannot endure such an ordeal. We hope you will look into this matter. Thank you very much in advance. |
| 17 Healthcare Shortages and Pharmaceutical Development | |
| В.Путин: Ирина Юрьевна, вопросы медицины, – я вижу их в разрезе всего комплекса вопросов, – на втором месте, по-моему, стоят… Да, второе место. Это всегда очень важный вопрос – и во всех странах, кстати говоря, и в странах с так называемой развитой рыночной экономикой – там даже сегодня, пожалуй, острее даже, чем у нас. Но чего о них думать? О доме надо думать, согласен. Поэтому спасибо, что Вы отметили отремонтированную поликлинику, о ней сказали. Это значит, что всё-таки что-то происходит. И у нас целая программа – сейчас скажу какая. Потому что главная проблема – с кадрами. Эта проблема находится в первичном звене здравоохранения. У нас есть стационары, и там, известно, работают врачи и доктора – там практически с кадрами вопроса нет, а в первичном звене есть. Но из этого вытекает понятный вывод – это прежде всего вопрос организации здравоохранения в регионах Российской Федерации. Если посмотреть на оборачиваемость коек в стационарах, то мы увидим, что они не целиком и не полностью в течение года заполнены. А в то же время в первичном звене здравоохранения: в поликлиниках, в районных больницах, там, где работают каждый день, – есть проблема. И это задача местных органов власти в области здравоохранения – распределить нагрузку. Это первое. Второе связано с подготовкой кадров. Мы стараемся, Министерство здравоохранения старается привлечь как можно больше абитуриентов, и этот процесс идёт. Мы начали доплачивать сейчас в небольших населённых пунктах врачам и медсёстрам 50 и 29 тысяч, и это тоже имеет значение. Мы видим впервые за предыдущие годы – приток, по-моему, 17,5 тысячи специалистов, но их всё-таки не хватает. Итак, вернёмся к организации здравоохранения, к тому, что необходимо продолжить работу по укреплению первичного звена. И всё это, безусловно, нужно делать гораздо большим, лучшим темпом, чем было до сих пор. Не могу с этим не согласиться. Но в Вашем конкретном случае – мне коллеги дадут, есть у Вас данные, да? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Irina Yuryevna, questions of medicine — I see them in the cross-section of the whole complex of questions — stand in second place, I think… Yes, second place. This is always a very important question — and in all countries, by the way, and in countries with a so-called developed market economy it is perhaps even sharper today than with us. But why think about them? One must think about one's own house; I agree. So thank you for noting the renovated polyclinic and speaking of it. That means that something is happening all the same. And we have a whole program — I will say now which one. Because the main problem is with cadres. This problem is in the primary link of health care. We have hospitals, and there, as is known, doctors and physicians work — there is practically no question of cadres there, but in the primary link there is. But from this follows a clear conclusion: this is above all a question of the organization of health care in the regions of the Russian Federation. If one looks at the turnover of beds in the hospitals, we will see that they are not wholly and not fully filled in the course of a year. And at the same time, in the primary link of health care — in the polyclinics, in the district hospitals, where people work every day — there is a problem. And this is a task for the local bodies of authority in the field of health care: to distribute the load. That is the first thing. The second is connected with the training of cadres. We try, the Ministry of Health tries, to attract as many applicants as possible, and this process is going on. We have now begun to pay extra, in small population centers, 50 and 29 thousand to doctors and nurses, and this matters too. For the first time in previous years we see an inflow of, I think, 17.5 thousand specialists, but all the same there are not enough of them. So, let us return to the organization of health care, to the fact that the work of strengthening the primary link must be continued. And all of this, without doubt, needs to be done at a much greater, better pace than has been the case until now. I cannot but agree with this. But in your specific case — my colleagues will give me this; you have the particulars, yes? |
| А.Суворова: Да. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Yes. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Yekaterina Lazareva: Thank you, Mr President. Hello, Yekaterina Lazareva, URA.RU agency. Today, you mentioned European leaders as well as the new and the current American leader. My question is: in 2025, Russia will mark the 80 th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and I know that you are already extending invitations to leaders from various countries. However, if we recall, this year, for the anniversary of the Allied landing in Normandy, France did not invite us. Additionally, there will be memorial events at Auschwitz in January 2025, and to my knowledge, we have not been invited either. Have you extended invitations to our allies in the Anti-Hitler Coalition for Victory anniversary celebrations in 2025, encouraging them to come to Moscow? Is it important to you that the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and perhaps France attend, or at least send representatives? Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Мы постараемся – не постараемся, а совершенно точно поможем с Вашим папой. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: We will try — not try, but we will quite certainly help with your dad. |
| Д.Кулько: Давайте продолжим тему медицины, важная тема. По сравнению с прошлым годом количество обращений по вопросам о нехватке лекарств в этом году стало меньше, но тем не менее они есть и касаются в основном получения льготных препаратов по рецептам. Например, пишет нам пенсионерка из Керчи: «У меня онкология. Выписали бесплатно лекарства, последний раз получала их три месяца назад. Звонила на горячую линию в Симферополе – ответили, что лекарств нет. Сейчас вынуждена покупать их сама. Помогите разобраться». И речь не только о дорогостоящих препаратах – особенно заметна была ситуация с нехваткой в аптеках обычного физраствора. И также люди, страдающие от сахарного диабета, жалуются на перебои с получением инсулина. Вот, например, несколько сообщений. Рашида Гайнутдинова пишет: «В городе Нефтекамске уже четыре месяца не могу получить инсулин. Ранее получала в больнице, сейчас не выдают. В аптеке также купить не могу». Виталий Майоров, город Аткарск, Саратовская область: «50 лет болею диабетом 1-го типа. Такого плохого обеспечения именно инсулином и тест-полосками за всё время не припомню». Владимир Владимирович, на каком этапе сейчас находится развитие отечественной фармакологии и как Вы оцениваете обеспеченность населения основными препаратами для лечения онкологических и других острых заболеваний? |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Let us continue with healthcare, an important subject. Compared with last year, the number of submissions concerning shortages of medicines has fallen this year, but there are still some, and they mainly concern obtaining subsidized prescription drugs. For example, a pensioner from Kerch writes to us: “I have cancer. I was prescribed free medicines; I last received them three months ago. I called the hotline in Simferopol—they said the medicines were unavailable. I now have to buy them myself. Please help sort this out.” And it is not only expensive drugs—the shortage of ordinary saline solution in pharmacies was particularly noticeable. People with diabetes also complain of interruptions in obtaining insulin. Here, for example, are several messages. Rashida Gainutdinova writes: “In the city of Neftekamsk, I have been unable to obtain insulin for four months now. I used to receive it at the hospital, but they are not dispensing it now. I cannot buy it at the pharmacy either.” Vitaly Mayorov, Atkarsk, Saratov Region: “I have had type 1 diabetes for 50 years. I cannot remember insulin and test strips being supplied so poorly at any time in all those years.” Vladimir Vladimirovich, what stage has the development of domestic pharmacology reached, and how do you assess the provision of the main medicines for treating cancer and other acute diseases to the population? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, we still have many questions left, including personal ones. |
| В.Путин: Вопрос чрезвычайно важный – так же как и обеспеченность специалистами, врачами. Фарма – важнейшее направление нашей деятельности. Вы знаете, ещё когда я работал Председателем Правительства Российской Федерации, это было в 2008 году, мы начали работу по развитию собственной фармацевтической промышленности. В 2008 году начали об этом говорить, начали создавать определённые программы. В 2009 году эти программы были сформулированы. Они по-разному назывались, но суть одна и та же: развитие собственной фармацевтической промышленности. Сейчас уже не помню, сколько тогда мы наметили денег, сколько вкладывали, но сама фарма развилась в основном при поддержке и при помощи государства – при помощи, как правило, федерального бюджета. Сегодня наши фармацевтические компании – в последний период времени – начали вкладывать в развитие собственные ресурсы, и это достаточно большие вложения, исчисляющиеся десятками миллиардов рублей, 40 миллиардов, что ли, вложили. Свои программы развития существуют, начали создавать на основе собственных молекул собственные препараты, начали создавать собственные субстанции, чего у нас раньше не было. Мы начали производить сложные лекарства, в том числе для борьбы с онкологическими заболеваниями. В Питере очень хорошо развивается. По инсулину тоже. Что касается тест-полосок и так далее – ну, это просто, знаете, сбои, недоработки в деятельности соответствующих ведомств и на местах. Деньги в целом на все эти препараты выделяются в полном объёме. Это вопрос организации торгов и своевременного принятия решений. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: The question is extremely important — just as is the supply of specialists, of doctors. Pharma is a most important direction of our activity. You know, back when I was working as Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, this was in 2008, we began work on developing our own pharmaceutical industry. In 2008 we began to speak of this, began to create certain programs. In 2009 these programs were formulated. They were called different things, but the essence is one and the same: the development of our own pharmaceutical industry. I no longer remember now how much money we earmarked then, how much we invested, but pharma itself developed mainly with the support and with the help of the state — with the help, as a rule, of the federal budget. Today our pharmaceutical companies — in the most recent period — have begun to invest their own resources in development, and these are fairly large investments, reckoned in the tens of billions of rubles; they invested 40 billion, or something like that. Their own development programs exist; they have begun to create their own preparations on the basis of their own molecules, have begun to create their own substances, which we did not have before. We have begun to produce complex medicines, including for the fight against oncological diseases. In St. Petersburg it is developing very well. On insulin too. As for test strips and so on — well, that is simply, you know, failures, shortcomings in the work of the corresponding agencies and at the local level. Money on the whole for all these preparations is allocated in full. This is a question of organizing the tenders and of taking decisions in time. |
| Российской Федерации: нужно вовремя всё делать и правильно ориентироваться в том, каковы потребности рынка, как они складываются. У нас программа развития фармы существует, она сейчас включена в проект технологического лидерства. Там существует отдельное направление этой работы и по препаратам. Что касается жизненно важных и необходимых лекарств, то к 2030 году мы должны выйти на 90 процентов обеспечения собственными препаратами, а по медицинским изделиям – на 40 процентов. В целом эта работа двигается, и двигается хорошим темпом. Но, наверное, работа огромная и есть эти сбои, – тоже дайте, пожалуйста, [данные], – мы обязательно посмотрим, то есть не наверное, а точно они есть. Вы сказали про инсулин: инсулина у нас в целом достаточно всегда было. Физраствор – это вообще ерунда. Но я знаю – стараюсь следить, разумеется, за этим: что касается этих физрастворов, то там дело не в физрастворах, а в упаковках. Там просто своевременно два ведомства – Министерство промышленности и торговли и Минздрав – не приняли решение по ценам на эту упаковку. Для производителей стоимость, которая предлагалась, стала убыточной – дошли до того, что начали закупать эту упаковку за границей. На сегодняшний день все решения приняты, очень надеюсь на то, что этих сбоев не будет. По этому конкретному случаю посмотрим, конечно. Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Российской Федерации: everything must be done on time, and there must be a proper understanding of what the market needs and how those needs develop. We have a pharmaceutical development program; it is now included in the technological leadership project. There is a separate area of this work devoted to medicines as well. As for vital and essential medicines, by 2030 we must reach 90 percent self-sufficiency in domestically produced medicines, and 40 percent for medical devices. Overall, this work is moving forward, and at a good pace. But the work is probably enormous, and these disruptions do occur—please give us [the information] on those too—we will certainly look into it; that is, they are not probable but definitely do exist. You mentioned insulin: overall, we have always had enough insulin. Saline solution is a trivial matter altogether. But I know—I try to keep track of this, of course—that as far as these saline solutions are concerned, the issue is not the solutions but the packaging. Two agencies, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Health Ministry, simply failed to make timely decisions on the prices of this packaging. The price offered became unprofitable for manufacturers—it reached the point where they began buying this packaging abroad. As of today, all decisions have been made, and I very much hope there will be no such disruptions. We will of course look into this particular case. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Zhizhin: Good afternoon, Mr President. Andrei Zhizhin, Yamal-Media. Western countries have imposed over 20,000 sanctions… |
| Д.Кулько: Дмитрий Сергеевич, передаём эстафету. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Dmitry Sergeyevich, we pass the baton. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: It is 40,000, I believe. |
| Д.Песков: Спасибо. Давайте пойдём в зал. Реплика (из зала). Вы знаете, мы так далеко не уедем. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Thank you. Let us go to the audience. Remark (from the audience). You know, we will not get far this way. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Zhizhin: 40,000? |
| В.Путин: Давайте, пожалуйста. Но давайте так всё-таки не будем делать. Сейчас наступит хаос тогда, и мы с ним не справимся. Пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please, go ahead. But let us still not do it that way. Chaos will set in then, and we will not cope with it. Please. |
| К.Аксёнова: Благодарю вас. Простите. Ксения Аксёнова, телеканал «Спас». Задам вопросы, которые объединены фразой человека, которого, как я знаю, Вы очень уважаете и которого любит вся русская церковь. Это духовник нашего Патриарха, старец Илий (Ноздрин). В начале спецоперации он назвал три условия для победы: запретить аборты, запретить матерную брань и похоронить тело Ленина. Три вопроса по этим трём пунктам. Первое – аборты. Наш Патриарх из года в год говорит о выведении абортов из ОМС, потому что это не медицинская процедура, и она не лечит, а только калечит. Лидеры традиционных религий России в этом поддерживают нашего Патриарха. Скажите, будет ли это сделано? Второе – про мат Вы недавно исчерпывающе высказались, что это антимолитва и призывание тёмных сил. Чтобы не повторяться про мат, спрошу конкретно про тёмные силы, ведь Россия сейчас переживает бум эзотерики, оккультизма, гаданий, доступной порнографии, и на экстрасенсов люди сейчас тратят больше денег, чем на врачей. Порносайты сейчас самые посещаемые в нашей стране. Скажите, будут ли какие-то меры для ограничения этих очевидно опасных видов деятельности? Третье – про захоронение тела Ленина. Я сейчас говорю не об оценке его деятельности. Вы её не раз давали, а конкретно о выполнении его воли и его семьи и о том, что всё же забальзамированное тело в Мавзолее – это абсолютно языческий и богопротивный обычай. Скажите, пожалуйста, что же мешает предать тело Ленина земле? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review К.Аксёнова: Thank you. Excuse me. Ksenia Aksyonova, Spas television channel. I will ask questions linked by a statement from a man whom, as I know, you greatly respect and whom the entire Russian Church loves. He is our Patriarch's spiritual father, Elder Iliy (Nozdrin). At the beginning of the special operation, he named three conditions for victory: ban abortions, ban obscene swearing, and bury Lenin's body. Three questions on these three points. First, abortions. Year after year, our Patriarch calls for abortions to be removed from compulsory health insurance coverage, because this is not a medical procedure and it does not heal, but only maims. The leaders of Russia's traditional religions support our Patriarch on this. Please tell us, will this be done? Second, you recently spoke exhaustively about swearing, saying that it is an anti-prayer and an invocation of dark forces. To avoid repeating the subject of swearing, I will ask specifically about dark forces, because Russia is now experiencing a boom in esotericism, occultism, fortune-telling and readily accessible pornography, and people now spend more money on psychics than on doctors. Porn sites are now the most visited websites in our country. Please tell us, will any measures be taken to restrict these obviously dangerous activities? Third, the burial of Lenin's body. I am not now talking about an assessment of his activities—you have given one more than once—but specifically about carrying out his wishes and those of his family, and about the fact that an embalmed body in the Mausoleum is, after all, an absolutely pagan and ungodly custom. Please tell us, what is preventing Lenin's body from being laid to rest in the earth? Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Andrei Zhizhin: They have a particular issue with our progressive development in the Arctic. It has come to the point where they openly declare their goal to destroy and kill the liquefied natural gas production projects in the Arctic. What are they afraid of? Do they have any success with slowing the pace of our development in the Arctic? How are we going to respond? |
| 18 Social and Moral Issues (Abortion, Profanity, Lenin’s Mausoleum) | |
| В.Путин: Вопросы явно не для расширенной пресс-конференции и не для прямой линии. Они все являются чрезвычайно чувствительными и острыми. Что касается абортов, то, конечно, мы здесь должны думать на тему того, чтобы религиозные убеждения не страдали, и мы решали бы вопросы, связанные с демографией. Но в то же время мы должны подумать об уровне благосостояния российских семей с детьми, об их будущем и о праве женщины принимать какие-то решения. Это тонкий вопрос, который в ходе пресс-конференции не решается, так же как порносайты и так далее. Видите, кто-то недоволен тем, что замедляется Youtube. Вы говорите, «в нашей стране». Порносайты смотрят, по-моему, во всём мире. Сначала порносайты, а потом вроде как и котлету заказать, понимаете? Во всём мире. Это же не только наша беда, это беда и многих других стран. Ответ может быть какой? Вообще, любые запреты имеют право на существование, но нужно всегда предложить альтернативу, более интересную, чем порносайт. Так, чтобы человек залез бы туда, открыл порносайт и сказал бы: я это уже видел, мне хочется посмотреть, что-то другое. Чтобы захватывало человека. (Смех в зале.) То же самое касается захоронения тела Ленина. Когда-то, наверное, общество к этому подойдёт. Но сегодня, особенно сегодня, в России мы не должны предпринимать ни одного шага, который бы раскалывал наше общество. Вот я из этого исхожу. В целом Илий, конечно, прав. Я его люблю и слушаю всегда, что он говорит. Я знаю, он мне об этом говорил. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: These questions are plainly not for an expanded press conference and not for a direct line. They are all extremely sensitive and sharp. As for abortions, of course we must think here about religious convictions not suffering, and we would resolve the questions connected with demography. But at the same time we must think about the level of well-being of Russian families with children, about their future, and about a woman's right to take certain decisions. This is a delicate question, which is not resolved in the course of a press conference, just like pornographic sites and so on. You see, someone is displeased that YouTube is being slowed down. You say "in our country." Pornographic sites are watched, in my view, all over the world. First pornographic sites, and then, as it were, ordering a cutlet too, do you understand? All over the world. This is not only our misfortune; it is the misfortune of many other countries too. What can the answer be? In general any bans have a right to exist, but one must always offer an alternative more interesting than a pornographic site. So that a person would go in there, open a pornographic site, and say: I have already seen this, I want to look at something else. So that it would grip a person. (Laughter in the hall.) The same concerns the burial of Lenin's body. Someday, probably, society will come to this. But today, especially today, in Russia we must not take a single step that would split our society. That is what I proceed from. On the whole Iliy is of course right. I love him and always listen to what he says. I know; he has spoken to me about this. |
| Д.Песков: Можно, в тот сектор пойдём? Владимир Владимирович, там Колесников есть, который забыт мной. Если можно. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: May we go to that section? Vladimir Vladimirovich, Kolesnikov is there, the one forgotten by me. If that is possible. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Maslak: Thank you. I am a staff correspondent for the Russian Service of China state television in Moscow. We work here in Russia, and I am a Russian citizen, although I am considered a foreign journalist. If I may, I will start with a question from China state television, from CGTN, because thanks to them I got here, and we have been working here for the second year already. First question. Today’s programme is called “Results of the Year,” and throughout the year you have been saying that Chinese peace initiatives are among the most – I cannot remember the exact wording – but you have said that they were more realistic than all the others proposed by the mediator countries. We have all heard and remember that the West has exhausted its trust limit, and Russia has been deceived by European leaders, as they themselves admitted. But if we talk about specifics, Mr Trump and his assistant Keith Kellogg say that it is possible to end the war even before the inauguration on January 20. We are not talking about any country joining NATO… But is it possible to cease fire in one minute? Is Russia ready to at least take this simple step if European and American partners manage to convince Kiev? The entire world is really tired with the Ukraine crisis, and I think people in Russia now want peace, too. This is a simple step: nobody risks anything if everything just stops where it is. If promises are not kept or broken, it may continue. No one will lose anything if it just stops at some point And my second question, since this is a mixed-format event. I live in Korolev and would like to draw your attention to the largest science town in Russia, because in fact we, the residents of Korolev, have many questions. Currently, a National Space Centre is being built at the Khrunichev centre, and many residents of Korolev, and we are talking about a quarter of a million, residents of the Moscow Region are perplexed: are we still the historical space capital, where Korolev and leading designers worked, or not? For example, perhaps we need a special economic zone on the territory of the integrated house-building factory, which they are trying to divide now; because the city needs a boost, it needs to regain its title as the country’s historical space capital, because Energia RSC continues to work there, among other things. This calls for building a third entrance to the city. Everyone is asking for it, because people spend up to four hours in traffic jams. When this event is over, we will drive all the way up there to be stuck in that notorious traffic jam for three and a half hours. We need a flyover. We have a little problem with democracy in the city. Sorry, these are pressing issues. You have combined two roles: a citizen and a journalist. |
| В.Путин: Пожалуйста, Андрей. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Please, Andrei. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Maslak: A direct line and a news conference. |
| А.Колесников: Добрый день! Андрей Колесников, газета «Коммерсант». |
Full house translation — pending review А.Колесников: Good afternoon! Andrei Kolesnikov, the newspaper Kommersant. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Since you are already here. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Dmitry Maslak: In fact, yes. A third entrance to Korolev. You have used this flyover personally. A third entrance is necessary, because we are stuck, we cannot waste time in these traffic jams. I believe the entire city is applauding now, because if you can solve this problem, it would make us very happy. Thank you very much. Colleagues, I apologise. |
| В.Путин: Добрый день! |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Good afternoon! |
| А.Колесников: Владимир Владимирович, прошли почти три года войны, все мы очень изменились за это время. Война всех изменила, каждого. А что изменилось в Вас, что-то Вы поняли про себя? И вот ещё один вопрос. Если Дмитрий Сергеевич не против, просто никто не спрашивает, уже не спросит, а любопытно. Некоторое время назад, как известно, Президент США Джо Байден помиловал своего сына Хантера, который был осуждён за ложные показания при покупке оружия. Все высказались, на этот счёт было большое оживление, Вы как-то промолчали. Может, я не знаю, Вам нечего по этому поводу сказать. Как Вам такое вообще? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Колесников: Vladimir Vladimirovich, almost three years of war have passed; all of us have changed a great deal in that time. The war has changed everyone, each person. And what has changed in you; have you understood something about yourself? And here is one more question. If Dmitry Sergeyevich does not mind — simply no one asks, and now no one will ask, but it is interesting. Some time ago, as is known, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, pardoned his son Hunter, who had been convicted of false statements when buying a weapon. Everyone spoke out; there was a great stir about this, and you somehow kept silent. Perhaps, I do not know, you have nothing to say on the subject. What do you make of this in general? Thank you. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: We have been on the air for over four hours now. Let’s wrap it up. |
| В.Путин: Иногда говорят: молчание – золото. Лучше промолчать. Спасибо Вам за этот вопрос, кстати говоря. Что касается того, что Байден помиловал своего сына, хотя обещал этого не делать, – такая тонкая вещь. В истории нашей страны есть и другие примеры. Всем хорошо известна картина «Иван Грозный и сын его Иван» – легенда это или нет, как легенда или нет то, что произошло с сыном Петра I, с Алексеем; или со Сталиным – это не легенда, когда Сталин отказался от предложения поменять его сына Якова, находившегося в плену, на фельдмаршала Паулюса, сказал: я солдата на маршала не меняю. Вы понимаете, это решение человека, но тогда ведь и ситуация была какая? У нас даже сдача в плен считалась предательством. Почему? Можно говорить что угодно по этому поводу. Тогда страна стояла не перед возможным поражением, а перед возможным тотальным уничтожением не только страны, но и всего нашего народа. Тогда речь шла о выживании этноса, нации. Меры борьбы за победу были жёсткими, если не жестокими. Учитывая этот настрой в обществе, который, видимо, поддерживался главой государства, Сталиным, и не дал ему возможности спасти своего сына. Он сказал то, что сказал, и сделал то, что сделал. Как известно, его сына казнили в лагере, а Паулюса «использовали» на Нюрнбергском процессе. Когда он вошёл в зал, все ахнули – никто не ожидал его там увидеть. Но что касается Байдена, то знаете, он политик, и всегда важно, что в тебе больше: политика или человека. Оказалось, что в Байдене больше человека. Я бы не осуждал его за это. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Sometimes people say: silence is golden. Better to keep silent. Thank you, by the way, for this question. As for Biden having pardoned his son, although he had promised not to do so — that is a delicate thing. In the history of our country there are other examples too. Everyone knows well the painting Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan — whether that is a legend or not, just as it is a legend or not what happened to the son of Peter I, to Alexei; or with Stalin — that is not a legend, when Stalin refused the proposal to exchange his son Yakov, who was in captivity, for Field Marshal Paulus, and said: I do not exchange a soldier for a marshal. You understand, this is a person's decision, but what was the situation then, after all? With us even surrender into captivity was considered treason. Why? One can say whatever one likes about this. Then the country stood not before a possible defeat, but before the possible total destruction not only of the country but of our whole people. Then it was a matter of the survival of the ethnos, of the nation. The measures of the struggle for victory were harsh, if not cruel. Taking into account this mood in society, which was apparently supported by the head of state, Stalin, it did not give him the possibility of saving his son. He said what he said, and he did what he did. As is known, his son was executed in the camp, and Paulus was "used" at the Nuremberg trial. When he entered the hall, everyone gasped — no one expected to see him there. But as for Biden, you know, he is a politician, and it always matters what there is more of in you: the politician or the person. It turned out that in Biden there is more of the person. I would not condemn him for this. |
