A word from the President: an interview with Vladimir Putin on the American television channel NBC

Vladimir Putin answered questions from NBC journalist Megan Kelly. The interview was recorded 1 March in the Kremlin and 2 March in Kaliningrad, reported on the site of the President of Russia.

Photo by: kremlin.ru

ForumDaily cites a full two-part interview.

M.Kelly (As translated): Thank you very much, Mr. President, for accepting us.

If you do not mind, we would like to build a work in this way. We would like to talk about the news that you created today in the course of your speech, during the announcement of the Address to the Federal Assembly.

And as part of our preparation for a more extensive and lengthy interview with you, we would then like to touch upon a few personal moments. Most of the second part of the interview, when we talk to you about you, we would like to do tomorrow, if you are satisfied with such work.

V.Putin: Please.

M.Kelly: You said today that Russia has developed several new weapons systems, in particular, that a new intercontinental ballistic missile has been created, which has a nuclear engine and, accordingly, makes detection systems and protection against it useless. Some analysts in the West, after your speech, managed to say that a new “cold war” was thereby declared. From your point of view, has a new Cold War been declared? Have you really declared a new cold war?

V.Putin: From my point of view, the people you mentioned are not analysts - they are propagandists. Why? Because everything that I spoke about today is not initiative work on our part. This is a response to the missile defense program and a response to the unilateral withdrawal of the United States in 2002 from the Treaty on the limitation of missile defense.

If we talk about the arms race, it began at that very moment - at the time the United States withdraws from this treaty. And we wanted to prevent this. We offered our American partners joint work on these programs.

First, we asked them not to go unilaterally, not to destroy this treaty. But the United States did it. We didn't do it - the United States did it.

But even after that, we offered them joint work. I then told my colleague:

“Imagine what will happen if Russia and the United States unite their efforts in such an important matter as strategic security. The world will change to a long historical perspective, and the level of world security will rise to unprecedented heights. ” We were told: "This is very interesting."

But in the end they refused all our offers.

Then I said: "You understand, we will be forced to develop shock weapons systems in order to maintain a balance in order to overcome your missile defense systems." And they heard back, they told us: “We do not make the missile defense system against you, and you do what you want. We will proceed from the fact that this is not against us, not against the United States. ”

M. Kelly: This happened immediately after 11 September 2001 year?

V.Putin: No, it was after the US withdrawal from the treaty. The United States withdrew from the treaty in 2002, and these conversations were somewhere in 2003 – 2004.

M. Kelly: You were quoted then, quoted in the sense that you said that it was a mistake on the part of the United States, but not a threat. Do you now perceive the United States as a threat?

V.Putin: We have always said that the development of an anti-missile defense system poses a threat to us, we have always spoken about this. The American partners did not publicly acknowledge this, they said that it was against Iran basically. But in fact, in the end, in conversations, negotiations, they recognized that, of course, this system will nullify our nuclear deterrence potential.

And imagine the situation. In the 1972 year, what was the point of the treaty that was then signed — that the US and the USSR had only two areas that defended against a missile attack: one in the US, one in the Soviet Union. This posed a threat to a potential aggressor to get a counterstrike. In 2002, the United States said: "No, we no longer need it, we will create everything we want, globally, worldwide."

M. Kelly: Again, not immediately literal, but yes, after the events of 11 September 2001, when the US rethought its policy and its position in terms of security. And, you see, when this happened in the country, is it not natural to rethink your position, the security policy?

V.Putin: No, not natural. This is complete rubbish. Because the missile defense system is aimed at combating ballistic missiles that no terrorists possess. This explanation is for housewives who listen and watch your show. But if the housewives hear what I am saying, if you show it to them and they hear it, then they will be able to understand that the attacks of 11 September and the missile defense system have nothing in common with each other. And in order to defend themselves against the blows of terrorists, great powers need not create a threat to each other, but combine efforts in the fight against terror.

M. Kelly: The system you spoke about today, the ICBM, did you test it, and it really works? I ask this question, because some analysts have already stated that in fact the tests were unsuccessful and the animation was shown instead of real frames.

V.Putin: I spoke today about several systems. What kind do you mean - do you mean exactly intercontinental ballistic heavy rocket?

