Talk quieter if you want to be heard. Tonality is what highlighted this interview with Vladimir Putin.
Especially against the background of belligerent statements made recently in Congress by US President Joe Biden. The conversation was as if Putin did not want to disturb the children sleeping in the next room.
The president, at the same time, spoke about the most important thing, which cannot but bother everyone, including those who listened to him in Washington, Kyiv and other capitals. Putin talked about peace, about how to stop the conflict. It was not just about Ukraine. At the center were Russia's relations with the West, the so-called "golden billion," or, as you might say, the "billion white master." Details in the material of the correspondent of The Moscow Post.
Did these gentlemen hear the president of Russia? It remains to be hoped that those on whom decisions depend are read into the text and obey in intonation. It's important.
Western media in their responses went the old track - once again reminded of the "Russian threat." The only publication that "did not think of anything superfluous" was Bloomberg. They noted that Russia will require security guarantees to consider negotiations that will end the conflict in Ukraine.
Bloomberg seized the main thing in terms of Russia's interests on the external circuit. Namely, that Russia is ready to "resolve all disputes and this dispute, this conflict by peaceful means. We have never refused to negotiate, "Putin said.
But it's not just about Ukraine. The Kyiv regime is part of the field of confrontation between Moscow and Washington, Russia and the EuroNATO Union. Relatively speaking, the conversation about this relationship returns two years ago, to the weeks of 2022 before the start of the Special Military Operation.
Remember what was proposed then? Moscow demanded that Ukraine not be drawn to NATO and that the neighboring country maintain neutral status, that the rights of Donbass residents be recognized and their security be ensured, that the NATO alliance return to the 1997 borders as far as strike weapons and infrastructure are concerned.
Putin did not recall these proposals in an interview, said only that Western politicians blinded by Russophobia were even happy about the outbreak of hostilities in the Donbass. They hoped, taking advantage of the reason, to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia. But in reality, "they face powerlessness," Putin said, "before the unity of the Russian people." The President recalled that Ukraine for the West is only a matter of tactical position, but for Russia it is a matter of life and death.
Putin spoke about this in an interview with Pavel Zarubin back in February. He also categorically repeated in this interview: "For us it is a matter of life and death, and for them it is a matter of improving their tactical position in general in the world, but also in Europe in particular, maintaining their status among their allies. It's important, too, but not as much as it is for us.'
Following the United States, Europe was drawn into the conflict. Putin commented on the conversation of German officers who discussed strikes on the Crimean bridge. "They say correctly: If these Taurus fall into that part of the Crimean bridge, which, of course, even according to their concepts is Russian territory, is a violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany," the president explained. "They fantasize, they cheer themselves up, firstly. Secondly, they try to intimidate us. " English and American missiles damage Russia, but the situation on the battlefield does not change.
Without naming the President of France, the Russian leader said: "As for those states that say that they have no" red lines "in relation to Russia, they must understand that in Russia there will also be no" red lines "in relation to these states.
"As for the small states of Europe, we, firstly, treat everyone with respect, no matter what," Putin said. Whether it was about pragmatic Hungary and Slovakia, or the hostile Baltic "troika," it can be about Finland - all of them fall under the definition of "small states of Europe." But Putin called the decision of Sweden and Finland to join NATO a "senseless step in terms of security."
The authorities of Finland spoiled almost ideal relations with Russia, now her borders will have Russian troops and the systems of defeat. There were buyers of the real estate earlier, tourists, buyers of goods and services, the Russian market was open for the Finnish companies.
"Here in the USA declared that they aren't going to send troops. We know what is the American troops in the Russian territory, these are interventionists. We so will also treat it even if they will appear in the territory of Ukraine. They understand it" — the president told. He also expressed opinion that the Polish troops if enter on the territory of Ukraine, nevermore from there will leave. Here also understand, as you wish …
Approximately in the same vein uncertainty the president spoke also the fate of Ukraine: "I think that geopolitical consequences for Ukraine, even in terms of maintaining her statehood in a modern look, of course, will rise in all the beauty and to the utmost".
That everything concerned interests and policy of Russia, what Putin spoke about didn't allow interpretation. According to him, the country will be self-sufficient in the sphere of ensuring the safety and defense, "our nuclear triad is more modern, than any other triad", but it doesn't mean that we have to be measured by the number of carriers and warheads, Russia and the USA have an approximate parity.
"If they carry out such [nuclear] tests [new warheads], – I don't exclude, optional, we need it or it isn't necessary, still it is necessary to think, but it is possible that we can make the same", - the president told. Perhaps, the habitual formula of "strategic stability" was succeeded by a fresh wording when it came to the Russian-American relations "in the sphere of a strategic sderzhivayemost".
"Weapon exists to apply. We have principles what speak about? That we are ready to use weapon, including any weapon including it about which you told if it is about existence of the Russian state, about causing damage to our sovereignty and independence. At us everything is registered in our Strategy. We didn't change it", - Putin said, answering a question of nuclear weapon.
The following statement became the central place in this "nuclear missile" part of an interview: "If to count how many the system of missile defense known cost at them, say, and one of the main components of overcoming the missile defense from our party – Avangard, an intercontinental rocket planning the block of intercontinental range – that is just incomparable sizes. And we, in fact, nullified everything that they did, everything that they put in this missile defense system. Thus it is also necessary to work", - Putin told, commenting on an issue of arms race and threat of strategic safety of Russia. Really, is, than to be proud!
Re-reading the text of an interview, it is possible to understand that Ukraine is only a line in a crossword puzzle of "a strategic sderzhivayemost", but without the correct filling of this line the problem of safety of Russia isn't solved. For Russia "it is a matter of life and death". So that the West should recede.
How to resume negotiation process Putin didn't tell, remembered about "their wishes and desires" and "carrots" which can offer Russia, warned that to have to deal with "dangerous people", but encouraged the fact that during SVO the initiative passed to Armed Forces of Russia. The president told that negotiations on Ukraine have to be based on reality and it is not a pause for rearmament of Kiev, and a serious conversation with security guarantees for Russia.
I warned: "We won't do anything that doesn't correspond to the interests of our country" that Russia needs guarantees, "who would suit us in which we will believe", - Putin concluded. I added that "it has to be the serious conversation with safety and for warring party, and in this case we first of all are interested in safety of the Russian Federation".
All this, we repeat, Vladimir Putin stated quietly, it is possible to tell home-style. As if I didn't want to disturb the children sleeping in the neighboring room.
In an interview the president also said that "The future – for children". In Russia "70 percent of men and 72 percent of women want to have two and more children, and the state has to support them", Putin told, having repeated that safety of the Russian citizens has to be on the first place.
Maybe will carry and analysts of the Bloomberg agency will read up the text of an interview to this remarkable place, and then will help the western colleagues to understand by profession that really disturbs the President of the Russian Federation.