Vladimir Putin: We are strong because we are right
November 23, 12:00
UTC+3
The Russian president in the TASS special project Top Officials
The Russian president in the TASS special project Top Officials
Material has 8 pages
Mikhail Metzel/TASS
On loneliness, daughters, personal environment and ability to say “No”
- If I am wrong, please correct me, but it seems to me that when a person holds the post like yours, he is lonely. That’s his destiny.
- They always say like this.
- And in fact?
- In fact, to some part, this is so. You have mentioned my friends. I do not blatantly reject them but this is also approximate. This does not mean that we meet every day, drink champagne or vodka and “chatter.”
- What do you prefer?
- I prefer tea.
- And what drink are you served while we are talking?
- Ordinary tea. Would you like some? They serve it covered in a special teaware so that it does not get cold.
Moreover, I have a rather tight schedule. I even see my daughters once or twice a month, but I still need to choose time.
- In what country do they live?
- In Russia, where else?
- Here?
- Of course, they live in Moscow. We meet at home…
Yes, I have good relations with those people whom you have mentioned. I also try to keep in touch with my fellow students from the university.
- Are they not necessarily billionaires?
- Not at all! Ordinary people. They mainly work in the law enforcement sphere, in the Interior Ministry, Prosecutor General’s Office, attorney offices and administrative authorities.
- Let’s name them all. They will be pleased.
- Well, there are plenty of them, 80 people! Someone will be pleased, others, on the contrary, will be not, as some of them live in the republics of the former Soviet Union, and the mere fact of the contact with me also poses a certain threat for them.
- And in Ukraine?
- Yes, and in Georgia and other countries.
- The agents of influence?
- No, they are not agents, they influence nothing. They live their own lives. They are ordinary citizens in their countries, very loyal and loving. But given the events in their countries, our acquaintance is a certain burden… If the businessmen, whom you have mentioned, were clamped down immediately just due to contacts with me and sanctioned, then those whom I have just spoke about are absolutely ordinary people. They have no capitals and they cannot be subjected to sanctions. But there are other measures of influence, which are very hard-hitting and maybe even dangerous. That’s why we should better not talk much about these people.
- Still if we speak about solitude.
- I have told you, I have such a workload that does not allow having a wide circle of friends.
- Just taking into account that you can learn everything about everyone…
- Yes.
- …and one can learn all sorts of things about anyone…
- Yes.
- …maybe this also affects?
- No, I try not to use my possibilities in this regard.
- In order not to be disappointed in humanity once and for all?
- No, simply… I worked for the KGB for almost 20 years and I know how the fact sheets are written.
These reports and materials are not always objective. I try to rely on my personal impression, and direct contact and communication are important for me. And often my impression about a person is different from what I get from official documents. I judge by my own impressions of a person, not by papers.
- Is this intuition?
- Well, this in not even intuition. Only partially. Personal contacts
are more important. Although, especially, when we talk about making
decisions, in particular, those related to personnel, there are certain
rules. First one certainly needs to get information from various
sources. This is natural. But in the long run, I try to make a
conclusion based on my own impression of a person.
- What’s your immediate environment?
-You know, I don’t feel lonely at all. Odd as it may seem, the opportunities to socialize and the contacts I have are possibly few, and the time to see even those people who are regarded as my friends, the ones under sanctions, is scarce. That’s true. But loneliness, I believe, is something very different. It is not an opportunity or lack of an opportunity to see people. It’s a state of one’s soul. I feel no such loneliness of the soul at all.
- The people around you are very eager to find favor in your eyes. They are expecting something from you, waiting or maybe asking for something…
- I’ve long got accustomed to that, and I don’t believe that these people do something wrong. When people get in touch with me, they are waiting for certain decisions to be made or some action taken. That’s absolutely normal. Many just would like to discuss something, but there always is the wish to have something done and an expectation of reply. That’s true and it could hardly have been otherwise.
- You are said to be an excellent listener. And you often agree with the conversation partner. And the person is leaving with a sense of certainty that Vladimir Putin is an ally, but this is not necessarily so.
- You know, I have been trying to treat people with respect, after all.
- No, I am asking about something different.
- It is a matter of respect for other people, for people’s opinions, and even for their requests. I will never forget one moment that occurred at the beginning of 2000, when a woman handed me some note. I took a look at it… I won’t say anything about what sort of request it was. It concerned not that woman personally, but some of her close relatives. Then that paper was lost. I still remember that as an impermissible inadvertency on my part. Possibly, there had been no way of meeting her request, but everything should have been done then to have that petition worked on properly. Possibly, I would have been told, “No, there is no way of settling it!” Then I would have given instructions to write back to that lady to explain why there was no way of helping her. But just losing it was very careless … You know, I still feel remorse. I feel awkward. Let me say once again, this does not mean that all grievances and requests that I get from people looking at me with hope must be sustained. Certain things cannot be resolved the way the people would like them to. It is impossible and against the law.
- Did it take you long to learn to say "No"?
- As far as I know, in Chinese there are sixteen ways of expressing negation. And yet none of them sounds literally.
- And how many synonyms are there in your vocabulary?
- It is not a question of form, it is a question of meaning. It is impossible to always say “Yes”, although I feel like replying in this way very often. I am forced to refuse…
- Who can object to you, and what consequences may follow?
- Only myself and the law. Nobody is allowed to violate the law, even the top officials.