M. Kelly: Yes. I'm asking about that rocket, which, as you said, makes protection from it impossible, useless.

V.Putin: Everything that I spoke about today, each this system easily overcomes the missile defense system - each. This is the meaning of all these developments.

M. Kelly: Tests were?

V.Putin: Yes, of course.

M.Kelly: And the tests were successful? Did it work?

V.Putin: Very good.

Some of them are subject to additional work, additional work should be done on some systems. Some are already in service. With respect to some, industrial production has already begun. They already went to the series.

If we return to the beginning of our conversation, here, see, such a system is deployed in Alaska. We are divided between Alaska and Chukotka, the Russian coast, only 60 kilometers.

Two districts are set in Eastern Europe. One has already been established in Romania, the construction of the second one in Poland is coming to an end. Plus the naval component. Ships are in close proximity to the Russian shores both in the south and in the north.

You imagine that we would put the missile systems now along the American-Mexican or along the American-Canadian border on their territories from two sides and plus the ships would be dragged from two sides — what would you say on this score? then the steps? And we would say that you are accelerating the arms race. This is not nonsense, no? And so it is.

M. Kelly: I want to come back. That is, I understand you correctly, what exactly are you saying that we are now in the framework of a new arms race?

V.Putin: I want to say that the United States, when they came out of the ABM Treaty in 2002, forced us to start working on new weapons systems. We told our partners about this, they said: “Well, do what you want.” Here we did - "Welcome to shave."

M. Kelly: When you told the American partners that you are creating new weapons systems, you said exactly in such terms that Russia is creating a new intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear source of its own fuel, which will make missile systems useless and pointless? So it was?

V.Putin: Of course not. I didn’t know at that moment what we could answer, I tell you honestly. Hence, our partners came, apparently, from the fact that we can not answer. The economy was in a difficult situation, the defense industry, the army, so I think that it could not have occurred to anyone that in such a short time we could make such a giant leap forward in the development of strategic weapons. I think that the CIA said, probably, to the President of the United States: "They will not do anything." And the Pentagon said: "And we will do it - we will make a powerful modern missile defense system of a global nature." Well, here we go.

But I will answer directly to your question. I can tell you what was said to our American partners at the time and what I personally said.

M. Kelly: Do you mean George W. Bush?

Vladimir Putin: Who was in 2002, 2003, 2004 years President?

M. Kelly: Did this continue all the time? Or only during this specific time period that you indicated?

V.Putin: In fact, we ate the whole baldness, talked about it constantly for 15 years. And it was literally said the following, almost literally: I said that we will not now develop a missile defense system like you. Firstly, because it is very expensive, and we do not have such resources. And, secondly, we still do not know how it will work, and you do not know, and we are even more so.

But in order to maintain a strategic balance so that you can not nullify our nuclear deterrence forces, we will develop shock systems that will be able to overcome your missile defense system.

It was said directly, absolutely frankly, without any aggression, I just said what we're going to do. Nothing personal.

And in response to this, we heard: "We do not against you, but you do what you want, we will proceed from the fact that this is not against us, not against the United States."

Photo by: kremlin.ru

M. Kelly: Let's talk about today also about the future, as you said today that you use this weapon if an attack on Russia or its allies is committed. Question: Did you mean any attack or only a nuclear strike against Russia or its allies?

V.Putin: I heard a question.

I also want to say that in the 2004 year - I remembered this today - I said at a press conference that we will develop, called a specific missile system, we call it Avangard.

Now we called it Avangard, but then I just said how it would work. He said straight, even said how it will work. But we hoped that at least they would hear it, try to somehow discuss it with us, talk about working together. No, nothing, as if heard nothing. The reduction of strategic offensive weapons and the missile defense system are two different things.

M. Kelly: That is, you did not see the need to disclose information.

V.Putin: We will reduce the number of carriers, the number of warheads, according to START-3. That is, the number will be reduced from both sides, but one side, the United States, will develop anti-missile systems.

That is, in the end, there will come a situation when all our nuclear missiles, the entire missile potential of Russia will be reduced to zero. Therefore, we have always linked it together. So it was in the Soviet-American times, these are natural things, everyone understands this.

M. Kelly: It turns out, do I understand you correctly that those 4000 units of nuclear weapons that Russia currently possesses can not overcome the US anti-missile systems at the moment?

