Following Direct Line with Vladimir
Putin, the President answered a number of questions from media
representatives.
June
20, 2019
17:20
Moscow
Answers to journalists’
questions following Direct Line.
* * *
Question: What about Donbass?
Russia’s response to shelling is weak; Zelensky has not decide anything
and passports are a half-hearted issue…
Vladimir
Putin: As for resolving the Donbass problem, I have
already spoken about this. I just talked about this, but I can say it
again: this problem cannot be resolved properly without a direct dialogue
and without the implementation of the Minsk agreements
by the Ukrainian authorities.
As for passports,
understandably there are queues for Russian passports. We will grant citizenship
to those who want it.
As for other Ukrainian
citizens that would like to receive citizenship, I talked about this
as well. We will grant it to them and improve the system
for granting citizenship under a simplified procedure.
Question: Why is Russia’s
response to the increasing shelling so weak, as if nothing is
happening?
Vladimir Putin: This is not
a matter of weakness or strength. The bottom line is that
we want to give the new Ukrainian leadership a chance
to get on track to resolve this rather than make things worse.
Question: Can you please tell us
if you think it is time for Russia to admit its responsibility
for the crash of the Malaysian Boeing, the downing
of MH17?
And one more question, Mr
President. This is the 30th anniversary
of the downfall of the Berlin Wall when Moscow’s sphere
of influence in Eastern Europe started to collapse
and which was followed by the disintegration
of a great power – the USSR. Do you think Russia is again
a super power 30 years later?
Vladimir Putin: First, regarding
the Boeing. Russia has never dodged its responsibility if it is
responsible for something. We find absolutely unacceptable what we saw
and what was presented as evidence of Russia’s guilt.
We think there is no evidence
at all there. Everything that was presented does not prove anything. We
have our own version and we have submitted it, but regrettably nobody
wants to listen to us.
Until there is real dialogue, we will
not find a correct answer to the questions that remain open, that
are linked with the tragedy of the plane and the death
of people, over which we are certainly mourning and of course
consider such actions unacceptable.
And it is still necessary
to repeat what we said: who allowed flights over an area
of hostilities? Was it Russia? No. Where were the fighters planes
and where is the absolute proof that the militia men
or someone else fired the weapon?
There are a lot
of questions and nobody is answering them. They have simply made
a choice once and for all and have appointed
the guilty – and that’s it. This approach
to the investigation does not suit us.
As for the dismantling
of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet
Union. Is Russia a great power? We are not seeking this status because
this would imply certain elements of imposing our influence on other
countries and entire regions.
We do not want to return
to how it was in the Soviet Union, when it imposed a way
of life and political system on its neighbours, including
countries in Eastern Europe.
This is counterproductive, too costly
and has no historical prospects. You cannot make other nations live
by your rules.
It appears that the sad
experience of the Soviet Union is not considered by some
of our partners in the West. They are making the same
mistakes and falling into the same trap, assuming that they are
empires and constructing their policy accordingly.
Question: Starting this year, our
correspondents have reported at least three deaths of Russian
servicemen in Syria, which have not been reported by the Russian
Defence Ministry. Sorry for reading it out, I am nervous.
Since the beginning of war
in Syria, Russia has not acknowledged the deaths of employees
of a private military contractor linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Last year, our correspondents met with the families of several
[Russian] citizens killed there. Their families and friends insist that
they be granted the status of combat participants, even if
posthumously.
Tells us, Mr President, what is
the problem with honouring and acknowledging people who fought
in the interests of their country?
Vladimir Putin: Look,
as for the private companies, including the private
security companies under which the people you have mentioned were
operating – this is not the Russian state, and they are not
engaged in combat.
Fortunately or unfortunately,
these are issues of an economic nature, related to economic
activity, oil production and exploring oilfields – that is what we
are talking about here.
Of course, we acknowledge that
people risk their lives even when addressing these social and economic
tasks and problems. Overall, this is also a contribution
to fighting terrorism as they are reclaiming these fields from ISIS.
But this has nothing to do with the Russian state or the Russian
army, so we do not comment on this.