| А.Суворова: Там была первая часть вопроса у Андрея Колесникова по поводу трёх лет спецоперации и продолжения боевых действий. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: There was the first part of Andrei Kolesnikov's question concerning three years of the special operation and the continuation of hostilities. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: They promised to attack. |
| В.Путин: Что менялось? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: What was changing? |
| А.Колесников: Как Вы изменились за последние три года? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Колесников: How have you changed over the last three years? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Steven Rosenberg: BBC News. Exactly 25 years ago, Boris Yeltsin resigned, transferred power to you, and said, “Take care of Russia.” After 25 years, do you believe you have taken care of Russia? Because looking from the outside, what do we see? We see substantial losses in the so-called special military operation that you declared; and we see Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk Region. You criticise NATO expansion, but there is more NATO now on Russia’s borders: Sweden and Finland. There are sanctions, high inflation, and demographic problems. But what do you think? Have you taken care of your country? |
| 19 Personal Reflection on the War and Leadership | |
| В.Путин: Вы знаете, мы все меняемся, меняемся каждый день, каждый час. Я думаю, что и все присутствующие в зале, и те, кто нас слушает и видит, тоже меняются. Такая жизнь: всё течет, всё меняется. Но эти три года, два с лишним, они конечно, были серьёзным испытанием для всех нас, для всей страны и для меня. Вы знаете, я Вам скажу откровенно: мы сейчас и шутим здесь, и смех в зале раздаётся, а я стал меньше шутить и почти перестал смеяться. Ну и есть ещё одно обстоятельство: я, конечно, стал совершенствовать, как я думаю, имеющиеся у меня навыки – хотя бы так их назовём – в поиске ключевых вопросов и в возможностях сосредоточить внимание и силы на их решении. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: You know, we all change, we change every day, every hour. I think that everyone present in the hall, and those who are listening to us and watching us, are changing too. Such is life: everything flows, everything changes. But these three years, two and a bit more, were of course a serious trial for all of us, for the whole country, and for me. I will tell you frankly: we are joking here now, and laughter is heard in the hall, but I have come to joke less and have almost stopped laughing. And there is one more circumstance: I have of course begun to improve, as I think, the skills I have — let us call them that, at least — in searching out the key questions and in the ability to concentrate attention and strength on resolving them. |
| Д.Песков: Продолжаем. Давайте в диаметрально противоположный сектор пойдём. Я вижу РБК. РБК, пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Let us continue. Let us go to the diametrically opposite section. I see RBC. RBC, please. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Mr President, there are numerous questions from Russians, including some of a personal nature. Time is short, so I suggest we proceed in a rapid-fire manner. |
| П.Химшиашвили: Добрый день! Полина Химшиашвили, РБК. Буквально в продолжение прозвучавшего вопроса. Вы сказали, что стали меньше смеяться, улыбаться. Если бы можно было вернуться в февраль 2022 года, не изменили ли бы Вы своё решение? |
Full house translation — pending review П.Химшиашвили: Good afternoon! Polina Khimshiashvili, RBC. Literally in continuation of the question that was asked. You said that you have begun to laugh less, to smile less. If it were possible to return to February 2022, would you not have changed your decision? |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Peskov: We have already been at it for four and a half hours. |
| В.Путин: Такой гипотетический вопрос: «Если бы можно вернуться…» Вы знаете, если бы можно было посмотреть на ситуацию в 2022 году, зная то, что сейчас происходит, о чём бы я подумал? О том, что такое решение, которое было принято в начале 2022 года, нужно было бы принимать раньше. Это первое. И второе. Зная об этом, нужно было просто начать готовиться к этим мероприятиям, в том числе и к СВО. Ведь и крымские события, они просто были спонтанными, и события 2022 года мы тоже начали без всякой особой подготовки к ним. Но почему мы начали? А потому что дальше уже невозможно было стоять на месте и терпеть, и ждать, пока ситуация для нас ухудшится. Вот в чём всё дело. Ведь киевские власти объявили о том, что они не будут исполнять Минских соглашений. Прямо об этом сказали, заявили свои претензии на какое-то оружие массового уничтожения. Мы увидели, что нас обманули по поводу Минских соглашений, восемь лет продолжается война и бойня, уничтожение людей на Донбассе. Ничего не происходит, отказались от Минских соглашений. И более того, мы увидели, что началось просто военное освоение этих территорий с параллельным уничтожением всего, что связано с Россией. Дальше невозможно было оставаться в том состоянии, в котором мы находились. Вынудили нас к этим действиям. Если бы знать заранее, что произойдёт, надо было бы, конечно, проводить системную серьёзную подготовку. Я бы это и имел в виду. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: A hypothetical question of this kind: "If one could go back…" You know, if one could look at the situation in 2022, knowing what is happening now, what would I have thought about? About the fact that the decision that was taken at the beginning of 2022 ought to have been taken earlier. That is the first point. And the second. Knowing this, one simply had to begin preparing for these measures, including for the SMO. The Crimean events too were simply spontaneous, and we also began the events of 2022 without any particular preparation for them. But why did we begin? Because it was already impossible to stand still any longer and endure, and wait while the situation grew worse for us. That is the whole point. The Kiev authorities announced that they would not carry out the Minsk agreements. They said this outright, and declared their claims to some weapon of mass destruction. We saw that we had been deceived about the Minsk agreements; for eight years a war and a slaughter has gone on, the destruction of people in the Donbass. Nothing happens; they renounced the Minsk agreements. And more than that, we saw that a simple military development of these territories had begun, with the parallel destruction of everything connected with Russia. It was impossible to remain any longer in the state we were in. We were forced into these actions. If one had known in advance what would happen, one would of course have had to carry out serious, systematic preparation. That is what I would have had in mind. |
| Д.Песков: Дорогие друзья, мы уже работаем четыре часа. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Dear friends, we have already been working for four hours. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Do you have a dream? Not one related to governance, but a personal one. What is your dream? |
| В.Путин: Давайте позволим [слово] коллегам. Дайте, пожалуйста, микрофон. | English translation not available for this passage |
| Е.Лазарева: Спасибо, Владимир Владимирович. Здравствуйте! Екатерина Лазарева, агентство URA.RU. Вы сегодня упоминали европейских лидеров и американского лидера нового и действующего упоминали. У меня вопрос вот такой. В 2025 году Россия будет отмечать 80-летие Победы в Великой Отечественной войне, и я знаю, что Вы уже приглашаете лидеров разных стран. В то же время, если мы вспомним, юбилей высадки союзников в Нормандии в этом году отмечался, Франция нас не пригласила. Будут памятные мероприятия в Освенциме в январе 2025 года. Тоже, насколько знаю, нас не приглашают. Отправляли ли Вы приглашение нашим союзникам по антигитлеровской коалиции на юбилей Победы в 2025 году, чтобы они приехали в Москву? Для Вас важно, чтобы лидеры США, Великобритании, может быть, Франции приехали в Москву или хотя бы представители этих стран? Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Е.Лазарева: Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich. Hello! Ekaterina Lazareva, the URA.RU agency. Today you mentioned the European leaders, and you mentioned the new American leader and the one now in office. My question is this. In 2025 Russia will mark the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and I know that you are already inviting the leaders of various countries. At the same time, if we recall, the anniversary of the Allied landing in Normandy was marked this year, and France did not invite us. There will be commemorative events at Auschwitz in January 2025. There too, as far as I know, we are not being invited. Have you sent an invitation to our allies in the anti-Hitler coalition to the anniversary of the Victory in 2025, so that they would come to Moscow? Is it important to you that the leaders of the United States, Britain, and perhaps France come to Moscow, or at least representatives of those countries? Thank you. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: A question from social media. Alexandra Pukhova asks: Are you a happy person? |
| В.Путин: Во-первых, что касается приглашения нас куда бы то ни было. Мы никуда не стремимся. Во-первых, нам дома хорошо. Надо укреплять себя самих, в этом весь смысл нашей работы. Второе. Мы никогда не забудем о тех жертвах, которые были принесены нашим народом на алтарь победы над нацизмом. Самое главное, чтобы мы этого не забывали. А то, что пытаются это забыть в других странах, это естественно для сегодняшних руководителей, потому что для них это линия атаки на Россию в целом – как бы забыть, сдвинуть, не вспоминать. Но это их дело. Мы будем рады видеть всех, кто пожелает к нам приехать для того, чтобы отметить эту знаменательную дату. Я хоть и подписываю какие-то приглашения, но в целом этим занимается Министерство иностранных дел. Моя позиция в том, что мы вообще открыты для всех, кто хочет быть с нами в эти дни в Москве и отмечать эту дату. Мы будем рады всех видеть, в том числе и участников антигитлеровской коалиции, участники которой внесли свой заметный вклад в решение вопроса победы над нацизмом: и Соединённые Штаты, и Великобритания с её северными конвоями. И там тоже были героические люди, мы их любим, уважаем. Ещё, по-моему, ветераны остались в живых. Моряки Великобритании действовали действительно героически, при высадке на севере Франции американцы воевали. Правда, их участие, их потери несопоставимы с потерями советского народа в Великой Отечественной войне. У нас 27 миллионов, а сколько в США? 500 тысяч погибло, в Великобритании и того меньше – 400 тысяч, по-моему, нет, хотя в Первую мировую 1,5 миллиона они потеряли. Поэтому вклад в Победу, конечно, разный, но их участие дорогого стоило хотя бы потому, что они были вместе с нами. Они нас поддерживали по ленд-лизу. Мы, правда, за это заплатили целиком и полностью. Когда я стал Президентом, мы полностью рассчитались даже по ленд-лизу. Американцы с нас и эту денежку сняли, понимаете? Мы полностью отдали, несмотря на то, что столько лет прошло. Мы, тем не менее, ценим вклад союзников в общую борьбу и будем рады видеть всех, кто захочет с нами разделить радость Победы. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: First, as regards invitations to us to go anywhere at all. We are not striving to go anywhere. First, we are fine at home. One must strengthen ourselves; that is the whole sense of our work. Second. We will never forget the sacrifices that were laid by our people on the altar of victory over Nazism. The most important thing is that we not forget this. And that they try to forget this in other countries is natural for today's leaders, because for them this is a line of attack on Russia as a whole — to forget, as it were, to shift it aside, not to recall it. But that is their affair. We will be glad to see everyone who wishes to come to us in order to mark this significant date. Although I sign certain invitations, on the whole the Ministry of Foreign Affairs occupies itself with this. My position is that we are in general open to everyone who wants to be with us in Moscow on these days and to mark this date. We will be glad to see everyone, including the participants in the anti-Hitler coalition, whose participants made their notable contribution to settling the question of victory over Nazism: both the United States, and Great Britain with its northern convoys. And there were heroic people there too; we love them, we respect them. Veterans, I think, are still alive. The sailors of Great Britain acted truly heroically; at the landing in the north of France the Americans fought. True, their participation, their losses, are not comparable with the losses of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. We have 27 million, and how many in the United States? 500 thousand perished, and in Great Britain still fewer — 400 thousand, I think; no, although in the First World War they lost 1.5 million. So the contribution to the Victory is, of course, different, but their participation was worth a great deal if only because they were together with us. They supported us under Lend-Lease. True, we paid for this wholly and in full. When I became President, we settled even for Lend-Lease in full. The Americans took this money from us too, do you understand? We paid it back in full, despite so many years having passed. We nevertheless value the allies' contribution to the common struggle and will be glad to see everyone who wants to share with us the joy of Victory. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, у нас ещё много вопросов, в том числе и личных. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, we still have many questions, including personal ones. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: There's a question from St. Petersburg: Why do various foreigners insult you, and yet you remain silent? |
| В.Путин: Давайте мы в зале спросим ещё. Ямал, что там по Ямалу? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Let us ask the hall as well. Yamal, what is the situation there with Yamal? |
| А.Жижин: Владимир Владимирович, здравствуйте! «Ямал-меда», Жижин Андрей. Западные страны ввели более 20 тысяч различных санкций… |
Full house translation — pending review А.Жижин: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! Yamal-Media, Andrey Zhizhin. Western countries have introduced more than 20 thousand different sanctions… |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: An SMS from the Stavropol Region: Are there any duties you despise? |
| В.Путин: 40 уже, по-моему. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: 40 already, in my view. |
| А.Жижин: 40? | English translation not available for this passage |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified |
Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: A question from the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Whose portrait is hanging in your office? |
| В.Путин: Я, честно говоря, не считаю. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Frankly speaking, I do not think so. |
| А.Жижин: Особенно им не даёт покоя наше поступательное развитие в Арктике. Дошло до того, что они открыто заявляют, что их цель – уничтожить, убить СПГ-проекты в Арктике – производство сжиженного природного газа. Чего они так боятся, как Вы считаете? Удаётся ли им как-то повлиять на темпы нашего развития в Арктике? Как будем отвечать? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Жижин: What especially gives them no peace is our steady advance in the Arctic. It has reached the point that they openly declare their goal is to destroy, to kill LNG projects in the Arctic — the production of liquefied natural gas. What are they so afraid of, in your view? Are they succeeding in any way in affecting the pace of our development in the Arctic? How shall we respond? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Dmitry Kulko: Another text message from Moscow. |
| В.Путин: Чего боятся? Конкуренции боятся. Используют средства политической борьбы для недобросовестной конкуренции. Известная компания «НОВАТЭК». Она не является лидером, в других странах, в том числе в Штатах, производится этого СПГ больше, но мы растём. Стараются помешать нам расти. Это средства недобросовестные, средства сдерживания конкуренции, абсолютно. Это плохо в конце концов и для них, потому что, если они такими способами будут бороться с конкуренцией, а не экономическими способами, то они сами когда-нибудь утратят конкурентоспособность. Да, это не будет завтра, но когда-нибудь это произойдёт, если это будет продолжаться. Мешают они нам или нет? Мешают. Создают проблемы? Создают. Смогут они всё это закрыть, убить нас окончательно? Нет, не смогут. Они нанесут нам какой-то ущерб и вред, но, безусловно, из этой ситуации, так же как и из других ситуаций при поставках энергоносителей, выйдем. Тем более что потребности в энергоносителях с точки зрения развития мировой экономики всё равно продолжаются. Эта потребность растёт, она будет расти (это не наши данные, это данные мировых экономических институтов), просто этот продукт будет востребован на мировых рынках. Мы будем продолжать это делать и будем увеличивать нашу долю на мировых рынках СПГ. Кстати говоря, и по трубопоставкам, [поставкам] трубного газа тоже. Украина отказалась от продления транзитного контракта. Это же не мы отказались, это Украина отказывается. Украина отказалась от продления контракта, хотя получала от нас где-то 700–800 миллионов долларов по году за контракт. Сейчас возникают вопросы, что с этим делать. Но это не наша проблема, это Украина перекрыла поставки нашего газа европейским потребителям. С одной стороны, «клюёт у них с руки», потому что только при поддержке со стороны Запада, в том числе и из Европы, она может существовать, не только воевать, существовать, и в то же время создаёт им проблемы, перекрывая поставки нашего относительно дешёвого газа в Европу. Этого контракта не будет, уже всё ясно. Хорошо, мы переживём, «Газпром» это переживёт. Кстати говоря, знаете, что совсем недавно мне наши спецслужбы доложили о том, что в Словакии, по-моему, задержаны диверсанты, причём это ясно, что украинские диверсанты, с картами расположения объектов газовой энергетики в Словакии. Мне только буквально вчера-позавчера об этом доложили, я попрошу по партнёрским каналам, связи сохраняются, чтобы запросили у своих коллег наши спецслужбы, что же это всё-таки такое? Видите, мало того, что у нас теракты совершают, теперь и в европейские страны. Повторяю ещё раз: кормятся с руки, клюют с руки и уже перешли к попыткам проведения терактов на территории Европы. Но это их выбор. Наш [выбор] – развитие сотрудничества, и мы будем добиваться своих целей. «Космос», давайте. И Би-би-си, я вижу. Сейчас вы получите возможность на нас напасть. Давайте. Мы только защищаемся. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: What are they afraid of? They are afraid of competition. They use the means of political struggle for unfair competition. The well-known company Novatek. It is not the leader; in other countries, including in the States, more of this LNG is produced, but we are growing. They try to hinder us from growing. These are unfair means, means of restraining competition, absolutely. This is bad in the end for them too, because if they fight competition by such methods, and not by economic methods, then they themselves will someday lose competitiveness. Yes, this will not be tomorrow, but someday it will happen if this continues. Do they hinder us or not? They hinder us. Do they create problems? They create them. Will they be able to close all this off, to kill us finally? No, they will not. They will inflict some damage and harm on us, but we will without doubt come out of this situation, just as out of other situations in the supply of energy carriers. All the more so since the need for energy carriers from the point of view of the development of the world economy continues all the same. This need is growing; it will grow (these are not our data; these are the data of world economic institutions); this product will simply be in demand on the world markets. We will continue to do this and will increase our share on the world LNG markets. By the way, on pipeline supplies, [supplies] of pipeline gas too. Ukraine refused to extend the transit contract. It was not we who refused; it is Ukraine that is refusing. Ukraine refused to extend the contract, although it received from us somewhere around 700–800 million dollars a year under the contract. Questions are now arising about what to do with this. But this is not our problem; it is Ukraine that has cut off supplies of our gas to European consumers. On the one hand, it "pecks from their hand," because only with support from the West, including from Europe, can it exist, not only fight, exist, and at the same time it creates problems for them by cutting off supplies of our relatively cheap gas to Europe. This contract will not exist; everything is already clear. Fine, we will survive; Gazprom will survive this. By the way, do you know that quite recently our special services reported to me that in Slovakia, I think, saboteurs have been detained, and it is clear that these are Ukrainian saboteurs, with maps of the location of gas-energy facilities in Slovakia. They reported this to me only literally yesterday or the day before, and I will ask, through partner channels — the ties are preserved — that our special services inquire of their colleagues what this is all the same. You see, it is not enough that they commit terrorist acts against us; now in European countries too. I repeat once more: they feed from the hand, they peck from the hand, and they have already moved on to attempts to carry out terrorist acts on the territory of Europe. But that is their choice. Our [choice] is the development of cooperation, and we will achieve our aims. Kosmos, go ahead. And the BBC, I see. Now you will get the possibility of attacking us. Go ahead. We are only defending ourselves. |
| Д.Маслак: Спасибо. Я собственный корреспондент Русской службы государственного телевидения Китая в Москве. Мы работаем здесь, в России, я гражданин России, хотя считаюсь иностранным журналистом. Можно начну всё-таки с вопроса от гостелевидения Китая, от CGTN, потому что благодаря им я сюда попал, второй год уже работаем здесь. Вопрос один. «Итоги года» программа сегодня называется, и Вы в течение года говорили о том, что китайские мирные инициативы, они одни из самых – не помню точную формулировку, – но Вы говорили, что они более реальные, чем все остальные, которые предлагают страны-посредники. Мы все помним и слышали заявления о том, что Запад исчерпал лимит доверия, Россия была обманута европейскими лидерами, они сами это признавали. Но если говорить по конкретике: господин Трамп, его помощник Кит Келлог говорят о том, что можно закончить войну даже до инаугурации, 20 января. Мы не говорим про вступление или невступление в НАТО той или иной страны… Просто остановить огонь в одну минуту времени – такое возможно? Готова ли Россия пойти хотя бы на такой простой шаг, если европейским партнёрам, американским партнёрам удастся уговорить Киев? Потому что действительно все, весь мир устал от украинского кризиса, и люди в России тоже, мне кажется, уже хотят мира. Такой простой шаг: никто ничем не рискует, просто в один момент остановиться там, где есть. Если кто-то не выполнит обещания, не сдержит обещания, то, в принципе, всё может и продолжиться. Никто ничего не теряет, просто «стоп» в какой-то один момент. И второй вопрос сразу, так как это всё-таки совмещённый формат. Я живу в Королёве и хотел бы Вас попросить обратить внимание на самый большой наукоград в России, потому что у нас, у жителей Королёва, честно говоря, много вопросов. Сейчас в центре Хруничева строится Национальный космический центр, многие жители Королёва, а это четверть миллиона людей, жителей Московской области, пока недоумевают: остаёмся мы космической столицей исторически, где работал Королёв, ведущие конструкторы, или всё-таки нет? Нам нужна в городе, например, на территории домостроительного комбината – сейчас пытаются делить эту территорию – может быть, особая экономическая зона, потому что городу нужен какой-то импульс, нужно вернуть Королёву звание исторической космической столицы страны, потому что продолжает работать и РКК «Энергия» и так далее. Для этого как раз нужен третий въезд в город – все очень просят, потому что пробки по четыре часа. Мы сейчас здесь закончим и поедем стоять в этой прекрасной пресловутой пробке три с половиной часа. Нужна эстакада. У нас немножко проблемы с демократией в городе. Простите, накипело. Вы два амплуа сразу объединили: и гражданина, и журналиста. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Маслак: Thank you. I am a correspondent of my own for the Russian service of China's state television in Moscow. We work here, in Russia; I am a citizen of Russia, although I am considered a foreign journalist. May I begin all the same with a question from China's state television, from CGTN, because it is thanks to them that I got here; we have already been working here for the second year. One question. Today's program is called "Results of the Year," and in the course of the year you said that the Chinese peace initiatives are among the most — I do not remember the exact formulation — but you said that they are more realistic than all the others that the mediator countries propose. We all remember and have heard the statements that the West has exhausted its limit of trust, that Russia was deceived by the European leaders, and they themselves admitted this. But if one speaks of the specifics: Mr. Trump and his aide Keith Kellogg say that the war can be ended even before the inauguration, on 20 January. We are not speaking of this or that country's joining or not joining NATO… Simply to stop the fire in one minute of time — is such a thing possible? Is Russia ready to take at least such a simple step if the European partners, the American partners, succeed in persuading Kiev? Because really everyone, the whole world, is tired of the Ukrainian crisis, and people in Russia too, it seems to me, already want peace. Such a simple step: no one risks anything; simply stop at one moment where things stand. If someone does not fulfill the promise, does not keep the promise, then in principle everything can continue too. No one loses anything; simply "stop" at some one moment. And a second question at once, since this is all the same a combined format. I live in Korolev and would like to ask you to pay attention to the largest science city in Russia, because we, the residents of Korolev, honestly speaking, have many questions. The National Space Center is now being built at the Khrunichev Center; many residents of Korolev — and this is a quarter of a million people, residents of Moscow Oblast — are so far puzzled: do we remain the space capital historically, where Korolev worked, the leading designers, or not after all? We need in the city, for example, on the territory of the house-building combine — they are now trying to divide this territory — perhaps a special economic zone, because the city needs some impulse; Korolev needs to be given back the title of the country's historic space capital, because RSC Energia continues to work, and so on. For this a third entrance into the city is precisely what is needed — everyone is asking very much, because the traffic jams last four hours. We will finish here now and go stand in this splendid notorious jam for three and a half hours. An overpass is needed. We have a few problems with democracy in the city. Forgive me; it has boiled over. You combined two roles at once: both a citizen and a journalist. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: A question from Tatyana Kostyuchenko. What is Russia for you? This is a complex issue. You see the map opposite us. Russia, like any other country, is first of all a vast territory. But it is not just the territory – it is history, culture, our customs and traditions. This all is Russia. And in any case, the most important component is the people. You know what I sometimes find myself doing lately? When I watch something – I rarely watch television, I do not have time, I almost never go online – I always note our achievements, the successes of our people. I recently watched the World Swimming Championships. The swimmers – strong torsos, healthy, confident, world champions, beautiful women. I look at the boys and girls who achieve success at international [student] Olympiads. I look at our young scientists with whom I recently met. Honestly, I look at them and I feel happy and proud, as I would have felt at the success of my family members. Without any exaggeration, I look at them, and I am happy and proud as if they |