V.Putin: They can. Today they can. But you are developing your anti-missile systems. The range of anti-missiles increases, accuracy increases, this weapon is improved. Therefore, we need to adequately respond to this, so that we can overcome the system not only today, but tomorrow, when you have a new weapon.

M. Kelly: I understand, and that is why the presence of an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear engine in Russia would really radically change the situation and would be a powerful factor.

You said that some tests went great, gave very good results, others did not quite, we still have to work on them. If I may, I will put the question in this way: Does Russia currently have a working and working version of an ICBM with a nuclear engine?

V.Putin: Listen, I did not say that any of these systems failed. They all went well. It’s just that each of these weapons systems is at different stages of readiness. One of them is already on duty, in the army is. The second one too. Some systems are working according to plan. We have no doubt that they will be in service, just as there was no doubt in 2004 that we will make a rocket with a so-called cruise planning unit.

You keep talking about intercontinental ballistic missiles, new missiles ...

Photo by: kremlin.ru

M. Kelly: You talk about ICBMs all the time.

V.Putin: Not. I say that we are creating only one brand-new heavy-class rocket, which will replace our rocket, which we call the “Voivode”, and your name is, God forgive me, “Satan”. We will put a new, more powerful rocket in its place. Here it is - ballistic. All other systems are nonballistic.

That's the whole point, because the missile defense system works against ballistic missiles. And we have created a whole set of new strategic weapons that do not move along ballistic trajectories, and the missile defense systems against them are powerless.

This means that US taxpayers' money is thrown to the wind.

M. Kelly: I want to return to the question that started to ask. You said that Russia uses these systems in case an attack on Russia or its allies is committed. The attack is nuclear or anyone?

V.Putin: We have two reasons to respond with the help of our nuclear deterrent forces. This attack with nuclear weapons on us or an attack on the Russian Federation using conventional weapons, but in the event that a threat to the existence of the state is created.

M. Kelly: Is this consistent with the current, existing Russian doctrine of the use of nuclear weapons?

V.Putin: Absolutely right. Two reasons to respond with nuclear weapons.

M. Kelly: Are you interested in conducting new negotiations on a new treaty on the reduction of strategic offensive arms?

V.Putin: We are soon to expire the START-3. We are ready to continue this dialogue. For us, after all, what is important? We agree to reduce either the continuation of existing conditions, the reduction of carriers, the reduction of warheads. But now, when we have a weapon that easily overcomes all ABM systems, it is not so critical for us to reduce the number of ballistic missiles and warheads.

M. Kelly: The new systems you talked about would become part of the new negotiations on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons?

V.Putin: From the point of view that both the number of carriers and the number of warheads that can be placed on them or will be placed, of course, should be included in the overall credit. And we will show you how it will look from afar.

Between the military we have an understanding of how these checks are carried out, there are, in principle, in this sense, proven mechanisms and a fairly high level of trust. In principle, the military work quite professionally with each other. Politicians talk a lot, and the military knows what they are doing.

M. Kelly: Are you a politician?

V.Putin: I and the military too, I am the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. And I 17 years was a military intelligence officer.

M. Kelly: Are you personally impressed by the fact that you worked for the KGB, and that this is a well-known fact, do people know about it? Do you have positive emotions?

V.Putin: Neither positive nor negative. It was a great experience, and in many different areas. It was useful for me when I moved into the civil sphere. In this sense, this, of course, a positive experience helped me.

M. Kelly: How did this experience help you?

V.Putin: You know, I worked, after I left intelligence, for example, at a university, I was an assistant to the rector of Petersburg University. This is work with people, this is the ability to establish contacts, to induce to some kind of actions, to unite people. This is very important in an academic environment. Then I worked as deputy mayor of St. Petersburg. Responsibility still bоLarger, wider. I was responsible for international relations of St. Petersburg, a five-million metropolis. First met, working in St. Petersburg in this position, with Henry Kissinger. All this helped, of course, in work then, and then additional experience helped to work in Moscow.

M. Kelly: Do you think this experience gives you an advantage, personally, over yours as allies, and rivals, opponents?

V.Putin: It's hard for me to say. I have no other experience. The only thing I know, my partners - the heads of state, government - are exceptional, outstanding people. They passed a great selection and selection. There are no random people at this level. And each of them has its advantages over the others.