Question: We have a colleague
in prison – Kirill Vyshinsky has been behind bars in Ukraine
for a year. Considering that your meeting with Vladimir Zelensky is
apparently postponed indefinitely, would it be possible to get Kirill back
home before your meeting? Say, if we sent Oleg Sentsov to Ukraine,
and those sailors, anyone, let everyone go, and then Kirill
and these people would walk free as soon as this summer.
Vladimir Putin: We are thinking about
it, we have not forgotten.
Question: May I ask a question
about defrauded stakeholders of shared construction projects?
You said earlier this month that
within two years, the very concept of a defrauded stakeholder
should disappear in Russia. Unfortunately, I am one of them,
and I would like to ask you something using my case
as example.
I have a very difficult
situation: the developer went bankrupt, and there is no new investor,
because no one wants to invest. A lot of money is needed,
and there is no financing from the Government.
So I am not sure that in two
years I will stop being a defrauded stakeholder. Could you tell us
what actions, you think, will and can be taken to fulfil your task?
Vladimir Putin: Indeed this is easier
said than done. But this duty lies not only with the Federation, but
largely with the regions of the Russian Federation.
First of all, we need
to identify all the equity construction investors who need support,
to understand exactly which projects they had invested
in and how much damage each incurred. This work is in progress.
At the same time, work is underway to provide these people with
housing, and the regional and federal budgets are involved.
We are doing it, investing
the necessary resources, and we will definitely complete it. Where is
the project you invested in, in which region?
Remark: I am a stakeholder
in the Novokosino 2 residential complex in Reutov, Moscow
Region.
Vladimir Putin: In the Moscow Region, the problem is really quite acute,
although I have given instructions to the regional governors,
and compliance is monitored at the federal level, so that each
stakeholder’s problems are finally resolved.
What I meant when I said
there would be no such thing as defrauded stakeholders in two years
is that we are gradually getting rid of the shared construction
system, in which a significant part of the risks are
shouldered by future apartment owners, such as you. You know about
it.
I have already said many times,
and I will use this opportunity, especially because there were no
such questions during Direct Line today – they were not asked on air.
But this is something people are concerned about, so I will use this
opportunity since you asked.
We shift responsibility from citizens
to financial organisations, bolstering these financial organisations with
insurance mechanisms from the budget, first and foremost, from
the federal budget.
The Central Bank has introduced
an entire support system for those financial institutions which will
be maintaining the so-called escrow accounts and only after
the housing is commissioned, money from these escrow accounts,
the citizens’ money, will be sent to developers.
Yes, this might lead,
and unfortunately it has already led, to some reduction
in housing construction. We had a peak of 85 million, now it is
below 80, but this is inevitable.
We must move to a new
system of financing housing construction, make it modern and civilised.
This is exactly what I spoke about. Well, maybe not in two years,
maybe in three years, but, in any case, we must do this
in the upcoming years.
Remark: But I do not fall under
the system, for instance.
Vladimir Putin: Why? Your issue, like
the issue of other housing equity holders, must be addressed. If,
of course, you are not just an equity holder, but engaged
in business, if you bought not one but five, six, ten apartments
and are going to do business, this is another thing. If you really
bought housing for yourself, your issue must be addressed. I will
talk to Andrei Vorobyov (Moscow Region Governor). Reutov, right?
Remark: Yes.
Question: In a little while
you will go to meet with, as you call him, your friend, Shinzo Abe.
Could you please speak about what you expect from this visit, as not only
a number of meetings are expected to take place, but
the closing of the Cross Year of Russia and Japan.
Should we expect any surprises like you stepping onto the judo mats
or visiting hot springs?
Vladimir Putin: These are not
the most important surprises in interstate relations – like
stepping onto the judo mat or visiting hot springs – but this is
also important and interesting and creates a certain atmosphere.
What do I expect from this
meeting? The continuation of dialogue. I am sure that Shinzo,
like all of us, wants full normalisation of relations
and the conclusion of a peace treaty. It seems like we are
almost there, very close, but often there are issues that arise
and suddenly postpone the final resolution of this issue.
But what is absolutely clear,
and I spoke about it many times: both the Japanese side
represented by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russia wants
a final normalisation of our relations. Both the Japanese
and the Russian people are interested in it and will be
striving for this.
Thank you very much.
See also
June 20, 2019
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