| Д.Маслак: И прямая линия, и пресс-конференция. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Маслак: Both the direct line and the press conference. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Mr President, millions of viewers have been watching us for more than four and a half hours. We have answered numerous questions, and it is clear that there will be many more. In conclusion, what else would you like to say to the nation? |
| А.Суворова: Раз пришёл. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Since you have come. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I just said that I view Russia as my family. We are holding this conference ahead of the best time of the year, a season of joy – the New Year and Christmas. I speak to many representatives of different religions, and they all say that they celebrate Christmas, just as our neighbours celebrate Eid al-Adha, Passover, and so on. When I meet with clergy, I often ask them: what do your people share with you at the everyday level, what do they most often talk about, what do they regret? I do not expect them to break the Seal of Confession, of course, but do you want to know what they answer? What is the most common regret? Giving too little attention to their children. The New Year’s is a family holiday, and Christmas even more so, so I would like to wish you to spend more time with your loved ones. And I want to wish you all every success, happiness and prosperity. |
| Д.Маслак: В общем, да. Третий въезд в Королёв. Вы даже ездили по этой эстакаде сами лично. Нужен третий въезд в Королёв, потому что всё, мы тонем, мы не можем стоять в этих пробках. Я думаю, сейчас весь Королёв хлопает, аплодирует, потому что, если Вы это сможете решить, мы будем очень счастливы. Спасибо огромное. Коллеги, извините. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Маслак: In general, yes. A third entrance into Korolev. You even drove along this overpass yourself, in person. A third entrance into Korolev is needed, because that is it, we are drowning, we cannot stand in these traffic jams. I think all of Korolev is clapping and applauding now, because if you can resolve this we will be very happy. Thank you enormously. Colleagues, excuse me. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Alexandra Suvorova: Thank you very much. |
| Matching Russian passage has not been identified | Dmitry Kulko: Thank you. |
| 20 The Need for a Lasting Peace, Not a Short Truce | |
| В.Путин: Ваш работодатель Вас не похвалит за вторую часть Вашего вопроса – он Вас не для этого сюда присылал, но Вы правильно поняли мой посыл: о доме надо думать. Это совершенно верно. Обсуждался вопрос о въезде в Королёв. Знаю по прежним нашим разговорам по поводу развития Королёва именно как космической столицы. В Москве уже строится очередной центр, очень важный центр с точки зрения развития космической отрасли, но Королёв – это известный, признанный центр. Сейчас не буду вдаваться в детали, но Королёв как наукоград, безусловно, заслуживает должного внимания. Обязательно с коллегами поговорю и в Московской области, и с теми, кто занимается авиацией и космосом. Там есть разные планы. Идея создания особой экономической зоны имеет под собой определённые основания. Сейчас тоже не буду говорить окончательного решения, но совершенно точно над этим можно и нужно подумать, вообще, подумать на тему о том, как использовать потенциал Королёва. Здесь Вы правы абсолютно. Это первое. Второе, что касается мирных инициатив Китайской Народной Республики, Бразилии, Южно-Африканской Республики. Почему мы обратили на это внимание? Потому что это искренняя попытка поиска решения. На наш взгляд, эта попытка является сбалансированной и ничего не навязывающей ни одной из сторон: ни Украине, ни России. Поэтому это и делается нейтральными странами, которые не вмешиваются в конфликт, как, например, делают это западные государства, которые фактически воюют с нами руками украинцев. Поэтому то, что они предлагают, – конечно, надо сто раз подумать, потому что это фактически воюющая сторона. Можно ли остановить прямо сейчас нам боевые действия? Понимаете, в чём дело? Я же говорил об этом, что происходит: происходит истощение боевой техники, снаряжения, амуниции, боеприпасов и, что самое главное, личного состава со стороны украинских вооружённых сил – истощение. Что реально на поле боя мы видим сегодня? Наша армия идёт вперёд, противник не может закрепиться на тех позициях, на которые он отошёл в данный день, в данную минуту времени. Он отошёл организованно, но закрепиться там не может – наши ребята завтра опять идут, и так дальше, и дальше, и дальше. Стоит остановиться на неделю – это значит дать противнику возможность закрепиться на этих позициях, дать возможность передохнуть и получить необходимое оборудование, боеприпасы. Что очень важно с точки зрения подготовки личного состава – это даст возможность… Не так, как сегодня: они людей набирают с улиц, как я уже говорил на [коллегии] Минобороны, как бродячих собак хватают. Но собак бродячих хотя бы привозят в гостиницы для бродячих животных, а потом стараются их раздать по семьям, а здесь просто под пули бросают. Нет времени на подготовку, и наши ребята фиксируют это на поле боя: подготовка совсем не та – это не советская школа подготовки военнослужащих, это другая история. Даже те, кто проходит подготовку в западных странах, не тянут по сравнению с советской школой, потому что сами те, кто готовит, никогда не воевали, они сами ничего не умеют. Чему они учат? Итак, длительный период относительного перемирия даст возможность противнику заняться и этим – подготовкой и переподготовкой, укреплением личного состава. В некоторых батальонах украинской армии 35 процентов личного состава, 40. Батальон есть, а личного состава внутри нет. Вы хотите дать им возможность переукомплектоваться? Нам нужно не перемирие – нам нужен мир: долгосрочный, прочный, обеспеченный гарантиями для Российской Федерации и её граждан. Это сложный вопрос, как обеспечить эти гарантии, но в целом можно поискать. Что касается краткосрочного перемирия: с этим предложением обратился ко мне Премьер-министр Венгрии господин Орбан. Он мне так и сказал – я думаю, что Виктор не будет на меня сердиться, если я раскрою хотя бы часть нашего разговора, – он говорит: чего вам это стоит, на день, на два, это же рождественское перемирие – ничего противник за эти два-три дня сделать не сможет. Я сказал: да, наверное, это так, но Вы сначала поговорите с украинской стороной. Мы минимум три раза соглашались на мероприятия подобного рода и по судоходству в Чёрном море, и по энергетической инфраструктуре, и так далее. Эрдоган мне предлагал, спросите у вашего Президента. Так и было, он мне как посредник предлагал. Я говорю: я должен подумать. Потом на следующий день, через день звонил, говорил: согласны. Вдруг – раз, глава украинского режима объявляет: никаких переговоров, никакого перемирия. Потом я звоню Эрдогану, говорю: ну и чего? Он говорит: вот такие у нас партнёры. Я говорю: ну ладно. Теперь я Орбана спросил. Он предложил и рождественское перемирие, он предложил и обмен пленными. Я не отказался ни от чего, я сказал: в принципе, надо подумать, вы у них спросите. Он спросил. На следующий день глава [киевского] режима заявил, что никакого перемирия, никакого обмена пленными не будет. Вот это ответ на Ваш вопрос. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Your employer will not praise you for the second part of your question — he did not send you here for this, but you understood my message correctly: one must think about one's own house. That is entirely right. The question of entry into Korolev was discussed. I know from our earlier conversations about the development of Korolev precisely as the space capital. In Moscow another center is already being built, a very important center from the point of view of the development of the space branch, but Korolev is a known, recognized center. I will not go into the details now, but Korolev as a science city without doubt deserves due attention. I will certainly talk with colleagues both in Moscow Oblast and with those who are occupied with aviation and space. There are various plans there. The idea of creating a special economic zone has definite grounds under it. I will not state a final decision now either, but one can and must think about this with complete certainty, in general think about the theme of how to use Korolev's potential. Here you are absolutely right. That is the first thing. The second, as regards the peace initiatives of the People's Republic of China, Brazil, and the Republic of South Africa. Why did we pay attention to this? Because this is a sincere attempt to seek a solution. In our view this attempt is balanced and imposes nothing on either side: neither on Ukraine nor on Russia. That is why this is being done by neutral countries that do not interfere in the conflict, as, for example, the Western states do, which are in effect fighting us by the hands of Ukrainians. So what they propose — of course one must think a hundred times, because this is in effect a belligerent side. Can we stop combat operations right now? You understand what the point is? I did speak of what is happening: what is happening is the exhaustion of combat equipment, gear, ammunition, and, what is most important, of personnel on the side of the Ukrainian armed forces — exhaustion. What do we really see on the battlefield today? Our army is going forward; the opponent cannot dig in on the positions to which he withdrew on a given day, at a given minute of time. He withdrew in an organized way, but he cannot dig in there — our fellows go again tomorrow, and so on, and on, and on. To stop for a week means giving the opponent the possibility of digging in on these positions, giving him the possibility of catching his breath and receiving the necessary equipment and ammunition. What is very important from the point of view of the training of personnel — this will give the possibility… Not as today: they pick people up off the streets, as I already said at the [board] of the Ministry of Defense, they grab them like stray dogs. But stray dogs are at least brought to hotels for stray animals, and then they try to give them out to families, whereas here they simply throw them under the bullets. There is no time for training, and our fellows record this on the battlefield: the training is not the same at all — this is not the Soviet school of training servicemen; this is another story. Even those who undergo training in Western countries do not measure up by comparison with the Soviet school, because those who do the training have never fought themselves; they themselves know nothing. What are they teaching? So a long period of relative truce will give the opponent the possibility of occupying himself with this too — with training and retraining, with strengthening the personnel. In some battalions of the Ukrainian army there is 35 percent of the personnel, 40. The battalion exists, and there is no personnel inside. Do you want to give them the possibility of being brought back up to strength? What we need is not a truce — we need peace: long-term, durable, secured by guarantees for the Russian Federation and its citizens. This is a complicated question, how to ensure these guarantees, but on the whole one can look. As for a short-term truce: the Prime Minister of Hungary, Mr. Orban, turned to me with this proposal. He said to me — I think Viktor will not be angry with me if I disclose at least part of our conversation — he says: what does this cost you, for a day, for two; this is a Christmas truce; the opponent will not be able to do anything in these two or three days. I said: yes, probably that is so, but you talk to the Ukrainian side first. We agreed at least three times to measures of this kind, both on navigation in the Black Sea and on energy infrastructure, and so on. Erdogan proposed this to me; ask your President. So it was; he proposed it to me as a mediator. I say: I must think. Then the next day, a day later, he called and said: we agree. Suddenly the head of the Ukrainian regime announces: no negotiations, no truce. Then I call Erdogan and say: well, and what? He says: such are our partners. I say: well, all right. Now I asked Orban. He proposed both a Christmas truce and an exchange of prisoners. I refused nothing; I said: in principle one must think; you ask them. He asked. The next day the head of the [Kiev] regime declared that there would be no truce and no exchange of prisoners. That is the answer to your question. |
| Д.Кулько: Мы в эфире уже больше четырёх часов. Будем заканчивать. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: We have already been on the air for more than four hours. We will be finishing. |
| В.Путин: BBC я обещал. Пожалуйста. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I promised the BBC. Please. |
| А.Суворова: Они обещали напасть. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: They promised to attack. |
| В.Путин: Да, вы обещали напасть. Они и без обещаний с удовольствием это делают. У него работа такая, они же деньги получают за это. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes, you promised to attack. Even without promises they do it with pleasure. That is the kind of work he has; they do get money for it. |
| С.Розенберг: BBC News. Ровно 25 лет назад Борис Николаевич Ельцин ушёл в отставку, передал он Вам власть и сказал: берегите Россию. Спустя 25 лет как Вы считаете, Вы уберегли Россию? Потому что со стороны что мы видим? Мы видим значительные потери в так называемой СВО, которую Вы объявили, мы видим украинских солдат, которые в Курской области, Вы критикуете расширение НАТО, но стало больше НАТО на рубежах России: Швеция, Финляндия. Санкции, высокая инфляция, демографические проблемы. Но вот как Вы считаете, Вы уберегли свою страну? |
Full house translation — pending review С.Розенберг: BBC News. Exactly 25 years ago Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin resigned, transferred power to you, and said: take care of Russia. After 25 years, what do you think: have you taken care of Russia? Because from the outside, what do we see? We see significant losses in the so-called SMO, which you declared; we see Ukrainian soldiers who are in the Kursk region; you criticize the expansion of NATO, but there is more NATO on Russia's borders: Sweden, Finland. Sanctions, high inflation, demographic problems. But what do you think: have you safeguarded your country? |
| 21 Assessment of 25 Years in Power | |
| В.Путин: Да. Я считаю, что не просто уберёг, я считаю, что мы отошли от края пропасти, потому что всё, что происходило с Россией до этого и после, вело нас к полной, фактически тотальной утрате нашего суверенитета, а без суверенитета Россия существовать как самостоятельное государство не может. Обращаю Ваше внимание на то, что Вы сказали в отношении Бориса Николаевича Ельцина. Всё было как бы хорошо, его покровительственно хлопали по плечу, не замечали, даже когда он немножко прикладывался к рюмочке. Он был очень приятен во всех западных кругах. Как только он поднял голос в защиту Югославии, как только он сказал о том, что это противоречит международному праву и Уставу ООН, как только он сказал, что это недопустимо в современной Европе – наносить удары по Белграду, столице европейского государства, без санкции Совета Безопасности ООН, его тут же начали преследовать, тут же начали его обзывать: он такой-растакой, алкаш и прочее и прочее. Разве вы этого не помните? Я сделал всё для того, чтобы Россия была самостоятельной и суверенной державой, которая в состоянии принимать решения в своих интересах, а не в интересах тех стран, которые подтаскивали её к себе, похлопывая её по плечу, для того чтобы использовать в своих целях. В принципе, на этом можно было бы ограничиться. Я понимаю, что Вы сейчас весь набор там изложили, который как бы подкрепляет Ваши тезисы. Сказали об инфляции. Да, инфляция есть. Мы будем с этим бороться. Но у нас есть и темпы экономического роста. Мы заняли четвёртое место в мире по паритету покупательной способности – это, пожалуйста, сообщите вашим читателям, – первое место в Европе, далеко оставив позади Великобританию. Великобритания, по-моему, в пятёрку даже не входит. Но мы готовы работать с Великобританией, если Великобритания хочет работать с нами. Но если этого не произойдёт – не надо, мы справимся и без наших прежних союзников по антигитлеровской коалиции. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Yes. I consider that I did not simply keep it safe; I consider that we stepped back from the edge of the abyss, because everything that was happening with Russia before this and after was leading us to the complete, in fact total, loss of our sovereignty, and without sovereignty Russia cannot exist as an independent state. I draw your attention to what you said about Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin. Everything was as if fine; they patted him patronizingly on the shoulder, and did not notice even when he applied himself a little to the glass. He was very agreeable in all Western circles. As soon as he raised his voice in defense of Yugoslavia, as soon as he said that this contradicted international law and the UN Charter, as soon as he said that it was inadmissible in modern Europe to strike Belgrade, the capital of a European state, without a sanction of the UN Security Council, they at once began to persecute him, at once began to call him names: he is this and that, a drunkard, and so on and so forth. Do you not remember this? I did everything so that Russia would be an independent and sovereign power, capable of taking decisions in its own interests, and not in the interests of those countries that were drawing it toward themselves, patting it on the shoulder, in order to use it for their own purposes. In principle one could stop at that. I understand that you have now set out the whole set there, which as it were props up your theses. You spoke of inflation. Yes, there is inflation. We will fight this. But we also have rates of economic growth. We have taken fourth place in the world by purchasing-power parity — please tell your readers this — first place in Europe, leaving Great Britain far behind. Great Britain, I think, does not even make the top five. But we are ready to work with Great Britain if Great Britain wants to work with us. But if this does not happen — there is no need; we will manage without our former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition too. |
| Д.Кулько: Владимир Владимирович, вопросов от россиян много, в том числе и личных. Времени мало, так что предлагаю также в режиме блица. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Vladimir Vladimirovich, there are many questions from people in Russia, including personal ones. There is little time, so I also suggest the blitz format. |
| Д.Песков: Уже четыре с половиной часа. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Песков: Already four and a half hours. |
| В.Путин: Будем заканчивать. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: We will be finishing. |
| А.Суворова: У Вас есть мечта? Не государственного характера, а личная. О чём Вы мечтаете? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Do you have a dream? Not of a state character, but a personal one. What do you dream of? |
| В.Путин: Есть, конечно. Но это же личная мечта. Можно я оставлю её про себя? Из соцсетей вопрос. Александра Пухова спрашивает: Вы счастливый человек? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: There is, of course. But this is a personal dream. May I keep it to myself? A question from social media. Alexandra Pukhova asks: Are you a happy person? |
| В.Путин: Вы считаете, что это вопрос для блица? Это я должен Вам ответить «да» или «нет». Как я Вам скажу «да» или «нет»? Понимаете, в чём дело? Дело в том, что всем хорошо известно, я ведь родился в простой, рабочей семье, мои предки форсировали Дунай ещё в XIX веке, и из архива мне принесли бумагу, где один из моих предков награжден Георгиевским крестом, одним из первых Георгиевских крестов. Потом отец мой, все мои родственники и по линии мамы, по линии отца воевали на фронтах Великой Отечественной войны. Очень много погибших, очень, каждый второй, наверное, погиб, мой отец был инвалидом Великой Отечественной войны. Я сам служил в органах внешней разведки, всегда моя работа была сопряжена со служением Отечеству. И конечно, то, что люди, граждане России уже не в первый раз доверили мне возглавить государство Российское – это огромная честь и огромная ответственность. И в принципе можно было бы сказать: всё, я счастлив, и спасибо. Можно было бы знаете сказать: побойся Бога, что может быть больше? Но вы знаете, дело в том, что счастье не может быть полным до тех пор, пока наши ребята не вернутся с фронта, пока их не встретят их матери и жёны, не обнимут их дети, пока наши молодые люди, девушки, юноши не будут создавать нужное количество – нам, для страны, для России – семей и заводить детей. Я очень хочу, чтобы наши учёные, деятели искусства, культуры реализовали свои планы. Только тогда можно, наверное, будет сказать, что я счастлив. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Do you consider this a question for a lightning round? I am supposed to answer you "yes" or "no." How am I to say "yes" or "no" to you? You see, what is the point? The point is that it is well known to everyone: I was born into a simple working family; my forebears forced the Danube back in the nineteenth century, and from the archive they brought me a paper in which one of my forebears was awarded the Cross of St. George, one of the first Crosses of St. George. Then my father, all my relatives both on my mother's side and on my father's, fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Very many were killed, very many; every second one, probably, was killed; my father was an invalid of the Great Patriotic War. I myself served in the organs of foreign intelligence; my work was always bound up with service to the Fatherland. And of course, that the people, the citizens of Russia, have entrusted me, and not for the first time, with heading the Russian state is an enormous honor and an enormous responsibility. And in principle one could say: that is all, I am happy, and thank you. One could, you know, say: fear God, what can be greater? But you know, the point is that happiness cannot be complete until our boys return from the front, until their mothers and wives meet them, until their children embrace them, until our young people, girls and boys, create the number of families that is needed — for us, for the country, for Russia — and have children. I very much want our scientists, our figures of art and culture, to carry out their plans. Only then, probably, will it be possible to say that I am happy. |
| А.Суворова: Есть вопрос из Петербурга: почему Вас обзывают разные иностранцы, а Вы молчите? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: There is a question from Petersburg: why do various foreigners call you names, while you stay silent? |
| В.Путин: Это зависит от уровня культуры. Я уже говорил когда-то: кто как обзывается, тот так и называется. И делается это, на мой взгляд, от бессилия. А зачем нам демонстрировать это бессилие? У нас достаточно аргументов, чтобы чётко и ясно излагать свою позицию. СМС из Ставропольского края: есть ли у Вас какая-либо обязанность, которую Вы ненавидите? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: It depends on the level of culture. I have said at some point: as one calls names, so one is oneself called. And this is done, in my view, out of powerlessness. And why should we demonstrate that powerlessness? We have enough arguments to set out our position clearly and plainly. A text message from Stavropol Krai: do you have any duty that you hate? |
| В.Путин: Нет. Вы знаете, если уж люди мне доверили осуществлять функции президента страны, есть определённые обязанности, я настраиваю себя на то, что я должен исполнять их достойно, во всяком случае, с полной отдачей. Я знаю, что если я возьму практику ненавидеть, не любить что-то из того, что входит в мои служебные обязанности, то нужного результата достигнуто не будет. Поэтому я давно себя выстроил на то, что всё, что я должен делать, я должен делать с удовольствием. Вопрос из Нижегородской области: чей портрет висит у Вас в кабинете? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: No. You know, once people have trusted me to carry out the functions of the country's president, there are certain duties, and I set myself to perform them in a worthy way, at any rate with full commitment. I know that if I take up the habit of hating, of disliking, something that forms part of my official duties, the result that is needed will not be achieved. So long ago I trained myself so that everything I must do, I must do with pleasure. A question from Nizhny Novgorod Region: whose portrait hangs in your office? |
| В.Путин: У меня нет портрета в кабинете. У меня есть в одном кабинете икона, а во втором кабинете стоит бюст Ломоносова. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I do not have a portrait in the office. I have an icon in one office, and in the second office there stands a bust of Lomonosov. |
| Д.Кулько: Ещё СМС из Москвы: «Смогли бы дать политическое убежище Зеленскому? Оно ведь ему скоро понадобится». |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Another text message from Moscow: "Could you grant political asylum to Zelensky? He will be needing it soon, after all." |
| В.Путин: Я не знаю, я не думаю, что понадобится. Я думаю, вполне вероятно, не знаю, как он будет поступать, но вполне вероятно, что он, так же как и некоторые люди из высшего политического руководства Украины – они выехали за рубеж, – уедет. Его возьмут на содержание те люди, интересы которых он сегодня обслуживает. Если бы он, извините, вдруг так неожиданно, как чёрт из табакерки, появился где-то и сказал: мне нужно политическое убежище, – Россия никому не отказывает. Вопрос от Татьяны Костюченко: что для Вас Россия? |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I do not know; I do not think it will be needed. I think it is quite probable — I do not know how he will act — but quite probable that he, like some people from the senior political leadership of Ukraine, who have gone abroad, will leave. The people whose interests he serves today will take him on and maintain him. If he, excuse me, were suddenly and unexpectedly to turn up somewhere, like a devil out of a snuffbox, and say: I need political asylum — Russia refuses no one. A question from Tatyana Kostyuchenko: what is Russia for you? |
| В.Путин: Это такой комплексный вопрос. Карта, видите, напротив. Россия, как и любая другая страна, – это, конечно, огромная территория. Но это не только территория, это история, культура, наши обычаи, традиции. Это всё Россия. Но всё-таки самое главное – это люди. На чём я себя иногда ловлю, особенно в последнее время? Когда смотрю что-то – я редко смотрю телевизор, времени нет, в интернете почти не бываю, – то смотрю на наши достижения, на успехи наших людей. Сейчас был чемпионат мира по плаванию. Выходили ребята – торс, здоровые, мощные, уверенные в себе, чемпионы мира, девочки красивые. Смотрю на мальчишек и девчонок, которые добиваются успехов на международных олимпиадах, смотрю на наших молодых учёных, с которыми недавно встречался. Честное слово говорю: я смотрю и радуюсь этому, как радовался бы успехам членов своей семьи. Без всякого преувеличения. Смотрю и радуюсь, как будто это мои близкие люди. Поэтому я на Россию смотрю, как на семью. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: This is a question of that complex kind. The map, you see, is opposite us. Russia, like any other country, is of course an enormous territory. But it is not only territory; it is history, culture, our customs, our traditions. All of this is Russia. But the most important thing all the same is the people. What do I sometimes catch myself doing, especially of late? When I watch something — I rarely watch television, there is no time, and I am hardly ever on the internet — I look at our achievements, at the successes of our people. There has just been a world swimming championship. The fellows came out: torsos, healthy, powerful, sure of themselves, world champions, and beautiful girls. I look at the boys and girls who win successes at international olympiads; I look at our young scientists, whom I met not long ago. I give you my word of honor: I look and I rejoice at this, as I would rejoice at the successes of the members of my own family. Without any exaggeration. I look and rejoice as if these were people close to me. So I look at Russia as at a family. |
| А.Суворова: Владимир Владимирович, больше четырёх с половиной часов нас смотрят миллионы зрителей, мы ответили на много вопросов, понятно, что ещё на много предстоит. В завершение что бы Вы ещё хотели сказать гражданам нашей страны? |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Vladimir Vladimirovich, for more than four and a half hours millions of viewers have been watching us; we have answered many questions, and it is clear that many still remain. In closing, what else would you like to say to the citizens of our country? |
