QUESTION FROM ROMAN TSYMBALYUK, UKRAINIAN INFORMATION AGENCY:
I just wanted to clarify something regarding the discount on gas. How can you explain this? You choked Ukraine with high gas prices for three years and then suddenly reduced it. Does this mean that the price was not “fraternal” before but inflated and unfair for Ukraine? You said that even now we have only a temporary arrangement and must move forward. What does that mean? Also, could you please clarify if these $15 billion are the price for Ukraine’s rejection of the EU association agreement? How much would you be willing to pay to permanently discourage Kiev from looking in Europe’s direction?
VLADIMIR PUTIN:
No one was trying to strangle anyone here. It was said from the start, including in Ukraine itself, and quite fairly too, that, “if we want to be independent, we have to pay for it, behave like an independent country and follow the norms of European and global practice.” The contract that we signed back then was based on precisely these norms.
So, why have we decided to make changes to the contract now? Why have we decided to offer Ukraine these loans? Let me say again now that today’s decisions, which you all know, were taken in response to the difficulties the Ukrainian economy currently faces. These difficulties, as I said, are due to a number of different reasons.
We are not against [EU] association, but are simply saying that we will have to protect our own economy because we have a free trade zone with Ukraine, and we will not be able to leave those doors wide open in the present situation if Ukraine opens its doors wide to the European Union. We will have no choice but to close our doors.
If Ukraine adopts EU commercial standards, they won’t be able to sell to us anything at all. Do you see? So, Ukraine will immediately become – and this is just by definition, you don’t need to think about it too hard, just read the documents – an agricultural appendage to the EU.
QUESTION FROM ANTON ZHELNOV, DOZHD TV CHANNEL:
A question about Ukraine. If the protests similar to Maidan events – unsanctioned and lasting many weeks – were to occur on Cathedral Square in the Kremlin or on Red Square, how would you react? What political decision would you make?
VLADIMIR PUTIN:
I would not make any political decisions; I would act in accordance with the Russian Federation laws. Every citizen, political party, or association has the right to express their opinion on any decision made in our country, including through mass street actions, but any such protest must remain within the framework of the law. If anybody goes beyond that framework, the government has – I want to stress this, it is not some sort of political will, but the responsibility of the authorities – to bring about order, because otherwise, this turn of events can lead to chaos, which will negatively affect the economy, society, and the political state of the entire nation.
ANTON ZHELNOV:
And another clarification. You have spoken many times about the brotherly people of Ukraine. But if we go to Kiev right now, you will hear many negative words and a lack of love toward our nation, especially from the young people who are gathering at Maidan. How do you react to the emotional side of what is happening there?
VLADIMIR PUTIN:
I think this is a question of being informed. I suspect we also have nationalist-minded people, who could speak out loud about their position regarding Ukraine, and if we start counting them one by one, we would feel there are many of them. But the overwhelming majority of Russian citizens have a positive attitude toward Ukraine. This is 100% certain; there’s no need to ask a fortune-teller about it.
I think the same is true in Ukraine. Within a nation of 45 million, you can always find people who initially have negative attitudes toward us. It is their right. But I think this is largely due to insufficient information, in part concerning the European integration process in Ukraine.
Some people are saying that the Ukrainian people have been robbed of their “European dream.” First of all, we have nothing to do with this. It is the choice of the Ukrainian people themselves and their legitimate authorities, whether or not to enter into any kind of union or to sign any documents, as I have already said many times.
But look at what is happening here. After all, we are not dragging Ukraine anywhere; we have a free trade zone with Ukraine. We are not saying we will discriminate against Ukrainian goods. On the contrary, we are saying that if Ukraine signs this document, will we be forced to cancel all preferences. We cannot maintain them, that will undermine our own economy.
And another question occurs to me. You said that some people have negative attitudes toward Russia. But here is what we need to consider. After all, the people who actively promote the idea of signing EU integration documents are mainly those who were in power just recently. Mr Yatsenyuk, I believe, was Foreign Minister, Verkhovna Rada speaker. Tymoshenko was Prime Minister. Yushchenko also held the same views and was President. Why didn’t they sign documents on joining the European Union when they were in power? Why didn’t they do it then? They were in power, nobody was in their way, they could have signed all the papers, and there would not be any questions today. Why didn’t they do it? I have a reasonable suspicion that this affair is not related to joining the EU. This is a domestic political battle, in which the signing of this document with the EU is used as a pretext to aggravate the situation, but it’s only a pretext.
We proceed from the fact that whoever wins this battle and however the situation unfolds in the future, we will still work with Ukraine and cooperate with it in such a way and such format that is the most interesting and acceptable for the Ukrainian people.
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