Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leading broadcasting company ORF Armin wolf
© Mikhail Klimentyev/press service of the Russian President/TASS
Russian President Vladimir Putin makes on Tuesday a working visit to Austria, during which it will discuss key issues of bilateral and international agenda. The head of the Russian state responded to the questions of the presenter of the Austrian broadcasting company ORF Armin wolf. TASS has selected the most important quote of Putin from that conversation.
About the relationship with Vienna
We have Austria a long-standing, very good, deep relationships. Austria is a traditional and reliable partner in Europe. Despite all the difficulties of previous years, with Austria we have never interrupted dialogue nor in politics, nor security, nor in Economics.
About “section of the European Union ”
We have no goals of anything or anyone to divide in the European Union. On the contrary, we are interested that the European Union was United and prosperous, because the EU is our biggest trade and economic Union. And the more problems inside the EU, the greater risks and uncertainties for us.
About an arms race
In a recent telephone conversations and the Donald [trump] said he was concerned about a possible new arms race. I fully agree with him. But in order to prevent a possible arms race, and we are not the initiators of this development, as you know, we came out of the ABM Treaty, we only respond to threats, which therefore for us there, but I agree with the President of the United States — we need to think about it, has something to do with it, give instructions to the ministries of foreign Affairs, our Ministry of foreign Affairs and the US state Department.
About the events in the Crimea
Our soldiers always were there. I said, where our soldiers were, they in no way participated. But when the spiral of unconstitutional actions in Ukraine began to twist, when people in Crimea feel threatened, when they already trains began to send the nationalists, began to block the buses and road transport, people have the desire to defend themselves. And the first thing that came to mind — to restore their rights that have been obtained in the framework of the Ukraine when Crimea got the authority. This, in fact, it started, began the process in the Parliament to determine their independence from Ukraine.
On the conditions under which Russia ceded the Crimea
There are no such conditions and can not be.
About staging hematic in Syria
We found people there who were involved, as they themselves admitted, in a dramatization of the use of chemical weapons. If you haven’t seen it, it would be very useful for objective that your audiences could have their own opinion on the matter.
We found the children, their parents, who watered, and who said that they did not understand what was happening. We brought them to the Hague to show. Nobody wants to listen. And then you tell me: all recognize the use of chemical weapons. Not all of them. We believe this fake news was used as a pretext for strikes, and the strikes violate international law. This aggression against a sovereign state. Who is allowed to attack the territory of a sovereign state? The UN Security Council? No. So, what is it? Aggression.
About Eugene Prigogine, which the US accused of “meddling in the election”
Do you think that the person who is engaged in the restaurant business, having even some hacking capabilities, with some private firm in this field — I don’t even know what he is doing with these items can affect elections in the United States or in some European country? How low fell everything that is happening in the information and political spheres of the countries of the United West, if the restaurateur from Russia may influence the election in some of the European countries or in the United States! It’s not funny?
About the Russian opposition
Voters can watch on any person, because the Internet is free. No it is not closed. The media free. People can always go out and Express themselves, and make different figures of different political movements and trends. If a person gains some weight to the voter, then he becomes a figure with which to communicate, negotiate or conduct a dialogue state power. And if the other political forces, the level of trust is measured one, two, three percent or hundredths of a percent, then what we say then? Then, please, here’s Saakashvili. Why do we need these clowns?
About his political future
My presidential term has started, I’m just at the beginning of the way, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I never violated the Constitution of the country and not going to do that. A lot will depend on how we will work — when I say “we” referring to himself and his team, what results we will achieve. But you are right, indeed, I have engaged in administrative, state job long enough, I myself will have to decide what I will do after I run out of my current presidential term.
On the possible extension of the presidential term
I do not comment on speculation. I think that it would be not serious with the level of the President of the Russian Federation.
TASS/Ruptly
About the photos from a holiday in Siberia
If I rest, I do not consider it necessary to hide behind the bushes and nothing bad can not see.