| В.Путин: Я сказал сейчас про то, что отношусь к России, как к своей семье. Мы с вами работаем, беседуем накануне очень светлых праздников – и Нового года, и Рождества Христова. Я разговариваю со многими представителями разных конфессий, и они мне все говорят: а мы чего, мы Рождество все отмечаем, так же как наши соседи отмечают Курбан-байрам, Песах и так далее. Я когда встречаюсь с представителями конфессий, я их часто спрашиваю: вам люди, когда общаются на бытовом уровне, чаще всего о чём говорят, о чём сожалеют? Речь идёт не о тайне исповеди, конечно, но всё-таки. Знаете, что отвечают? Сожалеют о чём? Слишком мало уделяют внимания детям. В преддверии Нового года – это семейный праздник – и тем более Рождества хотел бы пожелать, чтобы больше уделяли внимания своим близким. И хочу всем пожелать успехов, счастья и благополучия. |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: I have just said that I regard Russia as my own family. We are working and talking on the eve of very bright holidays — both the New Year and the Nativity of Christ. I talk with many representatives of different confessions, and they all say to me: and what about us, we all mark Christmas, just as our neighbors mark Kurban Bayram, Pesach, and so on. When I meet representatives of the confessions, I often ask them: when people talk with you at the everyday level, what do they most often speak about, what do they regret? This is not about the seal of confession, of course, but all the same. Do you know what they answer? What do they regret? That they give too little attention to their children. On the eve of the New Year — it is a family holiday — and of Christmas all the more, I would like to wish that people give more attention to those close to them. And I want to wish everyone success, happiness, and well-being. |
| А.Суворова: Спасибо вам большое. |
Full house translation — pending review А.Суворова: Thank you very much. |
| Д.Кулько: Спасибо. |
Full house translation — pending review Д.Кулько: Thank you. |
| В.Путин: Спасибо. Темы СМИ |
Full house translation — pending review В.Путин: Thank you. Topics Media |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I have. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: You know, when all is calm and life is measured and stable, we get bored. This amounts to stagnation, so we crave action. When action begins, time starts whistling by – or bullets do, for that matter. Unfortunately, bullets are what is zipping past our heads these days. We are scared, yes – but not as “all get out” kind of scared. Our economics are the ultimate measure of things. As is traditional, I will start with the economy. Although your question was a bit provocative, I will turn to the economy anyway. The economy is number one; it is the cornerstone. It has an impact on living standards, general stability, and the country’s defence capability. The economy is everything. The economic situation in Russia is generally positive and stable. We are growing in spite of everything, in spite of any external threats or attempts at outside influence. As you know, last year Russia increased its GDP by 3.6 percent, and this year the economy is expected to grow by 3.9 percent, or possibly even four percent. However, we will have to wait and see the final results, as the year-end figures will be de facto factored into these projections in the first quarter of next year, which will be 2025 in this particular case. It may well be that this indicator reaches four percent. What this means is that our economy will have grown by eight percent over the past two years. After all, the tenths and hundredths of a percent make for a negligeable difference. This is what experts have been telling me – we exchanged views this very morning. About eight percent over the past two years, compared to a growth rate between five and six percent for the United States, one percent for the Eurozone, and zero for Germany, the EU’s leading economy. It seems that next year that country will also have zero growth. International financial and economic institutions ranked Russia as Europe’s biggest economy in terms of volume, in terms of purchasing power parity, and the world’s fourth largest economy. We are behind China, the United States and India. Last year, Russia surpassed Germany and this year, we left Japan behind. But this is not the time for us to be complacent. We will definitely keep moving forward. There is development everywhere you look and so much positive momentum across the board. If the Eurozone has fallen asleep, there are other centres of global development that are advancing. The situation in the Eurozone and the United States has been changing too. We must maintain the momentum we have gathered and transform our economy at its core, from a qualitative perspective. There are other general performance indicators which have been quite satisfactory, to say the least. Unemployment is the first such indicator. All countries around the world, and all economies, pay a great deal of attention to this figure. For Russia, it is at its all-time low of 2.3 percent. We have not experienced anything like this before. This is my first point. Second, there has been growth in specific manufacturing and industrial sectors. In fact, industrial output increased by 4.4 percent, while the processing sector reported a growth rate of 8.1 percent, with some of its sectors achieving even higher growth rates. Of course, inflation has been causing some concerns. Only yesterday, while preparing for today’s event, I talked to the Central Bank Governor, and Elvira Nabiullina told me that the inflation rate has already reached about 9.2–9.3 percent year-to-date. That said, salaries have increased by nine percent, and I am talking about an increase in real terms, minus inflation. In addition, disposable incomes have also increased. So, the overall situation is stable and, let me reiterate, solid. There are certain challenges with inflation and with the economy heating up. Therefore, the Government and the Central Bank have been seeking to ensure a soft landing. Estimates may vary for next year, but we expect the economy to grow at a rate of 2–2.5 percent. This soft landing would enable us to keep improving our macroeconomic performance. This is what we must aspire to. I think that we will probably raise these matters during today’s meeting. Overall, the economy can be described as stable and resilient. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: There were. It's an interesting episode. Quite some time ago, it was Gerhard Schroeder's birthday, he invited me and I attended. There was a small concert, and, as it happened, all the companies performed in English. I remarked at the time, “Even the Hannover girls' choir sang in English.” There was, however, one ensemble that performed in German: the Kuban Cossack Choir, which accompanied me. Moreover, this was entirely unexpected on my part. I inquired, “How did you come to know these songs?” They replied, “Out of respect for the Germans, our hosts, we learnt these songs en route and performed them in German, including those from the local region where we are now.” During the intermission, numerous attendees approached me (I recount this as it truly unfolded) and expressed, “We are embarrassed, truly, that only Russian Cossacks performed in German here.” I recounted this to a colleague who was present at the event, which has now been recalled. You see, sovereignty is a crucial concept; it must reside within, in one's heart. In the post-war era, I believe this sense – of homeland and sovereignty – has been somewhat eroded among the German people. Who are the Europeans, after all? They are proud to be European, yet they are foremost French, German, Italian, Spanish, and then European. There is a tendency to smooth out things, to homogenise. Ultimately, this affects everything, including the economy. I previously spoke about our economic growth – this is largely attributable to the reinforcement of sovereignty, which extends to the economic realm. Many foreign manufacturers have exited our market. What has been the consequence? Our entrepreneurs have started producing these goods domestically, necessitating further research and the engagement of institutions, including those focused on development. All of this – what we are discussing – is the enhancement of technological sovereignty. Sovereignty manifests itself in various forms: defence, technology, science, education, culture. This is of paramount importance, especially for our nation, because should we lose sovereignty, we risk losing statehood. That is the crux. Economic growth is also an effect of bolstered sovereignty. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, let us begin. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: First, I would like to apologise to the audience, especially those who are following this event via various media platforms, including online. When I said that price growth or inflation was slightly above nine percent this year, at 9.2–9.3 percent, and that people’s wages and real disposable incomes have grown as well, I cited average figures. Of course, our country is very big, and some people might ask me what I was talking about, that their well-being has not improved but remained at the same level. And some might even say that their well-being has deteriorated. Yes, this can be so and it is so, in some cases. I cited average figures, because when we make plans, we need to have figures to rely on, and we can only rely on average figures. As for the growth of prices, there are both objective and subjective reasons for that. What is more important is that the supply in our market should correlate with people’s incomes, or rather, people’s incomes and their purchasing capacity should correlate with the volume of goods produced in the country. Wages and incomes have been growing faster than the mass of commodities and the rate of production. I will explain. Let’s say, food production in our country is constantly growing. I will talk about this later. There will certainly be questions on agriculture. In fact, I can tell you that it adds three percent every year. We are fully self-sufficient when it comes to meat. One hundred percent. It is a good indicator. Why does this happen? In Russia, the annual consumption of meat is about 80 kg per capita while in other countries, it is about 42 kg on average. It may seem enough and yet, meat consumption has doubled recently, you see? Doubled. Now, milk. Milk production grows every year, but consumption grows as well, and there is not enough milk to produce butter. I know that the butter prices have grown by 33–34 percent in some regions, and possibly higher in others. Simply, the amount of products has not grown as much as consumption has. This is the first reason. The solution here would be to develop industries. And I will talk more about it later. The second objective reason is harvest. The third objective reason is that some products have become more expensive on world markets. Of course, the external restrictions, sanctions and so forth are affecting the prices to a certain extent. They do not play a key role but still, they take a toll as they make logistics more expensive, in addition to other things. There are also subjective reasons or things we could improve on our side. For example, some experts believe that the Central Bank could have used certain instruments other than raising the key rate, more efficiently and at an earlier stage. Yes, the Central Bank started doing it around summer. But again, these experts believe that it could have and should have been done earlier. There are many instruments. I will not list them now and will not tire our audience with these considerations about the Central Bank and its regulation methods. The Government works efficiently and does a lot when it thinks about the future – and the future should always be considered. In our country, we always thought about the future even during the harshest times of the Great Patriotic War. We know these examples. There were efforts made and, as it turned out later, correct efforts. Our Government does think about the future: it formulates tasks, national development goals and national projects. It is wonderful but it would also be great to take timely efforts with respect to industries and consider the development of certain sectors, the production of mass products. I will not list them now – perhaps, there will be questions on specific industries later. Timely decisions should have been made. Growing prices are not something to enjoy and they have adverse impacts. But I hope that overall, as we preserve macroeconomic indicators, we shall address this issues as well because macroeconomics is the basis for a healthy economy in general. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Nevertheless, let us refrain from acting this way, and let us begin. What is your name? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Alina, go ahead, please. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Alina, thank you for this question. This is a good point, and do not be angry with Alina; here is why. First, North Ossetia has always been Russia’s outpost in this region, in the Caucasus, and it has always justified its lofty designation. We know how the republic’s residents feel about their region and about Russia, our large common Motherland. They have always defended it and have fulfilled this role worthily and admirably. You have noted that the number of schools has been reduced. This is not linked to a decision to close them in Ossetia alone. It is related to the fact that, according to military specialists and agencies, there were too many military schools, and the Russian army did not need so many specialists and so much service personnel at the time. Due to various circumstances, we are now increasing the strength of the army, security and law enforcement agencies to 1.5 million people. I cannot say that we will achieve this tomorrow, but I promise you that we will certainly analyse this issue. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I certainly hoped for questions of this kind. There are many of these within the bulk [of messages] that came in during the previous days. Moreover, I am grateful to you, too, for [asking this question], because this enables us to show what is going on and what our troops are doing at the battle contact line. You know, the fighting men, with whom I am in regular contact, send souvenirs, chevrons, some weapons, and so on. Not long ago, men from the 155 th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet gave me a copy of their colours. Who can I ask to assist me? Come over to me, please, and someone from that side. I have a big favour to ask. You take a position here and you – there, and unfold this banner, please, at both ends. Dmitry Kulko: Pacific Fleet marines. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes. I have brought it along on purpose. First, I wanted to thank the men for this gift. Second, let us consider than this banner of the 155 th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet represents all the combat banners of our soldiers, who are fighting for Russia, for the Motherland, along the entire line of contact. I must say that the situation is changing radically. You know this well and I just want to reaffirm this. The drive is on along the entire frontline every day. As I said, the advance is not by 100, 200, or 300 metres. Our fighting men are regaining the territory by square kilometers. I want to stress – every day! Why is this happening? First, last year, and this basically is the classical course of hostilities, the enemy attacks, sustains a heavy defeat, loses a lot of equipment, ammunition and personnel, and then the other side starts to push forward. In our case, this is happening exactly in this way. Combat operations are a difficult thing. So, it is hard – and makes no sense – to think far too ahead. But it happens precisely in this way. And we are advancing, as we said, towards achieving the priority goals that we outlined at the start of the special military operation. As for our troops, they are acting heroically. I say this regularly and will repeat it, because there is every reason for saying so. Right now, the 155 th Brigade is fighting in the Kursk Region and pushing the enemy out from our land. Of course, they are not alone. Fighting alongside them are the 810 th Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, the 76 th and 106 th divisions of the Airborne Troops, and motorised infantry of the Sever Group. All of them are fighting heroically in the direct sense of the word. And they are involved in an engagement right at this moment. Let us wish them all success, victory and safe homecoming, meaning those fighting in the Kursk Region and along the entire frontline. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Ms Zibrova, rest assured. I cannot and do not want to provide a specific date as to when they will be driven out. Our troops are engaged in combat right now, and the battles are intense. As I have mentioned before, there was no strategic military reason for the Ukrainian armed forces to enter the Kursk Region or to hold their position there as they are, deploying their elite assault groups and units to no avail. Yet, this situation persists. We will undoubtedly drive them out. There is no alternative. Concerning a precise date – I am afraid I cannot specify one at this moment. I have an understanding of the plans, which are regularly reported to me. However, it is not possible to declare a specific date. The troops can hear me now; if I were to specify a date, they would go to great lengths to meet it, potentially disregarding casualties. We cannot allow that. While a day or two may not make a significant difference, but we will undoubtedly expel them, the damage assessment will follow, and, most importantly, everything will be restored. There is no doubt about that. We will rebuild the road network, restore utility infrastructure, and reinstate social facilities such as schools and kindergartens. Community centres and housing will be rebuilt, and housing reconstruction certificates will be issued. We will assist those who wish to relocate to other regions. Currently, about 108 billion rubles have been allocated for this purpose, if I remember correctly. I know that the first funds have already been received. The Administration will work throughout the holidays, meeting with people and addressing their issues, including providing certificates. I understand that what is happening is incredibly challenging for you: people are experiencing heavy losses, inconveniences, especially families with children. But rest assured, we will do everything in our power to restore everything. Everyone in need of housing assistance will be fully satisfied; everyone will receive what they are entitled to. I genuinely hope that the new head of the region, who has been appointed to the Kursk Region, is experienced and capable of effectively working with people. That is why I chose him, he has a long history of working in the State Duma and directly with his voters, so he |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Pardon? They don’t have the status of a participant in the special military operation. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Why? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: It can and should be rectified. This is a mistake on our part. That is no news to me. I understand what you are talking about. Our servicemen who fought in other parts of the front are recognised as combatants. If they have been transferred to the Kursk Region, they should receive all the payments they are entitled to. I will look into this. There might be a category of individuals who had not previously participated at all or had not been on the front lines and were deployed to the Kursk Region from the very beginning, so they were not classified as participants in the special military operation. To be honest, it never occurred to me, and I apologise for that. This will be corrected. It is unfortunate that the military department did not pay attention to this either; after all, it primarily falls under their responsibility. We will correct everything, and all servicemen who are carrying out their duty to the Motherland on the line of contact will receive all payments due to them. We will recalculate retroactively. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Absolutely, without a doubt. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, and I want the fighters to hear me. Please, do not worry, and do not let your families worry about it: everything Mr President, you have already said today that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are sending their special forces for slaughter in the Kursk Region. Indeed, their losses are enormous; this much is quite obvious. To be honest, I have never seen so many abandoned enemy bodies – indeed, all the local forests are littered with them. I do not even have to mention all the destroyed NATO equipment, including Abrams, Bradley, Leopard vehicles. They say the Kursk Region, its soil, is now the world’s biggest burial place of NATO equipment, and that is actually true. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Possibly. However, there is one small point to make here. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: As far as I know, the number of armoured vehicles destroyed in the Kursk Region has now exceeded the number of vehicles destroyed on the entire line of contact last year – in any case, these are comparable figures. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: For the damaged equipment? Yes. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Of course, they should. Are there any problems with this? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: First, regarding how old or new and modern this weapon is. It is a modern, a brand new weapon. All new achievements in any sphere are based on the designs and achievements made in the past, which people use to move forward. This is also true about the Oreshnik system. Yes, it is based on previous designs, but these designs were made in the contemporary Russian period. Our scientists, designers and engineers used that basis to create something new, coordinating their activities with the Defence Ministry as the contractor. When I was ultimately informed about that system, I joined the discussions on whether to make it or not, in what quantities, when and how. It is a new system. As I have said, it is an intermediate- and shorter-range system. You have said that some Western experts believe that this missile can be easily shot down and destroyed, especially in the boost phase of the missile trajectory. What would I tell those experts? There are several types of air defence systems, as you know being from the Zvezda TV channel, such as Patriot and the more modern THAAD systems. I do not know if Ukraine has them, but I do not think so. If the Americans want, they can send its THAAD systems to Ukraine. These are more modern systems similar to our S-400 systems. The Patriot systems are comparable to our S-300s, while THAAD is similar to our S-400 systems, if only slightly inferior. Let them send these systems to Ukraine, and we will ask our people in Ukraine to tell us about the modern solutions of these systems which we could use. I am not joking when I say “our people,” because there are people in Ukraine who you can talk to, there are many of such people who are dreaming, together with us, about liberating their country from the neo-Nazi regime. There are also other strike systems such as the ballistic missile system (BMD), which used to be a hot topic of our discussions. We once asked the Americans not to deploy that system so that we would not have to create weapons that would be able to avoid it. We have eventually done that. We have created the Avangard glide vehicle, which does not fly by a specific trajectory but hugs the terrain, without going up into space, because it is not a ballistic missile. We have done a great deal to evade air defence systems. Overall, this whole story is an expensive product for the American taxpayers that can do little to ensure national security. However, that system has been created and produced in large quantities. Two missile launching areas have been established in Romania and Poland, respectively. Around 24 missile interceptors are already deployed at each site. I don’t remember but I think they are called Standard Missile-3 systems. Standard Missile-3 Block 1B missiles are deployed in Romania. They have an effective range of 300 kilometres and can hit targets 80 to 250 km above the ground. Even more formidable weapon systems are deployed in Poland, with a range and altitude of 1,000 and 500 km. However, our medium-range Oreshnik missile system can strike targets located 1,000, 1,500, 3,000-plus and up to 5,500 km away. Such is its range. Supposing our system is located 2,000 km away, the missile interceptors on Polish territory would be unable to hit it. Yes, they say that the missiles are quite vulnerable during the initial boost phase. First, nothing will reach those missile bases, even if they are unprotected. And, of course, we are shielding them. Nothing can hit them. There are no systems capable of reaching these bases. Second, it takes time to travel this distance, while our missile needs a few second to start dispensing warheads, and that’s it, the ship has sailed. There is almost no chance of shooting down these missiles. If the Western experts you mentioned think otherwise, they should suggest to those in the West and the United States who are paying them for their analytical services to conduct a certain technological experiment, a high-tech 21 st -century duel. Let them choose a target in Kiev, deploy all their air defence and missile defence forces there, and we will hit that target using an Oreshnik missile. We shall see what happens. We are ready to conduct this experiment. Is the other side ready? In any event, we do not rule this out. What I want to say is that all of their air defence and ABM systems are operating. It would be interesting for us. I am telling you what engineers, scientists and military specialists are telling me. They are also telling some things at the level of the US political leadership. Let us hold this experiment, this |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I don’t know how they took it. You should ask them about it. I know what constitutes these changes – and it is not a new doctrine but actual changes. I will name some key aspects. We are talking about some new military hazards that may grow into military threats. They include missile defence systems and some other things that we list. Then we speak about increasing the responsibility of non-nuclear states that may participate in an aggression against the Russian Federation alongside the countries that have nuclear weapons. If, like their allies, these countries also pose a threat to our sovereignty and Russia’s existence, then we imply that we have the right to use our nuclear weapons against them. Finally, another component related to nuclear arms management, and another, fourth important aspect is that we declared that, if similar threats are posed to Belarus, our ally and member of the Union State, the Russian Federation will consider these threats as threats to Russia. And we will do everything to ensure the security of Belarus. We do this upon agreement with the Belarusian leadership and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. I believe it is a very important |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Putin: Right, let’s not shout and please be respectful. But we will listen to the Arctic. Let’s do what the boss says. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Could you repeat, please: where do these 10 percent come from? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I see. You mean allocating some of the funds from the construction sector to these mechanisms? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I will discuss this with Mr Khusnullin. I think it is quite possible. We are currently working to revive this movement, it is re-emerging. I think this has already happened – I am referring to the student construction brigades as a movement. The funding mechanism you described could probably be an option, and I think it has already been adopted, but let me |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Right. Was it about gyms or cinemas? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: What a surprising question, at least for me, you know. Regarding the Arctic zone, let me tell you, first, that we have kept subsidised mortgages at a rate of two percent for this region, as well as for Russia’s Far East. The Arctic can still benefit from two percent mortgages, and I believe this is something that matters a great deal for people there who have been eager to use this subsidy. We have also kept this two percent mortgage rate for the new territories. This is my first point. Second, we have an entire programme for specific communities in this zone – I think that it covers 25 cities and metropolitan areas – and we will expand it to a nationwide effort covering 200 cities. We are talking about small communities here. They may fall through the cracks of the initiatives to develop these 25 metropolitan areas and cities. Of course, we will try to come up with additional measures for these smaller communities and for the Arctic zone in general. It goes without saying that this is very important since most of them have a rather small population. It could be that there was an idea that providing them with broadband internet and so forth would suffice. That said, I do agree with you that watching a film in a movie theatre creates a different kind of atmosphere, a special mood, if you will. I will look into this issue. Note taken. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Indeed. But this is a separate topic. Many producers are leaving Russia, and we wish them well, nonetheless. But this has served as a development driver, including for the film industry. This is a fact. History-themed films are very important too, considering the enthusiasm we are witnessing in our society and its unifying potential. We are witnessing a revival of our fairy tales, epic sagas and alike. I enjoy watching these films sometimes together with the small children in our family. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Do not mind Mr Peskov, go ahead with your question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Sorry to interrupt, please do not take offense. I did not call it that way; it is, in fact, the geographical centre of Russia. Dmitry Novikov: Yes, of course. The city is going to mark its 400th anniversary in 2028, and we would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us in Krasnoyarsk for the celebration. My question is this: the headquarters of RusHydro is currently relocating to Krasnoyarsk, following your initiative. Wouldn’t it be logical to extend this approach to other companies, not only state-owned but also private businesses? For the region, this would mean additional tax revenues and new opportunities for development. Are you considering this possibility? Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: There was Krasnoyarsk, and Irkutsk too. In fact, remember Peter the Great? What did he want to do? He wanted a capital in the south, and was choosing between St Petersburg and Taganrog, a southern city. He wanted to move the capital to Taganrog. At the outset, he wanted to have the capital of the Empire in Taganrog. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Go ahead, Andrei. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: We do. Make no mistake about that. We have a large-scale programme for rebuilding and developing these territories until 2030. We have already embarked on this effort, and it will carry on across several domains, which include rebuilding roads, housing, putting utilities back into operation, as well as social and cultural infrastructure. Speaking of roads, our plan consists of bringing the entire road network in these regions in compliance with Russia’s national standards within three years. You come from this region, and you know that this effort is already underway. There is a very useful and feasible initiative to build a ring road circling the Sea of Azov, which is now part of Russia’s internal waters. It will be just as good as the Tavrida motorway in Crimea, with four lanes and all the amenities a highway of this kind must offer. Part of this road has already been built, even if it is just the beginning. It is quite short, just 40 kilometres, and runs from Taganrog to Mariupol. However, our plan consists of extending it to create a full circle around the Sea of Azov. There is also another road linking Mariupol to Donetsk. It is almost 100 kilometres long, or 97, to be more precise, if I am not mistaken. We will restore the road network in its entirety. As I have said, the funds have been earmarked. Some social facilities have been finished and put into operation, like a world-class perinatal centre in Donetsk and a medical centre in Mariupol. A large children’s hospital is to be built in the south of the Zaporozhye Region. Local residents have submitted that request, and the governor insisted that they need it. I believe that this project is at the design stage. We will certainly build it. Overall, we have big plans in these spheres until 2030. We have rebuilt 21,000 facilities, 11,000 of which have been financed from the federal budget and 10,000 from the budgets of regions across the Russian Federation that are overseeing these projects. I would like to use this occasion, and looking directly into the camera, to express gratitude to the heads and people of these regions for their selfless and tremendous assistance. It is a national mission. I mentioned the projects that have been completed, but we need to restore and rebuild another 20,000 facilities within five or six years, and we will do so. Mr President, I would like to say the following about the Lugansk People’s Republic, which never had good roads under the Ukrainian government. Today, the roads are ideal throughout the Lugansk People’s Republic. Our people are extremely grateful for this. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: This is the basic thing, which we can and must do. We will do more. As for individual regions, I would like to address people in these regions and throughout Russia, so that everyone in the country knows that these regions have good development potential and large tax potential. I believe that tax collection in the Lugansk People’s Republic has increased by 97 percent. The relevant figure for Donbass as a whole is 69 percent. The tax collection in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions has increased several-fold. The figures themselves are smaller there because their tax base is smaller, but the collection of taxes has increased manyfold, by more than 200 percent. In other words, their tax base is good, their revival is rapid, and these regions are approaching the level of self-sufficiency. It is true that we need to support people, providing assistance and giving a helping hand at the right time. Our country is doing so and will continue doing so until these regions’ complete incorporation into Russia not only in legal terms but also in terms of social and economic development. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, I meant the collection of taxes. As I have said, I could be wrong but the collection of taxes has increased by about 79 percent in Donetsk, over 90 percent in Lugansk, and over 200 percent in Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. The absolute figures are smaller in the latter two regions because the tax base is smaller there, but it is an upward trend, and it is stable. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Please. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Mr Shipilov, these may appear to be everyday issues, yet they have great importance to people. I fully understand this, as it is essential to validate one's employment history. Previously, it was challenging to do so, but a recent legislative change has been enacted, recognising all prior employment records, even from years or decades past. I believe the pertinent federal law was enacted in November. Therefore, there are now regulatory and legal frameworks in place to address your concern. All such matters, even in the absence of documents, can be resolved through witness testimonies and the decisions of interdepartmental regional commissions. I urge the republic's authorities to streamline their work in a way that ensures that these issues are resolved without unnecessary red tape. I recently spoke with Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People's Republic. He mentioned hosting a delegation from Africa. We are delighted to welcome our friends and guests, and he himself is planning a visit to Africa, which is commendable and necessary for maintaining relations. However, I would like to remind him of Mr Shipilov, who also requires attention. I trust that the interdepartmental regional commissions will be duly organised. I reiterate, especially since a legal foundation for this is now in place: the relevant federal law has been adopted. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: As I have mentioned before, these matters are resolved through the decisions of interdepartmental commissions and based on what is termed witness testimony. We are not talking about legal proceedings, but rather obtaining |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: We are paying a lot of attention to Mariupol, which it certainly deserves, as it is a large city. Before the outbreak of hostilities, it was home to about 430,000 people. Local authorities are telling me there were even more people than that, closer to 470,000. More than 3,000 apartment buildings [may be needed] there. I have visited Mariupol; I know this, and my colleagues from the Government report to me regularly. About 1,700 multifamily houses have been rebuilt, but not all of them have been commissioned yet. Paperwork needs to be completed on more than 500 projects, but the buildings are already there. What is the situation there? Residential buildings are being repaired or rebuilt. Where a building cannot be repaired, local authorities make the decision to demolish it and allocate the land for commercial development. Once developers build new housing there, buyers can purchase apartments with a mortgage at 2 percent. Home loans with 2-percent interest continue to be available in Russia’s new regions. In fact, that has triggered quite a construction boom there. According to our estimates, at least 300,000 people have returned to Mariupol, and its population continues to grow rapidly. We are also working to improve local roads, schools, social and cultural facilities, and healthcare – a large medical centre has recently opened there – and educational institutions. We will certainly continue this work. As for housing, again, many projects have been allocated to commercial developers. However, the local residents are entitled to new housing as near as possible to the place where they used to live. Better still, if their building has been repaired, they should be given apartments there. If a development company is building a new multifamily house in its place, they need to ensure that former residents receive new housing in the area, not on the outskirts or even outside the city boundary. There are 5,000 ownerless apartments in the city. Local authorities need to stop holding them, but to distribute them among people – legally, of course. It is important to bear in mind that people are still returning, so we need to give some thought to the procedure. But these issues must be addressed. One thing I can say for sure: everyone who has the right to compensation will receive a compensation. If not, please contact the relevant authorities at the local or federal levels. I believe there are decision-making centres at both levels; they have been |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: It is easy to remember. If I am mot mistaken, I think they are there. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Please. (A video clip rolls.) |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: First, this is, of course, an environmental disaster. This is absolutely clear. Law enforcement agencies are in the process of assessing the ship captains’ actions. I was informed that, in their opinion, the captains violated certain rules and failed to seek shelter in time. Other ships found safe spots before the storm and are doing just fine, but these did not and dropped anchors in the wrong places. Let the relevant services within the Ministry of Transport and law enforcement agencies deal with it. That is my first point. I am not sure what is happening right now, but the 4- to 5-point storm raged on yesterday, posing a challenge to relief efforts. I think, by Saturday, the sea will calm down, and cleanup operations can proceed more effectively. Second, the reason I call this a major disaster is because almost 40 percent of the fuel spilled, which is an established fact. Some tankers have submerged, some have sunk, and others remain partially submerged near the shore. We need to address this. Various services are at work, including the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Transport, and the Emergencies Ministry. This work must be coordinated. I asked the Prime Minister to set up a working group headed by Deputy Prime Minister in charge of transport Vitaly Savelyev. All services are at work, and I receive regular updates on the developments. We need to study the tankers’ condition. We also need to think about the steps we need to take in the near future. This issue must be addressed in stages. Stage one: Right now, we must contain the spill with containment booms to prevent the spill from spreading further. Stage two: The fuel that has washed ashore must be removed. Governor (of the Krasnodar Territory) Veniamin Kondratiev reported to me yesterday or the day before yesterday saying that he had about 4,000 people working in the area. According to him, no additional measures are needed at the moment. However, we will, of course, deploy more Emergencies Ministry teams, if needed. This is the task at hand. We are dealing with fuel oil, which displays specific properties at certain temperatures. It is a solid material that washes ashore and must be removed. However, a portion of this fuel oil has already settled on the seabed, and by May, when the water temperature rises, it could resurface and wash ashore again. We must get ready for that now. One way or the other, we need to remove the semi-submerged tankers from the water. These tankers need to be secured now to prevent further leakage. We will need to use containment tools, known as “towels,” and later draft a project which is a major undertaking, and to pull the tankers with fuel on the shore. This is a major effort. The Government is working on it, and I very much hope that no time will be wasted in addressing it. Mr President, if you don’t mind, I see American journalists over there. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Go ahead. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Could you repeat the part of your question about the journalist? Where did the journalist disappear? When and what happened to him there? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I see. Please sit down. Frankly, I have not met with President Bashar al-Assad after his arrival in Moscow. But I plan to do it and will certainly talk to him. We are adults and understand that the person disappeared in Syria 12 years ago. Twelve years. We realise what was happening in Syria 12 years ago. The country was caught in active military action, on both sides. Does President al-Assad know what happened to this American citizen, the journalist who, as far as I understand, was working in the zone of hostilities? Nevertheless, I promise that I will definitely ask him this question just like we can forward this question to the people who are controlling the situation on the ground in Syria today. You asked what we can offer or what I can offer to newly elected President Trump when we meet. First of all, I don’t know when we will meet because he has not said anything about it. I have not talked to him for more than four years. Of course, I’m ready to talk any time; I will be ready to meet with him if he wishes. You said that this conversation will take place with me in some kind of weakened state. Esteemed Mr Simmons. Why did I say “esteemed”? Because, despite all the persecution of Russian media, we allow you to continue working in Russia and you can do so freely. It is good enough. You and the people who pay your salary in the United States really want to see Russia in a weakened state. My opinion differs. I believe that Russia has become significantly stronger in the past two or three years. Why? Because we are becoming a truly sovereign country, and we barely depend on anybody. We are capable of firmly standing on our feet when it comes to the economy. I have already talked about economic growth rates. We are strengthening our defence capability. The combat readiness of the Russian Armed Forces is the highest in the world today. I assure you it is the highest. The same is true of our defence industry. We are increasing the production of everything our army and navy need now and will need in the future. We are doing so confidently and quickly, unlike our opponents. I have already spoken about the successes of our armed forces, which are due in large measure to production growth in the defence industry of the Russian Federation. As I have said, we are doing this confidently and quite rationally. It has been said that our forces are advancing along the front line. One explanation for this is the existence of the equipment I have mentioned. Yes, in fact all NATO countries are fighting against us. We spoke about our inflation. And what is the situation over there? Take a 155 mm shell, which cost 2,000 euros two years ago and now costs four times more, 8,000 euros. If this trend persists, two percent of GDP spending on defence in NATO countries, which President-elect Donald Trump always insisted on, will not suffice. Even three percent will not be enough. The training and combat standards and the morale of the Russian armed forces are higher than those of any other army in the world. That is why I believe that Russia has largely achieved the state we wanted to achieve. It has grown stronger and become a truly sovereign state, and we will make decisions without looking at other people’s opinions, only with our national interests in mind. You have mentioned Syria. You and, as I said, those who pay your salary would like to present the current developments in Syria as Russia’s defeat. I assure you that this is not the case, and here is why. We came to Syria ten years ago to prevent the creation of a terrorist enclave there, like the one that we saw in some other countries, for example, Afghanistan. We have achieved that goal, by and large. Even the groups that were fighting against the Assad regime and the government forces back then have undergone internal changes. It is not surprising that many European countries and the United States are trying to develop relations with them now. Would they be doing this if they were terrorist organisations? This means that they have changed, doesn’t it? So, our goal has been achieved, to a certain degree. Next, we did not deploy any ground forces in Syria; they simply were not present there. Our presence consisted solely of two bases: an air base and a naval base. The ground operations were conducted by the Syrian armed forces and, as is widely known, there is no secret here, certain pro-Iranian combat units. At one point, we even withdrew our special operations forces from the area. We were not engaged in combat there. So, what transpired? When armed opposition groups advanced towards Aleppo, the city was defended by approximately 30,000 personnel. However, when 350 militants entered the city, the government forces, along with the pro-Iranian units, withdrew without resistance, demolishing their positions as they left. This pattern was observed across nearly the entire Syrian territory, with only minor exceptions where skirmishes occurred. In the past, our Iranian friends requested assistance to move their units into Syria; now they have asked us to help withdraw them. We facilitated the relocation of 4,000 Iranian fighters to Tehran from the Khmeimim air base. Some pro-Iranian units withdrew to Lebanon, others to Iraq, without engaging in combat. The current situation in the Syrian Arab Republic remains challenging. We sincerely hope for peace and stability to be restored. We maintain dialogue with all groups controlling the situation there and with all regional countries. An overwhelming majority of them have expressed interest in retaining our military bases in Syria. I do not know, we must reflect on how our relations will evolve with the political forces currently in control and those that will govern this country in the future – our interests must align. Should we remain, we must act in the interests of the host nation. What will those interests entail? What can we do for them? These questions demand careful consideration on both sides. We are already capable of offering assistance, including utilising our bases – we have extended this proposal to our partners within Syria and neighbouring nations. For instance, we suggested employing the Khmeimim air base for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria, and this was met with understanding and a willingness to collaborate. The same applies to the Tartus naval base. Therefore, for those who wish to depict Russia as weakened… since you are an American, I would like to remind you of a well-known writer who once remarked: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Should there be an opportunity for a meeting with the newly elected President, Donald Trump, I am confident there will be plenty to discuss. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, about the murder of General Kirillov. You have mentioned this was an “attempted assassination.” I thank you for this, because you have indirectly acknowledged that it was a terrorist attack. Why? Because the modus operandi used by the perpetrator for this murder endangered the lives of many. The regime in Kiev has repeatedly committed similar crimes, acts of terror, and terrorist attacks against many citizens of the Russian Federation, let alone what they are doing in Kursk now, firing at civilians – I mean in the Kursk Region – and in other regions of Russia. They have killed journalists, your colleagues – committed terrorist attacks against journalists. However, we have never heard – I am not referring to you personally – anyone from the Western journalistic corps openly |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: All right. Do you need some time to think? You can gather your |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I apologise for missing this part of your question, which is very important. Politics is the art of compromise. We have always said that we are ready for both negotiations and compromises. The problem is that the opposing side, both literally and figuratively, rejected negotiations. We, on the contrary, have always been willing to talk, and talking always leads to finding a compromise. We did reach an agreement in Istanbul in late 2022. I repeat for the umpteenth time: the Ukrainian side initialled that document, which meant that generally, it agreed with what it contained. Suddenly they wanted out. It is clear why. Because your ally, Mr Johnson, the man with an iconic hairstyle, told them they were to fight to the last Ukrainian. This is what they are doing. They will soon run out of Ukrainians who want to fight. I believe there will soon be no one left who wants to fight. So, we are ready, but we need that country to be ready for both negotiations and compromise. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: We have talked with the Americans, now we will talk with the Tatars. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Artur, you have said that so many world leaders have never met in Moscow. This is correct, they did not, but they have met in Kazan. So, we are grateful to Kazan for giving us this opportunity. This is the first point. Second, we are not planning to establish a headquarters now. There are several instruments that have been created and are working in the interests of our group. But we will certainly make use of the possibilities offered by the capital of Tatarstan, which have been created there over the past decades. Kazan has made an astonishing leap in its development. I believe, and it is not an exaggeration, that Kazan is one of the best cities in Europe. I am pleased to say so. We are proud of Moscow, which is one of the largest and best mega-cities in the world, but Kazan is developing very rapidly and actively. I remember visiting it with Mintimer Shaimiyev. I have told before that we entered a mud hut on the outskirts of Kazan, a real mud hut where people lived. It was a deep hole with a roof above it. However, as is typical of the Tatar culture, it was very clean, and there was tasty chak-chak fried dough dessert on the table. You will not see anything like this in Kazan now. The city is developing. It is beautiful, and it even has a metro system. I talked with Mr Shaimiyev back then that this needed to be done, and it has been done. Your new leader, Rustam Minnikhanov, has taken over the baton and is working very effectively. Overall, people in Kazan and Tatarstan as a whole are talented. They come from different ethnic groups, but they live in peace and accord with each other, respect each other and their traditions, and I know that they attend each other’s religious feasts. You are doing this very well. I congratulate you on this. There is another aspect that I would like to highlight. You said that BRICS has evolved into a tool for countering the West. This is not true; you are mistaken. BRICS is not a tool for countering the West. Our work is not aimed against anyone. We focus on our own interests and the interests of the group’s member countries. Giving BRICS any kind of a confrontational agenda is not what we are after. This group has grown within a very short period of time and expanded its ranks. As you know, and we have mentioned this many times, so I will not repeat it to save time, many countries have expressed interest in developing the BRICS format. Why? Because ensuring reciprocity, mutual respect and respecting each other’s interests have been our core guiding principles in this effort. We adopt all decisions by consensus, which is a very important point. There are no small or big countries within BRICS, no countries that are more or less developed: this is a group based on common interests. And there is one common interest: development. We try to identify available tools and create new ones for generating more economic growth and transforming the structure of the economy in order for it to be in step with the global development agenda, ensuring that BRICS countries and the group as a whole are at the forefront of this progressive movement. This is the way we will be operating. Thank you very much. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: What was the title again? Maxim Dolgov: Good afternoon, Mr President. Maxim Dolgov, Readovka. Here is my question. Many countries have been facing the issue of ageing and population decline these days, and Russia is no exception. It is interesting that there have been all these measures to increase the birthrate, and you have recently signed a law establishing the Council for Demographic and Family Policy. But if these laws fall short of their promise, what will we do? Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: We will improve them. Take your seat, please. This is an extremely important matter. In fact, this is one of the key issues for Russia, and not only for our country. You were right to say that demography has become a matter of grave concern not only for Russia, but also for many countries around the world. The Soviet Union was able to achieve replacement-level fertility of two points. What does the fertility rate mean? It stands for the number of children per woman. There was a time in the history of the Soviet Union when the fertility rate was equal to two. And there was a time in Russia’s recent past when we reached a rate of 1.7. Unfortunately, it fell to 1.41. Is this a lot or a little? Of course, it is very little. However, there are other countries facing a similar situation and located in a similar region. This includes Finland, where the birthrate is even lower, and I think Norway is at the same level. The fertility rate in Spain is lower, and this is also true for many other countries. In some developed countries, for example, in Japan, it is even lower than that, and South Korea has a fertility rate as low as 0.7. This is terrible. We have a slightly better situation in Russia, but just to reach the replacement fertility rate we must have 2.1 children per woman, and we need at least 2.3 for our population to grow. I have said many times before what happened during the previous decades. There was a sharp decline in birth rate during the Great Patriotic War, especially in 1943–1944, and then, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the birth rate sank again similarly. What happened next? I will take a couple of minutes to explain. When a low-numbered generation reaches the reproductive age, it reproduces in similarly low numbers. These two birth rate decline trends – the trend of the Great Patriotic War and the trend after the collapse of the Soviet Union – later converged, continuing in similar fluctuations to this day. The number of women of reproductive age has gone down 30 percent. We need more girls, young women. What are we doing to improve the situation? An entire programme was developed. We address this matter continuously, improving the available instruments. Once again, it works differently in different periods of time. First, there is a benefit for families with children that is quite effective. We pay this benefit from the moment a woman becomes pregnant and until the child reaches 18. This benefit is now available to over 10 million children and around 320,000 pregnant women. Second, we invented a unique tool that no other country offers – maternity capital that we continue to replenish. Next, family mortgage rates with 6 percent interest are still available. I suppose we will talk more about mortgages and construction later. In essence, family mortgage is still available. We pay 450,000 rubles to families who have a third child, specifically to pay their mortgages. We are developing the system that encompasses healthcare, childhood and maternity, and we will continue to do everything and improve these instruments further. These matters are very important. I want to take this opportunity and address the heads of all Russian regions: this is what your working day should begin with and end with because it is a challenge for many countries, Russia included. The population is what makes a country. One territory is good, but it must be populated by the citizens of this country. Perhaps we are doing a lot, but it is perfectly clear that these measures are not enough. We will be able to say that yes, we are doing something useful when we can overturn this trend and achieve the indicators I mentioned earlier. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I congratulate you on this. This alone makes you a happy person. Anna Shenkao: Thank you. I am sure of that. I want our viewers and listeners to join me in celebrating your family, and follow your example, first of all. Secondly, this is the usual formula for evaluating someone’s income. They take into account everything, and they do use the previous year’s figures. I cited evaluating economic growth as an example – in any case, it is recalculated only the following year. Therefore, they consider the previous year’s income. Certainly, we can deliberate on this matter. I will ask Ms Tatyana Golikova and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to examine the issue. However, that is not the most important point – what truly matters is that the issue you mentioned might arise for other reasons, namely a small excess of income over the threshold at which payments under the flat-rate allowance are still provided. That is purely a procedural approach. We have given a lot of thought to how we can avert the situation that you and your family are experiencing. In principle, the decision has already been reached – we should recalculate personal income tax and subsequently refund at least seven percent of the tax your family has paid. We will see how this unfolds. Hopefully, it will offset your loss from not receiving the respective money under the allowance you mentioned. We will see how it all pans out. The Government’s assumption was that this measure would reimburse you the amount that was underpaid as part of the allowance you receive. That decision was made recently. I reiterate my hope that this issue will be resolved. That is the first point. Secondly, with regard to holidays and travel, you are right – such a problem does exist. I have already spoken to the relevant executives on this matter. By the way, our air transportation industry is operating steadily and quite successfully. Last year, they carried, I believe, 105 million passengers, and this year they are set to transport 111 million passengers. What is going on there? There is a provision – it is stated in the code – that multi-child families, families with children, are entitled to a 50 percent discount, I think, on fares. This applies to the standard fare. What do the airline companies do? They introduce their own discounts – minor, insignificant, but these are not standard fares. Then they claim, “We have a discounted fare, we already have a non-standard fare, so we will not give a 50 percent discount.” This practice must be curtailed. I fully agree with you and urge the Government, together with the airlines, to address this problem no later than January 14 next year. We will solve this problem. As for excess income, the refund of seven percent of the personal income tax, we will also observe how it works. Anna Shenkao: Thank you. Thank you very much. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I have mentioned the Chechen Republic and Tuva. In Chechnya and Tuva, demographics are good. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Thank you for the question. You mentioned that demographics are in good shape in Chechnya. Please take a seat. Yes, demographics are indeed in good shape in Chechnya and Tuva. These are two federal constituent entities where the demographic situation is favourable. In this regard, are additional measures needed? I would say we should simply say thank you, provide support, and encourage others to follow your example. For regions where the birth rate is below the fertility rate of 1.41, there is a clear need for a dedicated programme to support them. This is precisely what we are planning to do for these regions. There are about 35 of such regions, if memory serves. A separate support programme is being developed for these areas, with a funding of 75 billion rubles over the next few years. That is what we are going to do. Now, regarding the Moscow-Adler-Grozny-Makhachkala railway. We have several questions in this regard. First, we need to ensure traffic along the Black Sea coast, provide proper access to Sochi, and eliminate traffic jams that tend to snarl traffic near Adler, especially during the tourist season. The congestions often leaves people stuck for hours. This situation arose because, during preparations for the Olympic Games, a bypass road for Sochi was built, which created a bottleneck. It is, in fact, an old road that was slightly renovated, but two traffic flows – the old traffic flow and the Greater Sochi bypass flow – are merging there, creating a single congested access to Adler. This bottleneck needs to be broken up to make sure vehicles are not stuck in traffic. By the way, Chechen construction companies will be involved in this work near Adler, though I am not sure about the details. With regard to Grozny-Makhachkala, this is also an important consideration which should be addressed in the future. It is a good idea. Not to hurt anyone’s feelings, let’s take “Chechnya. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: It is great. You know, it is a miracle, a present-day miracle for Russia. You know, I flew over Grozny during the harsh years when we were still fighting terrorists there, primarily international terrorist groups. The city was one big ruin, and you could hear machine gun rounds targeting the helicopter from these ruins. At the time, there were quite a few people in Chechnya who talked about moving the capital to Gudermes. However, both the first President of the Chechen Republic, and the incumbent President spoke out against these proposals arguing that Grozny had established itself as Chechnya’s historical capital, a capital of the Chechen people, and that it would be rebuilt at whatever cost. What has been achieved in Grozny over the past two years is a true miracle. Of course, credit for these achievements primarily goes to the current President of the Republic. Even more importantly, this is something the people of Chechnya achieved together. Their hard-working nature and their talent played an instrumental role. I am not even talking about the mosque. What a beauty! And look at all these new buildings and architectural solutions. We cannot fail to feel pride for what has been achieved in Chechnya and in Grozny over the recent years. I would like to commend and congratulate you on these achievements. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: It is great. We really need it. The National Guard has been using it all the time. After all, it trains not only people from Chechnya, but from across the country. When I talk to some fighters who are currently fighting in the combat zone and who do not come from Chechnya, I ask them: “Where are you from?” And they tell me that they got their training at this centre. This centre plays an important role in enhancing our national defence capabilities. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: We often discuss cooperation between Russia and the People’s Republic of China. Next year, we will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between our countries. A great deal has transpired in our relations over these years, but in the past decade, the level and quality of our relations have reached unprecedented heights in our history. I will address the economic aspect now, but first and foremost, it is about mutual trust. Everything we do in relation to each other and how we do it is based on absolute trust to policies of both sides. We engage in nothing that contradicts our interests, and we do much that benefits both the Chinese people and the peoples of the Russian Federation. I have already mentioned the economy: according to various estimates, it stands at US$220–230 billion, and according to Chinese statistics, up to $240 billion in dollar terms. The trade turnover is impressive. Over the past year, despite such a solid foundation, growth continues. It is moderate, with an expected three percent increase, but growth is present. That is the first part. The second part concerns investment. We have nearly 600 joint investment projects amounting to US$200 billion. What does this indicate? It suggests that the future is secure. Lastly, a very significant component, in my opinion, is the humanitarian aspect. We regularly hold cross years: the Year of Culture, the Year of Youth Exchanges, and so forth. This is crucial for the people of both countries. It forms the basis for developing economic ties and political cooperation. The most critical aspect is regional cooperation. Regional leaders engage with one another: Maotai and vodka, of course, play a part there. But everything is in moderation, as far as I understand. This personal vibe is important, and there are exchanges between students, between higher education institutions, and so on. Now, regarding the Great Patriotic War. The Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China are the countries that suffered the most and achieved victory in the Second World War at the cost of the heaviest losses. We used to say 20, then 25, and now some historians estimate 27 million dead. The toll is even higher in China. It is not widely discussed, but in China, it exceeds 30 million. What the Japanese militarists did on Chinese soil was horrific, a dreadful ordeal. The Chinese people endured that trial. We stood together then, and we stand together now, which is the most important factor, I keep emphasising it, for stability in global affairs. An instrument of stability, originally created for this purpose, is the United Nations Organisation: Russia and China, as founders of the Organisation and permanent members of the Security Council. We very often, almost always, coordinate our actions on the international stage, and this is a very significant element of international life. We will continue doing so. I extend my very best wishes to the leader of the People’s Republic of China, a man I consider my friend, President Xi Jinping. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: This is a highly sensitive and pressing issue, not just for us, but even more so for Europe. On the one hand, we face a significant shortage of workers. As I have mentioned before, our unemployment rate is just 2.3 percent, which is effectively negligible. Business leaders and government officials consistently report substantial shortfalls, particularly in the construction and industrial sectors, with the demand reaching into the hundreds of thousands. This is an undeniable fact. What is the solution? First, to reduce reliance on labour migrants, we need to focus on increasing labour productivity. This involves introducing and utilising technologies that minimise the demand for large numbers of unskilled workers. By shifting the emphasis toward high-tech sectors, we can achieve desired outcomes without the need to bring in significant numbers of migrants for unskilled labour. That is the first step. Second, if the influx of labour migrants is unavoidable, we must collaborate with partner countries, particularly those in Central Asia, to prepare individuals effectively. This includes expanding a network of Russian-language schools, promoting the study of Russian, and familiarising prospective workers with our traditions, culture, and legal requirements. And of course, we need to tighten requirements to migrants that are already in Russia, ensuring that they respect the communities in which they live and work. This responsibility falls on law enforcement agencies. In essence, the solution requires a balanced approach, integrating both economic and law enforcement measures. There were extensive discussions about whether we should establish a separate agency (which we once had) or keep it within the Interior Ministry. I believe that today, we need to strengthen this area of work within the Interior Ministry. We should establish a dedicated and robust division or centre either within the Interior Ministry or under its auspices, which should comprise representatives from economic departments to ensure that all decisions are made holistically, in close coordination with other ministries, departments, and regional authorities. A significant volume of regulation exists and it should primarily be handled at the regional level. However, all of this should be coordinated from a single centre. As the system matures and gains the necessary competencies, there may be a need for a separate agency in the future. This agency should incorporate both a law enforcement and an economic component. Certain steps in this direction have already been taken, with the State Duma passing a law that grants the right not to accept migrant children who do not speak Russian into schools. This makes sense since it is impossible to teach a child if they do not understand the language. There needs to be separate instruction in Russian for these children, but who will bear the cost of this additional language training? We need to ensure that, on the one hand, the people who arrive have equal rights, that they have guaranteed access to healthcare and social security, but on the other hand, this should not be an additional burden on the local population in the host region. It is essential that everyone is comfortable. There are many issues involved. And of course, the Government should pay great attention to this. How could this be developed? I just said that initially, this could be done within the Interior Ministry, and later, perhaps, if the situation requires, we will create a separate agency, which |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Look, Russian citizenship is indeed granted by Presidential executive orders. But this is a purely formal act that must be prepared locally, by relevant agencies, commissions and committees. The issue you just raised is part of what we call working with compatriots, meaning individuals who feel that they belong to Russia. They speak Russian, they consider themselves part of our culture, part of the Russian world, and as a rule, they are also highly qualified specialists. We are truly interested in attracting such professionals to Russia; we would like them to work and live here. We actually have a state programme for this. Well, apparently, it is not working as effectively as it should. Clearly, we need to improve these mechanisms. You mentioned Ukrainians. It is quite possible that there are as many Ukrainians already living in Russia as in Ukraine; maybe even more. I am not kidding – this is quite possible, I mean, if we take into account the people living in our new territories, Crimea as well as those who have moved to Russia, there are millions of people. This suggests we have about the same number of Ukrainians living here as in Ukraine now. Speaking of which, they are welcome in Russia, the door is open to them. These people are part of our culture; they are part of our nation. As I said, these mechanisms certainly need to be improved. We are interested in qualified workforce, including people who simply – well, not “simply,” as this is not a simple thing at all – who uphold our traditional values. This is difficult to assess. We need to work on this to be able to do this effectively. We will certainly continue doing this. As for the specific case you mentioned – please send me this person’s details, will you? We will definitely help him. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Thank you for this question and for highlighting this problem. This is an outrage, first of all, because there should be no limits, and the Government and I have already discussed this topic. I was promised – and I will check how well this promise is being fulfilled – that there will be no limits. Because at the end of the day, this is all about subsidies from the state. Banks should enjoy receiving six percent from those who use family mortgage loans, while the difference between the bank rate and this six percent should be reimbursed by the state. And there should be no limits on the part of the state. This difference ends up in banks, by the way, it is income for them, and not a small one. So if they refuse to approve a family mortgage, it means that the Government does not send this subsidy to the bank in time, probably. I will check, I promise you, I will definitely check. But we have agreed that there will be no limits. This is the first point. Second, this refers to family mortgages at three percent and to rural mortgages. Family mortgages are issued at six percent, rural mortgages at three percent. This is a very important tool in housing construction. Why? Because of the total volume of housing built – which last year was 110 million square metres, a record high since the Soviet Union, nothing like this had ever happened before – 50 percent were private houses, mostly in rural areas. Moreover, such mortgages are taken out by people under 40 or a little older, they move to rural areas, live there, take out mortgages, and build families. This mortgage plan should not have any limits either. It amounts to a few tens of billions for the budget, which is absolutely uncritical, and it should be preserved. The same goes for IT mortgages. How much do we have? Six or five percent. In any case, it is a preferential mortgage, and there are not that many people who take it out. We discussed it just recently, and someone suggested that it should be terminated but there is little sense in doing it so as to save budget funds. Family mortgages are definitely staying, and rural mortgages are definitely staying. I ask the Government to provide the necessary subsidies. We will put things in order here. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Far Eastern mortgages at two percent are staying, so do the Arctic mortgages – two percent, and the new regions – two percent. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: By the way, sorry to interrupt, 110 million square metres of housing were built last year. This year, it will be slightly less – around 105 million – but that is still a very good figure. Phone scammers. The severity of this problem can be understood from just one number: 250 billion rubles –that is how much scammers stole from Russians this year, according to Sberbank estimates. These miscreants call and say all sorts of things: they claim to represent the Central Bank or the Federal Security Service (FSB), warn that deposits in all banks will be frozen, and demand that people transfer money to other accounts, or even take out loans. Yelena Markelova from Kazan found herself in such a situation. Let us watch her video appeal now. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, you are right. What is your name? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Ms Markelova, you are absolutely right. There is not much I can add to what you said. Indeed, banks have become adept at issuing loans quickly – practically instantly – but they must assess the borrower’s solvency. There is even a specific rule stating that if more than 50 percent of a citizen’s income goes toward servicing a loan, issuing such a loan becomes more costly for the bank, and the burden on the bank’s capital increases. This rule comes from the Central Bank. However, what is happening now is deeply concerning, because the scale of this fraud is off the charts. At a recent Sberbank event, German Gref briefed me on this issue. He explained that across the entire banking system, scammers from the territory of Ukraine alone, where fraudulent activity has essentially been elevated to the level of state policy, where entire centres operating under the control of special services are dedicated to swindling money from Russian citizens, have stolen over 250 billion rubles from our citizens’ accounts. Of course, these practices have reached a substantial scale. In fact, Nazi Germany acted in a similar fashion by printing banknotes of our World War II allies, including the UK. They printed pound sterling notes and placed them into circulation in order to undermine the British economy. We are witnessing a similar trend in present-day Ukraine as far as these fraudulent practices are concerned. Of course, we need to make sure that there is discipline in this sector, so this is something that deserves our serious attention. For example, let them grant loans under 50,000 rubles, and let them do this online and instantly. As for the loans between 50,000 and 200,000 rubles, people definitely need at least several hours to carry out additional checks and take a final decision. As for the loans exceeding 200,000 rubles, this process must definitely take at least several days. I know that both the State Duma and the Central Bank have been discussing these matters and are committed to further improving the decisions dealing with the capital burden with respect to the banks granting unsecured loans of this kind. I hope that these efforts will enable us to achieve the desired outcomes. There is another problem, as reported by both the Central Bank Governor and the Interior Ministry. Credit cards are opened for people who are not taking part in this fraud, or so it seems. The scammers get money out of their victims by first transferring it to the so-called intermediary cards, and then take hold of the money from these cards. Meanwhile, those who open these credit cards pretend that they are not involved in any way. There is a proposal to strengthen controls in this regard and to tighten liability for these people, since they are accomplices in these crimes and are taking part in these scams. They may not be doing anything from a formal point of view, but they know why someone is opening a credit card in their name. The proposal consists of making this a criminal offence. I am not saying that this decision is approved, but we will definitely have to move in this direction. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I do not know anyone in my entourage who suffered from these practices, but there are certainly those who told me that they got calls from scammers. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Maybe so, but as soon as they hear an unfamiliar voice making any kind of proposals to them dealing with doing anything along these lines, they hang up immediately. And this would be my advice for all people of Russia. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: No. The priority targets include military sites and defence industry manufacturing facilities. The list can also include decision-making centres. As for these call centres, we will not waste our munitions on them. There is no reason for doing so. We must take the necessary measures here in Russia and to work through the relevant institutions, including the Central Bank and the federal Government, as well as the Interior Ministry’s departments. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Indeed. Firstly, regarding the illegitimacy of the regime, I have previously addressed this issue. I understand that the leader, the mastermind behind this movement, this organisation… Is it the Other Ukraine organisation? Galina Merkulova: It’s a movement. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, it is, apparently, Viktor Medvedchuk, isn’t it? We rarely see each other, but I am aware that he shares this view. So, what constitutes the illegitimacy of the regime? Allow me to reiterate: there is no provision in the Constitution of Ukraine to extend the powers of the President, even under martial law. There is only one representative body of power, the Council, or the Rada, whose powers can be extended without elections under martial law. I repeat, this is the Rada. What is the challenge for Ukraine? I understand that you are cognisant of this: the state system in Ukraine is structured in such a way that a plethora of government bodies are appointed by the president. This includes regional governors, leadership of all law enforcement agencies, and so forth. However, if the head of state is illegitimate, then everything else loses its legitimacy in terms of executive bodies and law enforcement agencies. And everything they do, following his instructions, makes them aware that they are complicit in this unlawful activity. This is the first point. Now, regarding the conditions for starting negotiations: We have no preconditions. We are ready to engage in dialogue without any preconditions. However, as I have mentioned numerous times before, based on the agreements that we reached during the negotiation process in Istanbul at the end of 2022 and proceeding from the current realities on the ground. Our positions were clearly outlined, including in my June speech to the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Everything that needs to be said is already there. There is no point in repeating. If the head of the regime is illegitimate, then with whom? You know, if someone were to go through elections and gain legitimacy, we would talk with anyone, including Zelensky. If Ukraine truly wants a peaceful settlement, they have the ability to organise this process within their country as they see fit. We can only sign agreements with those who hold legitimate authority, such as the Verkhovna Rada and its Chair, who are fully subordinate to the head of the regime. This is simply a formal legal matter. They can organise it as they see fit within their country. But if we ever get to the point of signing a document, it can only be done with the representatives of legitimate authorities, that is the bottom line. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: You know, what is happening with regard to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine is a unique situation. This is a gross, blatant violation of human rights, the rights of believers. The church is being torn apart right before everyone’s eyes. This is like execution by firing squad, and yet the world seems to ignore it. I think those who engage in such actions will get it back. You mentioned that they are tearing things apart, and that is exactly what is happening. These people are not even atheists. Atheists are individuals who believe in the idea that there is no God, but this is their faith, their convictions and worldview. But these are not atheists; they are people without any faith at all. They are ethnic Jews, but who has ever seen them in a synagogue? They are not Orthodox Christians either, since they do not attend churches. And they certainly are not followers of Islam, as they are unlikely to be seen in a mosque. These are individuals without kith or kin. They do not care about anything that is dear to us and the overwhelming majority of the Ukrainian people. Eventually, they will run away someday and go to the beach rather than to church. But that is their choice. I believe that someday the people in Ukraine, and the majority of Ukrainians are still connected to Orthodoxy, will evaluate their actions accordingly. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, there is no need for lengthy discussion, because we already have a programme for developing internet connectivity, including high-speed internet, as well as communication infrastructure in general. This involves satellite constellations, particularly those focused on communication systems. All of this will certainly be implemented. I will not go into the details since they are widely known and publicly available. We are working in this direction, with corresponding resources allocated and plans in place. There will be no disruptions, and we will proceed according to the plan. I very much hope that residents of remote regions too, including Chukotka, will fully enjoy the benefits of modern civilisation. For a country like ours, this is extremely important, as more and more people work remotely and receive education online. High-speed internet is critical in this regard. We will undoubtedly achieve this. There is no doubt about it. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I will make every effort to be there. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much for the invitation. The Komsomolka newspaper has been an integral part of the lives of many generations of our citizens. People would begin their day with it and continue to rely on it throughout the day. The newspaper is evolving into a modern media platform, operating across all information environments. It remains a stable, reliable, and objective media outlet. I would like to congratulate you on the success of your work and express my gratitude for the invitation. Regarding the Time of Heroes platform, I have previously mentioned that the idea occurred to me after meeting in St Petersburg with young participants, mainly students, involved in the special military operation. Observing them, I thought: here they are – the future of our country, the future workforce. This is how the concept for such a platform was conceived. I will not conceal that after returning to Moscow and presenting the idea, I requested my colleagues in the Executive Office to bring it to fruition. They are the ones who came up with the name The Time of Heroes, which I believe is an excellent choice. The first round attracted 43,000 applications. Naturally, the selection process is quite rigorous: we chose only 83 individuals from these 43,000. And understandably so, as we require individuals with experience in administrative work, those who are educated and meet the criteria necessary for future roles as leaders of major companies, municipalities, entire regions, ministries and agencies, among others. I stated this at the United Russia party congress, and I would like to reiterate it now: certainly, all are worthy – every one of our men and women fighting for their Motherland, risking their lives and health, is deserving. However, there is the matter of their suitability for the professional path they aspire to pursue. Once again, education and experience are prerequisites. In general, it is one thing to fight for the Motherland and quite another to work with people. You must possess a certain talent and aptitude for it, you know? These are distinct types of activities. We must select the right individuals from this group who are both willing and able to excel in these areas. Thus far, there have been no missteps: they are truly outstanding individuals. The second enrolment campaign is currently underway, and the number of applications has already exceeded 15,000. It will continue next year until mid-January or February, I think. This is to say that this effort is gathering pace. As for the first class, its participants continue their training, even though many of them have already received offers, and quite a few are already working in new positions. Some of them went as far as become heads of regions. This genuinely makes me happy. Some are working in the private sector, while others have taken up jobs in government institutions and administrations at all levels, including regional, local and federal agencies, as well as major corporations. I would like to reiterate what I said at the United Russia congress. During my recent visit to a rehabilitation centre, I met with young men who had suffered severe wounds. Some had lost a leg, or an arm. But here is what I wanted to tell you: there was fire in their eyes. They want and are ready to work and to make a difference. And they have everything it takes to succeed. Thanks to the latest rehabilitation methods – I am talking about the most advanced and recently developed treatments – they can do anything without any health restrictions or limitations. All we need to do is help them get there. Let me reiterate that one of these men – I remember his face – told me: “I understand that I need an education and experience, but I do not have either an education or any experience; still, I want to do it.” These are the kind of people we need. We need people who want to work. All we need to do is help them. We must find them and support them. You know, it just occurred to me that when I applied to join a judo club, our coach, Anatoly Rakhlin, told us: go ahead and do as many pull-ups as you can. For some reason, several of those who did more pull-ups than I did were not accepted. Several years later, we asked him: Mr Rakhlin, how come you refused to accept these young men, but decided to take us on board despite the fact that we could not do as many pull-ups? You know what his answer was? He was a wise man, you know. He said, this is because you put in all the effort you had until your arms were shaking, but you still kept trying to reach the bar with your chin, while those who did more pull-ups than you, they did it without any stress, and they could have done more, but they did not put in all the effort they had and did not give it their all. These men have given all they have, they are willing to go the whole nine yards, and we must help them. They need our support. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: This is a very important question, indeed. You are right. What can I say? First, this has happened before, and we have already seen these attempts and understand what our adversary is after. Unfortunately, this was not a standalone, isolated assassination attempt. In fact, people outside the military have also been targeted. I have already told your American colleague that there have been assassination attempts against journalists and public figures before. Do you remember how Dugina lost her life? What does it mean? This demonstrates the Kiev regime’s terrorist nature. At the same time, of course, it indicates that our competent law enforcement agencies and intelligence services failed to prevent these attacks and allowed these blows to reach their targets. What can I say in this regard? We must further improve their work and prevent these failures, |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Please congratulate your wife on my behalf, it is her due. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: First, regarding the YouTube slowdown. Here, there are more questions for YouTube than for us. Sorry, let me first ask whether Vlad Bumaga is your pen-name? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I see, excellent! Paper ( bumaga ), in a well-known game, is stronger than stone. Therefore, I congratulate you: 80 million subscribers, did you say? This is certainly a unique achievement. This means the content you create meets the expectations of these 80 million people. This is the result of your creative work, and I congratulate you on that. As for the slowdown, YouTube is owned by Google. When it started operating in Russia, it created its Russian subsidiaries, the legal entities on its payroll, as well as the services it should take care of. It worked with the subsidiaries it had created, but when the West started introducing various restrictions and sanctions, Google stopped or reduced the financing of these subsidiaries and the provision of the necessary equipment, thereby creating problems for itself. This is the first point. Second, YouTube and Google must comply with our laws and avoid dishonest online activities. In other words, they must not use online resources for promoting their governments’ political goals. Here is what I mean. Suppose you search for some information online, for example regarding culture or music, but instead, you are offered information that has nothing to do with culture or music but promotes a certain political platform. They are also removing the names of our artists, bloggers, politicians and the like from their services. All this amounts to a violation of Russian laws. As a result, Roskomnadzor and other relevant authorities present their claims, and rightly so. Therefore, the perpetrators face a choice. They can choose to respect our laws, which would expose them to restrictions in their own country, forcing them to limit their operations to their own territory, or they can choose to work in Russia, in which case they must respect our laws. As for what you have said, nature abhors a vacuum, and competition is growing here with the development of VK, Telegram and Rutube. If Google and YouTube, being aware of that, change the mode of their operations, they will have no problems here. Regarding the subjects that can be used to enhance the awareness of our young people, how this can be done and what should not be done, I am sure that there is no need for my advice. People like you, especially now that you have become a father, have a growing sense of responsibility. It is a responsibility to your children, their future and the country where your children will live. This feeling of responsibility is a better guide than I could ever be about what would be useful for our children in the future, what is dangerous and unacceptable, and what you should fight against, not on my instructions but at the call of your heart. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I could have mentioned them. I think I did. Yelena Usmanova: I can explain. Good afternoon, Mr President. Yelena Usmanova, Business Online newspaper from Tatarstan – this is Tatarstan again. First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of Kazan for the honour of hosting the BRICS summit, but my question is about something else, as you can see from the poster. A group of scammers deceived hundreds of families in Tatarstan who wanted their own homes. Each of them took out a preferential mortgage for individual housing construction under the state support programme, but the houses were never built. Will the authorities help the defrauded borrowers under that programme, as they once helped the unfortunate co-investors in apartment block projects who were subsequently cheated out of their property? These people continue to pay mortgages for hot air, while the government continues to transfer state support to banks for houses that were never even built. When will they start helping people, not banks? Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: There is no difference. Yelena Usmanova: Apparently, that arrangement was not yet in place at the time. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Individual housing construction qualifies for preferential mortgage programmes. As I said, the interest is 3 percent in rural areas. Single-family homes account for 50 percent of the 110 million square metres built in 2023 and 105 million this year. Fifty percent is a breakthrough. But the money should be in escrow accounts. Where have the people transferred this money and why did they do it, if those were not escrow accounts? I really do not understand what you are talking about. Yelena Usmanova: This is what happened in Tatarstan. Hundreds of families have indeed found themselves in this predicament. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Can you tell me where they transferred the money? Yelena Usmanova: I am not sure about the details. I know that they took – |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I see someone from Turkiye. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Do not worry, we will get back to you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I maintain regular contact with President Erdogan. I do not remember when we last spoke, but we certainly discussed the situation in the Middle East. Everyone is aware of President Erdogan and Turkiye’s attitude to the developments in the Middle East, as well as our stance on Lebanon and Palestine. It does not depend on fluctuations. We have always believed, and continue to do so, that the Palestinian problem can only be settled if the reasons for its existence are eliminated. There is a well-known UN Security Council decision on the establishment of two states – Israel and Palestine. Israel has been established, but the state of Palestine has not been created to this day. That is the problem. Moreover, Israel continues to implement its illegal settlement policy. I am not aware of Israel’s ultimate goal in the Gaza Strip, but its activities deserve to be censured. We have done this on many occasions and at nearly all levels, from public venues to putting forth our position at the UN Security Council. There is nothing more to add. The same goes for our stance on Lebanon. As for Syria, frankly, I believe that Turkiye is doing everything in its power to ensure its security along the southern borders in light of the situation in Syria, to create conditions for the movement of refugees from its territory to other areas, most of which are located in the Turkiye-controlled territories in Syria, and possibly to push the Kurdish forces from the border. All these goals can and possibly will be achieved, to a certain degree. And yet, I believe that the main beneficiary of the developments in Syria is Israel. You may hold any opinion about Israel’s actions, but Russia condemns the seizure of Syrian territories. Our position on this matter is clear and unchanging. At the same time, Israel is addressing its own security concerns. For instance, in the Golan Heights, Israel has advanced along the front by 62–63 kilometres and to a depth of 20–25 kilometres. They have occupied fortifications originally built for Syria by the Soviet Union, strong defensive structures comparable to the Maginot Line. We remain hopeful that Israel will eventually withdraw from Syria. However, at present, it is deploying additional troops there. It seems there are already several thousand personnel stationed there. It appears not only that they have no intention of leaving, but they may also be planning to further reinforce their presence. Moreover, the local population has already expressed a desire to be incorporated into the Jewish state, which could create further complications down the line. If the ongoing developments ultimately result in the fragmentation of Syria, these matters will need to be addressed by the local population in line with the United Nations Charter and the principle of self-determination. It is a complex issue, perhaps best reserved for future discussions. We are well aware that Turkiye has faced longstanding challenges with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party for decades. While we hope for no further escalation, some European politicians recently remarked in meetings that, after World War I, the Kurds were promised their own state but were ultimately deceived. The Kurdish population in the region is substantial, numbering in the tens of millions across Turkiye, Iran, and Iraq, where they live in concentrated communities. Estimates suggest there are at least 30 to 35 million Kurds. This underscores the gravity of the Kurdish issue. The Kurds are formidable and resilient, known for their fighting spirit. For instance, they withdrew from Manbij, but only after putting up fierce resistance. The Kurdish issue requires a resolution. This should have been addressed within the framework of Syria under President Assad. Now, it must be resolved with the authorities currently in control of Syrian territory, while Turkiye must also find a way to ensure its security. We understand the complexity of these matters. However, this is a topic for another discussion, so as not to take up time today. I want to emphasise that while challenges remain, our position firmly aligns with international law and the sovereignty of all nations, including respect for Syria’s territorial integrity. This extends to supporting the stance of the current authorities governing the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. In this regard, we stand with them. Furthermore, we maintain communication with these authorities as well as with all major groups currently exerting control in Syria. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, I am sorry. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: As for the work done by the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation… I think it was created in June, not April, but this is unimportant. It started operating in June. It was established after I had a meeting with mothers and widows of participants in the special military operation. I realised that the usual methods of support for the soldiers who needed assistance or had been heavily wounded or handicapped, for the families of our fallen heroes, were not sufficient and it was necessary to create a special mechanism, a special tool for those, among others, who were losing their connection with the Armed Forces. The Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation was created precisely for this purpose, to support the men who are leaving military service and yet require a caring attitude from the state; they need attention that is not formal or superficial but implies an individual approach to each person in every family. The foundation was created with this objective in mind. What is on its agenda? Addressing social issues, processing various allowances and payments on behalf of those who need prosthetic care or have been registered as disabled, and arranging prosthetics for them. We must give credit to the foundation: they are doing good work. They not only order an item but provide a comprehensive service. This includes training the men and selecting a facility that offers prosthetic care. They also plan for further care, ensuring that it is straightforward and does not require patients to travel across this country for treatment. Ours is a huge country after all. This problem still exists, but they are working to resolve it. This was their task. I spoke to Anna Tsivileva not so long ago. She says the requests are now amended with… Do you know what? I was quite happy to learn that the men were sending requests for jobs. This is one of the most important areas of their work, by the way. Increasingly more people are sending requests for engagement in sports and participation in cultural events. And this is a positive development. You see, this means a trend towards better options; it exists, it has emerged. And this is very encouraging. But employment is certainly the most important aspect. I have already mentioned this – they are young men with shining eyes, and they have received excellent training, something many can only dream of. In today’s conditions, they could certainly continue their service in the Armed Forces – a relevant decision has been made. What I am saying is that their further careers should not be limited to military enlistment offices, where they are unlikely to earn much, as they offer a rather modest level of income. They can work in IT, or in medicine. They can work anywhere, or they could engage in sports – military sports or civilian sports. There are various ways to achieve fulfilment, and there is a growing number of opportunities, thanks to modern technologies and with due account of personal preferences. They are working on this, and they are generally doing very well. You know, no big project is implemented without a hitch. In this case, however, we have many people working on this who have some connection with the special military operation: the widows of unfortunately fallen soldiers, the mothers of our fighters who are still there at the frontlines, or just people who care. In this sense, and perhaps because of this – incidentally, many veterans who have returned from the front are working there, too – this is probably the key reason the work is going well. I was reluctant to let the head of the foundation, Anna Tsivileva, go to work for the Defence Ministry, but I finally consented to Minister Belousov’s proposal when he told me that he thought it would be a good idea to build a seamless support system, which would encompass those who continue to serve in the Armed Forces, with the Defence Ministry, those who are still fighting, but need some support measures, as well as those who are now beyond the scope of the Defence Ministry. I thought we needed someone to do this. Just recently, last summer, I think, the Defence Ministry created a social centre. So today, this social centre and the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation are working as a one-stop shop, which helps people who are part of the Defence Ministry system and those who are not. This system seamlessly combines both spheres. They are probably struggling with many problems, but overall, the work is improving. They have actually participated in decision-making on compensation rules for wounded soldiers. Until now, all wounded soldiers in our country received 3 million rubles regardless of the severity of their case – a small scratch, a minor injury, or a serious injury that led to disability – everyone received 3 million. In fact, servicemen themselves have asked the Ministry of Defence and the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation to change this system, and we did. Now the fighters who are seriously injured, receive 4 million. But when this was reported to me, I immediately saw that the fighters who had been seriously injured and received disabilities before that, had been paid 3 million. And now, we have started paying four, meaning they have been left out. So, I had a simple idea: those who had earlier received 3 million, need to be given an additional million retroactively. This means the government has underpaid them. So, now all of them are receiving an additional million each, and the payments are being processed quickly. This work is also organised by the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. Dmitry |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Putin: Excuse me, Ksenia has been raising her hand for a while. Please, Ksenia. Ksenia |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Putin: First, let me thank you for what you are doing. Providing direct assistance to people is extremely important. Second, I want to express gratitude to all volunteers. Their work is invaluable, but it also comes with risks. Sadly, there have even been losses among volunteers. Their efforts often reach individuals more directly and sometimes reveal where state mechanisms are effective and where they fall short. As for your suggestion, we do have programmes in place. For instance, there is a recovery programme for the Kursk Region, with allocated funding that is already practically in place. Similar measures are being implemented in other border regions, including Belgorod and Bryansk regions. No one will be left without support. You probably perceive these needs more acutely, given your involvement. I will personally consider how this can be organised and will consult with the relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Defence and regional governors, to explore how these efforts can be coordinated – whether through a one-stop shop or some other mechanism. We will definitely think it through. Thank you, Ksenia. I do not have an immediate answer right now, but the question you have raised is absolutely valid, and we will work on a solution. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: It is a very sensitive issue for many. It is one thing when a person is fighting and, God willing, everything turns out well. There are different forms of benefits. In general, they are quite decent: there is battle pay, sometimes also called detached-duty allowance, for those who found themselves in certain regions before the start of the special military operation and it was considered a tour of duty. There is also pay for participation in offensive and storming operations, and in organising defence. There is a slight difference, but the grounds for pay are real. When a person disappears from the radar, the matter of family support arises. We discussed this, and the Defence Minister is aware of this issue. There are at least two things that need to be done. First of all, it is necessary to expedite final decisions. When information is lacking, families stop receiving corresponding benefits because the person is not there; he is not involved in any offensive or defensive operation; he is not receiving battle pay, and so forth. As a result, the scope of family support diminishes. Here, the Ministry of Defence and the Government must take a different decision – on what can substitute these payments at least partly. There are different ideas: to develop a form of child benefit, or find another solution. But a decision is necessary on temporary measures, and this matter must be resolved promptly. I will not go into details now. Overall, the Ministry of Defence is aware of this problem and is working on it. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: There is no need to scold officials. Why is that so? The decision-making process is difficult; and when it reaches me, there are this kind of questions and problems. There are various ways to approach the solution: some of my colleagues believe it should be done one way, and others think differently. When there is a dispute or a fork, as they say in the Government, as they are deciding on an issue, then my colleagues come to me asking to make the final decision, as the commander. They ask for instructions so they won’t forget anything; the final decision is turned into instructions, and they get down to work. There are many bureaucratic subtleties; |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Considering the living, I would like to meet with my friends and relatives more often, to have tea and talk with them. As for the deceased world leaders, I was in touch with German Chancellor [Helmut] Kohl, though not very personally, but for a long time. He was a person of the global scale, and not just because he was a big man but because of his actions and convictions. He came to visit me right after our first meeting in 1993 and continued to do so for a very long time, not very often but regularly, even after his term ended. I had the pleasure – let me stress this – to talk to him. It was a big political figure of that time, as they used to say in the Soviet Union. He did a lot for his country and for the Germans. He was a major European and global politician. I vividly recall many of our conversations. They were very useful for me; I am saying this without exaggeration. President of France [Jacques] Chirac was a very interesting person, too. Just interesting. You know, he was something of an encyclopedist, or an academic: he knew everything you could ask about. It was curious, honestly. He had an opinion about everything, and he always stood for it. He was a very tactful and courteous person. I learned a lot from him, Chirac too: his behaviour, and his intelligence among other traits. Berlusconi was slightly different, but also very pleasant to talk to, he was active and very tenacious. Just like Chirac, he did a lot for the development of Russian-Italian relations. Despite what is happening today, we can feel that that there is a certain affection for Russia in Italian society, just like we feel affection for Italy. All of them made a significant contribution to the development of bilateral relations and world politics. Their company was always interesting. They had strong personalities and their own opinions. It was all focused on achieving the maximum result for their countries and strengthening the sovereignty of their states. I still have many friends in Asia. I have already spoken about friendly relations with… |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Putin: With China and India. I have very warm relations with the Prime Minister of India. I have many people I can talk with. However, like any person, I would like to say once again that these are my family and some friends I have had since childhood, and I treasure that a lot. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Initially, I had a deposit in Sberbank, I think. Then, when Rossiya Bank was the first financial institution to be sanctioned, I demonstratively transferred my money there. I think, my salary is also transferred there. Next question: “Did Elvira Nabiullina tell you what the Central Bank rate will be tomorrow?” I think this would be interesting not only for Valery Semenov from the Pskov Region, who wrote this question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: No, she does not tell me what the rate will be. Perhaps she does not know this yet, because they discuss it at the board meeting, their “Komsomol cell,” and make the final decision in the course of the discussion. I hope that it will be balanced and will meet today’s requirements. Another question: “Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s predictions about the developments in the Middle East and the South Caucasus are coming true. Will other predictions of the LDPR founder come true?” |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Of course, I knew Vladimir Zhirinovsky well. He was no fortune teller, but he liked provocations and had fun shocking others. However, he was an erudite, and a well-prepared one; he was a specialist on the Middle East. A true expert. Everything he said came true because he relied on his analysis of what was happening in Russia and the world, and forecast the unfolding of the situation. This really comes true. However, it was a forecast based on real knowledge and the experience he had as an expert. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: There is a man in a mask. You’re next, okay? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Please, please. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: This is a very important question, because agriculture is a key sector of the Russian economy. I have already said that it is developing at a good pace: three percent per year. We cannot but be pleased with what is happening in agriculture. I have already given this example, but I will still say this, if I remember it right. In 1986, if I remember correctly, the Soviet Union purchased 35 million tonnes of grain. Last year, we exported 56 million tonnes. We started exporting grain back in 2000, but it was only 1.2 or 1.3 million tonnes; and today it is 66 million tonnes. It seems impossible, but it is happening. Look, we are among the three largest exporters of food to the world market, and the top one wheat exporter in the world. Last year we had a record harvest of 148 million; this year it will be 130 million, but this is also a very large harvest, and we are stable: we have harvested over 100 million tonnes for 10 years and have a stable large supply for export operations. As I have already said, we have completely covered our need in meat – 100 percent – and we export it. There are problems with dairy, fruit and vegetable products, but there is also a development programme. Everything is growing gradually. Social issue in the country is one of the most important problems. There is a programme for the socioeconomic development of the countryside, and overall its has funding. Of course, it may be not enough, but the main thing is to increase the level of well-being and income of people living in the countryside. All other issues will be resolved based on this. I am sure that we will make progress in this area. Personnel is also a key element. We have traditionally focused on personnel since the Soviet Union era, and now work in the rural areas is becoming more interesting. It is a whole industry now. It requires high-class specialists in various areas: biology and chemistry, in addition to traditional agronomists, and genetics as well. For example, genetics is an important area, and it is currently developing at the highest pace precisely because of and in the interests of agriculture. I think all this is very interesting, and we should talk about this not only at events like this once a year, but constantly, as well as create conditions for young people who would be interested in coming and working in this sector of the economy. The government will do everything possible to attract applicants this industry needs; and manufacturers must do what they do in other industries: create conditions to send people for training intentionally, pick personnel they need during the training, and ensure their work at enterprises and industrial practice. We will certainly provide for all of this. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, please. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I am not sure if I should say it. Ok, I will. You know a popular joke, a banter about a family at table with a little boy doing a crossword puzzle, who says: “Tell me a four-letter word.” His mom hits him on the forehead with a spoon – bang! He cries: Why? It’s ‘home.’ Then the father bangs his wife saying: “You should think about your home! Think about your home.” You have said that some continents would be underwater and we should think about what is to be done with those people. We should think about our home! |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I was listening to you very attentively. You are a person full of energy! Please, let me finish. I am saying this because the forecasts you have referred to are ethemeral. They are made by serious researchers who say that permafrost is going to start melting. This carries huge problems for the environment because new emissions into the atmosphere will exceed those from all the vehicles in the world. So if permafrost starts melting, the coastal regions of the Russian Federation are also in danger. We have entire villages and towns with houses built on stillts in the permafrost. They already hear some crepitation underneath there. That’s what we should be thinking about, our coastal cities, including even St Petersburg, you see? We did build a flood dam there, which they dreamed of building since the times of Peter the Great. But we should think about what will happen to the coastal cities. We should think about our homeland first. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I’ll be right with you on that. If people begin relocating to us, we have unemployment at 2.3 percent, it’s practically non-existent. We are talking about labour migration and issues related to it. You are right, think about that. If there is a massive influx of people, we must think about how to cope with it and where and how to accommodate those people. We are the biggest country in the world but do you know how many people live east of the Ural Mountains? About 12 million people. We do have space to resettle people. In principle, we have to think about social and other infrastructure and rules in advance. It is not really an empty question. You are so egregious when you say all this, but there is actually an issue. I repeat once again: First of all, we need to think about the problems we have in our country. As for paper journalism and help from Vlad Bumaga, I think that such fellows, of course, will gladly support you, especially since we are talking about paper journalism in this case. I think that paper journalism will have its place in this huge changing world, just like the paper book. You can flip through a gadget, and everything is in good font there and in different languages. I myself, frankly speaking, sometimes use it. But picking up a book is a different story. Not only because there are pictures – although that is also interesting to look at – and a book illustration is sometimes a work of art, too. Picking up an issue of Izvestia or Komsomolskaya Pravda, leafing through it, digging in it – there’s a thrill in that, isn’t there? I hope that those who are engaged in paper journalism will also take this into account and keep this remaining public interest alive. The most important thing, of course, is the content, because whatever the media, the most important thing, as Vlad Bumaga said, is what’s inside, the content. That’s the most important thing. If paper-based media have a worthy and interesting content compared to some internet rubbish, they will be here to stay, they will not die. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Ms Sycheva, healthcare issues – and I perceive them in the context of the entire range of issues – come second, I think. Yes, second. This is always very important – in all countries, by the way, including those with the so-called developed market economy. It appears that the situation there is now even more acute than in Russia. But why should we care about them? I agree that we should think about our home country. So, thank you for mentioning the renovated outpatient clinic. This means that things are moving, nevertheless. We have a whole programme, I’ll talk about it in a second. Because our main problem is human resources. This problem exists in primary care sector. We have hospitals, with doctors and physicians working there, as you know – we have no personnel shortages there, while in primary care this problem does exist. This results in an obvious conclusion: the problem is mostly linked with the way a healthcare system is organised in the Russian Federation’s regions. Speaking about the hospital bed rotation, we can see that beds in hospitals are not fully used all year round. At the same time, there is a problem in primary care, including outpatient clinics and district hospitals where medical specialists work every day. Local healthcare authorities are supposed to distribute the load correctly. This is the first thing. The second aspect is linked with personnel training. We are trying, and the Healthcare Ministry is trying to enrol as many applicants at universities as possible. The process is ongoing. We have started paying an additional 50,000 and 29,000 rubles to doctors and nurses at small communities, and this is also quite important. For the first time in several years, we can see an influx of 17,500 specialists, but their number is still not enough. Going back to the organisation of healthcare and the need to continue strengthening the primary care sector, we should certainly be doing all this much quicker than we did before. I cannot help but agree with this. Speaking of your particular case, my colleagues will give me your data. You do have the information, right? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: We’ll do all we can and will certainly help your father. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: This is a critically important issue, just like ensuring we have enough medical specialists and doctors. The pharmaceutical industry is high on our list of priorities. You might be aware that as far back as 2008, when I served as the Prime Minister, we started working on developing our own pharmaceutical industry. We began discussing this in 2008 and started creating programmes to this end. These programmes were finalised in 2009. They went by different names, but they came down to one and the same thing which was developing our own pharmaceutical industry. I cannot give you the exact budget we set aside back then, but this sector has largely grown with the help and support of the state, mostly through federal funding. More recently, our pharmaceutical companies have begun investing their own resources into growing this business, and the investment amounts to impressive tens of billions of rubles, around 40 billion, I believe. We now have development programmes of our own in place and have started creating our own medications based on our own molecules and producing our own APIs, which we did not have before. We have begun manufacturing complex medicines, including for cancer treatment. This sector is doing quite well, particularly in St Petersburg. The same goes for insulin. As for test strips and similar supplies, the issues arise from operational shortcomings and delays at local levels. Overall, funding for these medications is allocated in full. The challenge lies in organising procurement and making timely decisions. I will certainly discuss this with the colleagues in the Government and regional administrations. It is essential to act promptly and understand the market’s needs. We have a programme for expanding the pharmaceutical industry, which is part of the technological leadership initiative. This programme specifically addresses medication production. By 2030, we aim to meet 90 percent of the demand for vital medicines with domestic medications, and 40 percent of the demand for medical products. Overall, this work is moving, and the pace is good. However, this is a major undertaking, and things do not always go without a fault. Please provide the details, and we will see if there are any disruptions. I am sure there are. Regarding insulin, we have always had sufficient supplies of it. Normal saline is not a problem. I am following these developments. It is not about the saline solution itself, but the package. What happened is that two agencies – the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Healthcare Ministry – failed to agree on the package price in time. The proposed price made production a loss-making operation, forcing manufacturers to import packages. All due decisions have been made by now, and I hope these setbacks are a thing of the past. We will certainly look into this specific case. Thank you. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: These questions are clearly not for an extended news conference or a direct line. All of them are very sensitive. As for abortions, of course, here we should be thinking about how not to harm people’s religious beliefs and at the same time deal with our demographic challenges. However, we should also think about the level of well-being of Russian families with children, their future and women’s right to make decisions. This is a delicate issue that cannot be resolved at a news conference, just like porn sites and so on. See, some people don’t like that YouTube is slowing down. You say, “in our country,” but I think porn sites are visited all over the world. First come porn sites, and then one can think about ordering a cutlet, you see. All over the world. This is not just our problem; it is a problem in many other countries. What answer can there be? In fact, any bans are possible, but it is always about offering a more interesting alternative to porn sites, so that a person would go to a porn site and say: I have already seen this, I want to watch something different. Something captivating. (Laughter in the audience.) The same goes for the burial of Lenin’s body. Someday, society will probably come to this. But today, especially today, we must not take a single step that would split the society in Russia. That’s how I see it. Overall, Iliy is right, of course. I like him and always listen to what he says. I know, he told me about it. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Please go ahead, Andrei. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: They say silence is golden. It is better to keep things to yourself sometimes. Thank you for the question, though. Regarding Biden pardoning his son, even though he promised not to do so, it is a delicate matter. Our history has other examples to offer. Everyone saw the famous painting, Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan. That story may be a legend or not, just like what happened to the son of Peter the Great, Alexei. Or take Stalin – and this is no legend, when he refused to exchange his son Yakov, who was in captivity, for Field Marshal Paulus, saying, “I will not exchange a marshal for a soldier.” You see, it is a personal decision, but during the war even surrendering was considered an act of treason. Why? You can cite all kinds of reasons, but at that time the country was facing possible annihilation of not only its statehood, but also its people. It was a battle for survival of the ethnicity, our nation. The measures taken to ensure victory were harsh, if not cruel. Considering this public mindset, which Stalin likely abided by, he was unable to save his son. He said what he said and did what he did. As we know, Stalin’s son was executed in a camp, while Paulus was “used” during the Nuremberg Trials. When Paulus entered the courtroom, everyone gasped as no one expected to see him there. As for Biden, he is a politician, you know, and it is always important to understand what is dominating you – a politician or a human. It turns out Biden is more human than politician. I would not judge him for that. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: What has changed? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: You know we all change every day, and every hour. I think everyone in the audience and the people who are listening or watching us also change. That is the fact of life: everything changes, and nothing stands still. These past three years, or rather over two years, have been a serious test for all of us, including our country and me personally. Let me give it to you straight: we are sitting here, joking occasionally, with laughter being heard in the audience, but I now make fewer jokes and almost stopped laughing. There is another circumstance. I am now honing what |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Such a hypothetical question: “If it were possible…” You know, if I could look at the situation in 2022, knowing what is happening now, what would I think? That the decision that was taken in the beginning of 2022 should have been taken earlier. This is my first point. And second, being aware of this, we should have simply started to get ready for these measures, including for the special military operation. Indeed, the Crimean events were simply spontaneous and we also started the events of 2022 without any special preparations. But why did we start them? It’s because it was impossible for us to stand still any longer and tolerate and wait until the situation becomes worse for us. That's what it's all about. After all, the Kiev authorities declared that they were not going to honour the Minsk agreements. They said it in a straightforward manner, laying their claims on some sort of weapons of mass destruction. We saw that we had been deceived regarding the Minsk agreements, with war and massacre and destruction of people in Donbass going on for eight years. Nothing was happening, they repudiated the Minsk agreements. What’s more, we saw that they simply set on military development of these territories while at the same time destroying everything connected with Russia. We could no longer remain in the state we were in. They forced us to do what we did. If we had known in advance what was going to happen, of course, we would have engaged in serious systemic preparations. That’s what I would mean. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Let’s give the floor to the colleagues. Please pass the microphone. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: First, as for being invited anywhere, we are not seeking invitations. We are happy here at home. Our focus is on strengthening ourselves, that is the essence of our work. Second, we will never forget the sacrifices our people made in the fight against Nazism. The most important thing is that we remember. If other countries are trying to forget, it reflects the priorities of today’s leaders, who are focused on undermining Russia as a whole, forgetting, erasing, and shifting focus. But that is their own business. We will be happy to welcome anyone who wishes to join us in celebrating this significant anniversary. While I personally sign some invitations, the Foreign Ministry handles most of the arrangements. My stance is that we are open to all who wish to be with us in Moscow on those days and mark this important anniversary. We will be happy to welcome everyone, including the participants of the Anti-Hitler Coalition, who made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazism, such as the United States and Great Britain with its northern convoys. There were many heroes among them too, and we honour and respect them. Moreover, I believe there are still veterans among them. The British sailors demonstrated true heroism, and the Americans fought during the landing in northern France. Indeed, their participation and losses are not comparable to those of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. We lost 27 million, while the United States lost around 500,000, and Great Britain lost even less: around 400,000, if I am not mistaken. Although in World War I, they lost 1.5 million. So, the scale of their contribution to Victory is different, but their involvement was still significant, especially since they were with us. They supported us through Lend-Lease. It is true, though, that we eventually paid for it in full. When I became President, we paid off the entire Lend-Lease debt. The Americans got that money from us, you see. We paid that in full, even though so many years passed by. Nonetheless, we value the contribution of our allies to the shared struggle and will be happy to welcome anyone who wishes to join us in celebrating the joy of Victory. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Let’s take another question from the audience. Yamal. What is Yamal up to? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Frankly, I stopped counting. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: They are afraid of the competition. They are leveraging political tools to engage in unfair competition. Take the well-known company NOVATEK. It is not an industry leader; other countries, including the United States, produce more LNG. However, we are getting bigger, and they are trying to hamper our growth using unfair methods for keeping competition in check. This may backfire if they continue to deal with competitors using non-economic methods. They will eventually lose their competitive edge. Not tomorrow, perhaps, but someday they will if it goes on like that. Are they in our way or not? Yes, they are. Are they creating problems for us? Yes, they are. Will they be able to completely shut us down or to destroy us? No, they will not. They might cause us a certain amount of harm, but, without a doubt, we will overcome these difficulties, just as we have overcome energy supply challenges in the past. Moreover, the global demand for energy resources did not go anywhere, as the global economy still needs them. The demand for them is on the rise and will continue to grow (this is not our data; it comes from the world economic institutions), and this product will remain in demand on international markets. We will continue to expand our share on the global LNG market. By the way, the same applies to pipeline gas supplies. Ukraine refused to renew the transit contract. It was not us who did it. Ukraine did. They refused to renew the contract, even though they used to receive about US$700–800 million a year under it. Now, the question is what to do with it. But that is not our problem. It was Ukraine who cut off our gas supply to European consumers. On one hand, it is eating from their hand because it can survive, not just war, but survive only with the support of the West, including Europe, but at the same time, it is creating problems for them by cutting off supplies of our relatively cheap gas. That contract is clearly history. Fine, we will survive. Gazprom will survive. By the way, the other day our intelligence services told me that saboteurs, clearly Ukrainian ones, were detained in Slovakia. They had maps of Slovakia’s gas infrastructure facilities on them. I was briefed about this just recently. I will ask our intelligence agencies to request information from their colleagues about what exactly occurred, the connections are still in place. You see, it is not enough for them to carry out terrorist attacks in our country; now they are targeting European countries. Once again, they are eating from their hand, and now they are attempting acts of terror in Europe. But that is their choice. Our choice is to pursue cooperation, and we will push forward to achieve our goals. Kosmos, go ahead. And I can see BBC, too. You will soon get your chance to put us under fire. Go ahead. All we do is defend ourselves. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Your employer will not be happy about the second part of your question. It is not what he has sent you here for. But you got me right: you should care about your home. This is absolutely true. The idea of a third entrance to Korolev was discussed. I know about it from our previous discussions on the development of Korolev as a space capital. Another centre that is under construction in Moscow is extremely important for the development of the space industry, but Korolev remains a prominent space centre. I will not go into detail now, but Korolev as a science city certainly deserves to be given attention. I will discuss this matter with my colleagues by all means, both in the Moscow Region and with those who are working in the aircraft and space sector. They have various plans. There are grounds for the idea of a special economic zone [in Korolev]. I will not present a final decision now, but this is something that can and should be given attention. You are right that we should think about using the potential of Korolev. This is the first point. Second, regarding the peace initiatives of the People’s Republic of China, Brazil and South Africa. We have taken note of them because this is a sincere attempt to find a solution. We regard it as a balanced attempt that is not being imposed on either side, Ukraine or Russia. That is because these initiatives have been proposed by neutral countries, which are not interfering in the conflict, unlike the Western countries, which are actually waging a war against us by the proxy of Ukrainians. And so, their initiatives must be analysed very carefully because they are actually a party to the conflict. As for stopping the conflict where it is, you see, I have already spoken about the situation. We see the exhaustion of weapons, equipment, ammunition and, most importantly, personnel in the Ukrainian armed forces. They are running out of all this. What do we really see on the battlefield now? Our army is advancing, while the opponent is unable to become entrenches in the positions in has retreated to at any given day or moment. Its troops have retreated in an organised manner, but they cannot consolidate their hold on them, because our men will continue to advance tomorrow, and so on and so forth. We pause for a week – we give the enemy a chance to gain a foothold and fortify their positions. It will give them the opportunity to rest, regroup and rearm. Most importantly, it will allow them to recruit and train soldiers. With the current shortage of personnel, they literally grab people off the streets, as I told the Defence Ministry board – they cart people off like stray dogs. But stray dogs at least are taken to animal shelters, and subsequently put up for adoption, and eventually get a new home. Unlike them, Ukrainian men are being sent for slaughter. They have no time for training, and our military see this on the battlefield: their training is lacking, it is not anything like a Soviet military school; this is a totally different story. Even those who are trained in Western countries are not good enough compared to the Soviet training because their instructors have never fought themselves; they have never participated in real action. How can they train anyone? The point is that a lengthy period of relative truce will give the enemy the opportunity to improve this aspect as well – train and retrain, and consolidate their personnel. Some battalions of the Ukrainian army have only 35 or 40 percent of the required number of fighters. You have a battalion, but no personnel in it. Do you really want to give them the opportunity to reman their units? We do not need a truce. We need peace: a long-term and lasting peace with guarantees for the Russian Federation and its citizens. It is difficult to say how these guarantees can be provided, but it is a place to start. In fact, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban put forth a proposal for a short-term truce. This is what he told me – I do not think Victor will be angry with me if I reveal a part of our conversation – he said, it will not hurt to call a Christmas truce, just for a day or two, and the enemy will not be able to do anything in these two or three days. I said, you are probably right, but you should first ask the Ukrainian side. We have earlier agreed to at least three such proposals – on navigation in the Black Sea, on energy infrastructure, and so on. Erdogan contacted me; ask your President. This is true, he made a proposal to me as an intermediary. I said I had to think about it. The next day, just a day later, I called him and said we agreed. Suddenly, the head of the Ukrainian regime announced there would be no talks and no truce. So, I called Erdogan and asked what that meant? He said: this is what our partners do. I said: well, all right. I have asked Orban the same question. He proposed a Christmas truce, and he also proposed a prisoner exchange. I have not refused anything. I said we needed to think, but you should ask them. He did. The next day, the head of the [Kiev] regime said that there would be no truce, no prisoner exchange. This is the answer to your question. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I promised [to take a question from] the BBC. Go ahead. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, you promised to attack. They gladly do so even without promises. This is their job; it is what they are paid for. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes. I believe I have not just taken care of it, but I believe we have stepped back from the edge of the abyss, because with everything that was happening in and around Russia before and since was leading us towards a complete, total loss of our sovereignty. Without sovereignty, Russia cannot exist as an independent state. Let me draw your attention to what you said about Boris Yeltsin. Everything seemed fine; they patted him on the back patronisingly, and turned a blind eye when he drank. He was welcome in all Western circles. But as soon as he raised his voice in defence of Yugoslavia, as soon as he said that it violated international law and the UN Charter, as soon as he said that striking Belgrade, the capital of a European country, without UN Security Council approval was unacceptable in modern Europe, they immediately started having a go at him, calling him names, saying he was a drunk, and so on. Do you not remember that? I have done everything so that Russia can be an independent and sovereign state that is capable of making decisions in its own interests, rather than in the interests of the countries that were dragging it towards them, patting it on the back, only to use it for their own purposes. I could stop there. But I understand you have laid out the entire set of arguments that seem support your stance. You mentioned inflation. Yes, there is inflation. We will fight it. But we also have economic growth. We rank fourth in the world in purchasing power parity. Please share that with your readers. We are first in Europe, far ahead of the United Kingdom, which, I believe, is not even in the top five. But we are ready to work with the UK, if the UK |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Let's bring it to a close. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Yes, I do, of course. But it is a personal dream. May I keep it to myself? |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Do you consider this a rapid-fire question? Am I meant to respond with a simple yes or no? How can I possibly convey that with just yes or no? You see, the point is this: everyone knows I was born into a humble, working-class family. My ancestors crossed the Danube back in the 19 th century, and I have a document from the archives showing one of my ancestors was awarded the Cross of St George, one of the first Crosses of St George. Then my father, along with all my relatives on both my mother's and father's sides, fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Many died, indeed a great many; probably every second one fell. My father was left disabled by the war. I myself served in the foreign intelligence services, and my work has always been linked to serving the Fatherland. And of course, the fact that it is not the first time the people, the citizens of Russia, have entrusted me with leading the Russian state is a profound honour and an immense responsibility. So, in principle, one could say, ”That's it, I am happy, thank you.“ One might also say, ”God forbid, what more could I want?“ But you know, the reality is that happiness cannot be complete until our lads return from the front, until their mothers and wives reunite with them, until their children embrace them, until our young men and women form the right number of families for us, for the country, for Russia, and have children. I deeply desire for our scientists, artists, and cultural figures to realise their |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: It comes down to one's level of culture. I have said before: ”He who calls names is called that himself.“ In my opinion, such behaviour is born out of impotence. Why should we showcase such impotence? We have ample arguments to state our position clearly and succinctly. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: No, there aren't. You see, if people have entrusted me with the responsibilities of the presidency, there are certain obligations, and I aim to fulfil them with honour, at least with complete dedication. I am aware that if I begin to harbour aversion towards any aspect of my official duties, the desired outcomes will not be achieved. That's why, long ago, I resolved that everything I am required to do should be approached with a sense of satisfaction. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I do not have |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: I do not know. I do not think he will need it. In the most likely scenario – I cannot say what he will do, probably the same as other individuals from the top political leadership of Ukraine who went abroad – he will leave. I think those people whose interests he serves today will take care of him. If by any chance he suddenly popped out of nowhere, like a jack-in-the-box, appearing when we would least expect it, and said he needed political asylum – Russia never refuses anyone. |
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Cached English source — passage alignment not verified Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Topics Media |