M. Kelly: A question. You have long been in power in Russia, in your age, there are already four American presidents. Do you prefer any of them among the rest?

V.Putin: You will forgive me, this is not a very correct question. Each of my partners is good in its own way. And on the whole, we had good relations with almost everyone. With Bill Clinton, he was already leaving the post of President, but we could work together with him for several more months. Then, with Bush, and with Obama, now less, of course, but with the incumbent President. Everyone has something that can not but cause respect. At the same time, we could argue, disagree, and often this happens, we have different positions on many, even key issues, but still we managed somehow to maintain normal, human relations. If this were not so, it would not only be more difficult, but much worse for everyone.

M. Kelly: How do you think it is important, as a President, to create the impression of power, to project power?

V.Putin: It is important not to create an impression, but to show it. It is also important that we understand by force. It's not just pounding your fists and shouting loudly. I believe that strength has several dimensions.

First, a person must be convinced of the rightness of what he does. And second, he must be ready to go to the end in achieving the goals that he sets himself.

M. Kelly: I have a question in this regard: when from time to time there are photos in the Western press and in the American press you, say, galloping on a horse, without a shirt, does this make any sense? What is this for?

V.Putin: Well, I'm resting. There are your Russian colleagues, there is the Internet. But so that it is very purposeful, we do not do it. Take what you like. I have a lot of photos in the working environment, with papers in the office, but it's not interesting to anyone.

M. Kelly: (Laugh.) You want to say that people like it when you are photographed without a shirt?

V.Putin: You know, I saw my photos when I jump on a bear. But I have not galloped on a bear yet, but there are photos.

M. Kelly: Elections can be said on the nose, in two weeks. You have neither more nor less than 65 years. Some, maybe even many people at this age are already thinking about how to slow down a bit. Do you foresee a situation in your future when you want to slow down slightly?

V.Putin: First of all, as far as I know, there are many politicians in the world who are older than me, and they work very actively.

M. Kelly: Including in my country.

Vladimir Putin: Not only in the US, but also in other countries. There are a lot of such people in the world, there are in Europe, anywhere in the world. But if a person comes to the first place, he must actively work as if he is doing it for the first time in his life, like the first and last.

There is a constitution. I have never violated the Constitution and never changed the Constitution. So I will work within the framework of the Basic Law of Russia. Of course, if the voters will give me this opportunity - to work for another term, I will work, of course, with full vigor.

M. Kelly: The latter, as it is already late, is a question for today.

Sorry if the answer to it will probably be long, but the question sounds like this. As President, a person in the office of President, what do you consider your greatest achievement? And what do you consider your biggest mistake, a mistake?

V.Putin: You know, both will be very close.

The biggest achievement is that our economy has changed dramatically. She has grown almost twice in volume. We have halved the number of people living below the poverty line.

And at the same time, from what has not been done to the end, is that too many people still live below the poverty line. We need to remove these “scissors” between those who earn a lot and those who earn too little. In this regard, there are many advantages and unresolved issues.

At the beginning of the 2000-s, we have reduced the country's population every year by almost a million. Can you imagine what a disaster? 900 thousand almost. We have broken this situation. They even went on a natural increase. Our infant mortality is minimal, the maternal mortality is almost reduced to zero. We have prepared and are implementing a large program of support for mothers and children. We now have the largest rate of increase in life expectancy.

Much has changed in the economy. But we did not manage to solve the main task in the economy, we did not change the structure of the economy as we need it. We have not achieved the necessary growth rates of labor productivity, but we know how to do this. And I'm sure we will do it. The thing is that we did not have the opportunity to solve this problem so far, because until now we have not yet created macroeconomic conditions for concrete actions in these areas.

At the beginning of the way inflation was at 30 percent, now it is 2,2. Gold and foreign exchange reserves are growing, we have a stable macroeconomics. This is what gives us a chance to take the next step in the direction of increasing labor productivity, and in attracting investments, including private investments, and in changing the structure of the economy.

I tell you this by large blocks. There are also specific directions, including modern technologies and artificial intelligence, digitalization, biology with medicine, genomic research and so on.

M. Kelly: I hope that tomorrow in Kaliningrad, when we have more time, we will talk much more about the economy, about how you are going to be re-elected, about other issues related to Russia. I know that you had a very long, difficult day, so special thanks to you for spending so much time.