- I am asking about others. Are there any bold guys who don’t just listen humbly, but dare argue?
- There are independent people, with an opinion of their own. I appreciate people who can say, “I believe that you are wrong.”
- What if we name some of these heroes?
- Let’s avoid bolstering their publicity. But there are such people.
- If I am wrong, please correct me, but it seems to me that when a person holds the post like yours, he is lonely. That’s his destiny.
- They always say like this.
- And in fact?
- In fact, to some part, this is so. You have mentioned my friends. I do not blatantly reject them but this is also approximate. This does not mean that we meet every day, drink champagne or vodka and “chatter.”
- What do you prefer?
- I prefer tea.
- And what drink are you served while we are talking?
- Ordinary tea. Would you like some? They serve it covered in a special teaware so that it does not get cold.
Moreover, I have a rather tight schedule. I even see my daughters once or twice a month, but I still need to choose time.
- In what country do they live?
- In Russia, where else?
- Here?
- Of course, they live in Moscow. We meet at home…
Yes, I have good relations with those people whom you have mentioned. I also try to keep in touch with my fellow students from the university.
- Are they not necessarily billionaires?
- Not at all! Ordinary people. They mainly work in the law enforcement sphere, in the Interior Ministry, Prosecutor General’s Office, attorney offices and administrative authorities.
- Let’s name them all. They will be pleased.
- Well, there are plenty of them, 80 people! Someone will be pleased, others, on the contrary, will be not, as some of them live in the republics of the former Soviet Union, and the mere fact of the contact with me also poses a certain threat for them.
- And in Ukraine?
- Yes, and in Georgia and other countries.
- The agents of influence?
- No, they are not agents, they influence nothing. They live their own lives. They are ordinary citizens in their countries, very loyal and loving. But given the events in their countries, our acquaintance is a certain burden… If the businessmen, whom you have mentioned, were clamped down immediately just due to contacts with me and sanctioned, then those whom I have just spoke about are absolutely ordinary people. They have no capitals and they cannot be subjected to sanctions. But there are other measures of influence, which are very hard-hitting and maybe even dangerous. That’s why we should better not talk much about these people.
- Still if we speak about solitude.
- I have told you, I have such a workload that does not allow having a wide circle of friends.
- Just taking into account that you can learn everything about everyone…
- Yes.
- …and one can learn all sorts of things about anyone…
- Yes.
- …maybe this also affects?
- No, I try not to use my possibilities in this regard.
- In order not to be disappointed in humanity once and for all?
- No, simply… I worked for the KGB for almost 20 years and I know how the fact sheets are written.
These reports and materials are not always objective. I try to rely on my personal impression, and direct contact and communication are important for me. And often my impression about a person is different from what I get from official documents. I judge by my own impressions of a person, not by papers.
- What’s your immediate environment?
-You know, I don’t feel lonely at all. Odd as it may seem, the opportunities to socialize and the contacts I have are possibly few, and the time to see even those people who are regarded as my friends, the ones under sanctions, is scarce. That’s true. But loneliness, I believe, is something very different. It is not an opportunity or lack of an opportunity to see people. It’s a state of one’s soul. I feel no such loneliness of the soul at all.
- The people around you are very eager to find favor in your eyes. They are expecting something from you, waiting or maybe asking for something…
- I’ve long got accustomed to that, and I don’t believe that these people do something wrong. When people get in touch with me, they are waiting for certain decisions to be made or some action taken. That’s absolutely normal. Many just would like to discuss something, but there always is the wish to have something done and an expectation of reply. That’s true and it could hardly have been otherwise.
- You are said to be an excellent listener. And you often agree with the conversation partner. And the person is leaving with a sense of certainty that Vladimir Putin is an ally, but this is not necessarily so.
- You know, I have been trying to treat people with respect, after all.
- No, I am asking about something different.
- It is a matter of respect for other people, for people’s opinions, and even for their requests. I will never forget one moment that occurred at the beginning of 2000, when a woman handed me some note. I took a look at it… I won’t say anything about what sort of request it was. It concerned not that woman personally, but some of her close relatives. Then that paper was lost. I still remember that as an impermissible inadvertency on my part. Possibly, there had been no way of meeting her request, but everything should have been done then to have that petition worked on properly. Possibly, I would have been told, “No, there is no way of settling it!” Then I would have given instructions to write back to that lady to explain why there was no way of helping her. But just losing it was very careless … You know, I still feel remorse. I feel awkward. Let me say once again, this does not mean that all grievances and requests that I get from people looking at me with hope must be sustained. Certain things cannot be resolved the way the people would like them to. It is impossible and against the law.
- Did it take you long to learn to say "No"?
- As far as I know, in Chinese there are sixteen ways of expressing negation. And yet none of them sounds literally.
- And how many synonyms are there in your vocabulary?
- It is not a question of form, it is a question of meaning. It is impossible to always say “Yes”, although I feel like replying in this way very often. I am forced to refuse…
- Who can object to you, and what consequences may follow?
- Only myself and the law. Nobody is allowed to violate the law, even the top officials.
- I am asking about others. Are there any bold guys who don’t just listen humbly, but dare argue?
- There are independent people, with an opinion of their own. I appreciate people who can say, “I believe that you are wrong.”
- What if we name some of these heroes?
- Let’s avoid bolstering their publicity. But there are such people.