V.Putin: Thank you, too.

Photo by: kremlin.ru

Part 2. Kaliningrad, 2 March 2018 years

M.Kelly (As translated): Mr. President, it's great to see you again.

So, we are here in Kaliningrad. Why are we in Kaliningrad? Is this a place that is a threat to NATO, is it the location of some nuclear weapons and thus try to give some signal to someone?

V.Putin: Why Kaliningrad? Because I regularly go to the regions of the Russian Federation. This is one of the regions where I also appear regularly, I am here. This time, the reason was a meeting of regional media, which they decided to hold here. I did not decide to hold this meeting here, but they, your colleagues from the regional media of Russia. I had an agreement with them that I visit these meetings once a year and meet with representatives of the regional press, so today I came here. This has nothing to do with any signals outside, it's just our internal political work.

M. Kelly: I see.

The last time we met in June, I asked you about the conclusions our intelligence services made about Russia's interference in the presidential elections. You told me that in these reports there is nothing special, that if there was something concrete, then we could discuss something. You told me that you need turnout, passwords, names.

From that moment on, 13 Russians were accused, 3 companies in the Muller report on interference in the elections, Yevgeny Prigogine and many others who led cyberwar from their offices in St. Petersburg in Russia. There are specific names, attendances, passwords. Can we continue such discussions now, as you think?

V.Putin: Of course. Not just we can - it seems to me that if this topic continues to excite you, then probably we should even talk about this topic. But if you think that the question has already been asked, I am ready to answer it.

M. Kelly: Why did you allow such an attack on the US?

V.Putin: And why did you decide that the Russian authorities and I, including someone, were allowed to do this? You have now named a number of persons, some of them are known to me, some are unknown, but they are just individuals, they do not represent the Russian authorities.

And even if we assume, although I am not one hundred percent certain, whether they did something during the presidential campaign in the United States or did not do it - I just don’t know anything about it - it has nothing to do with the position of the Russian state.

After all, it was about the interference of Russia as a Russian state in the internal political affairs of the United States. Nothing has changed since the last time we talked to you in St. Petersburg. There are some names. So what? It might as well have been the names of some Americans who, sitting here, interfere in your own political processes. It did not change anything.

M. Kelly: But they were not Americans, they were Russians. Hundreds of people, a budget of 1,2 billion dollars, was sent to commit an attack on the US within the framework of cyberwar. You are now preparing for the election. Should Russian people also be concerned about the fact that you do not know what is happening in your country, in your hometown?

V.Putin: Listen, the world is very big and diverse. We have a rather complicated relationship - between the United States and the Russian Federation. And some of our people have their own opinions about these relations and react accordingly at the level of the Government of the Russian Federation, at the level of the President of the Russian Federation. There has never been any interference in the internal political processes in the United States.

You have called me a part of some individuals and say that they are Russian. So what? And maybe they, being Russian, work for some American company? Maybe one of them worked for someone from the candidates? I have no idea about this, these are not my problems. You know that, for example, in Ukraine, after the elections, some statesmen sent congratulatory telegrams to Hillary Clinton, although Trump won. Listen, are we here to do with it?

Now, in my opinion, Mr. Manafort, his last name, he was initially accused of having something to do with Russia's interference in the presidential elections in the United States. It turned out quite another that he was connected with Ukraine. And he had some problems with Ukraine. We have something to do with it?

You know, we have no desire to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. But if you are interested in speaking on this topic, I would like to expand the field of our discussion.

M. Kelly: Of course, I want to talk about this topic. Maybe we could do it step by step, then everything would be more clear for those who are watching our interview.

You said that the Russian Federation did not order this. Do you encourage such activities?

V.Putin: We do not encourage and do not order. But I say that the internal political processes in the United States themselves and the people who wanted to achieve some kind of result, they could use - there are such technologies - some kind of tools in other countries. They could send relevant information from France, from Germany, from Asia, from Russia. We have something to do with it?

M.Kelly: That is, they were not Russian.

V.Putin: Well, Russians, but they were not government officials. Well, Russian, and what? Russian 146 million people, so what?

M. Kelly: And what have you done to be content with the fact that you now called?

V.Putin: How?

M.Kelly: What did you do to convince yourself that they were not Russians? You said, maybe it's the Americans, maybe it was the French. What did you do to understand that in fact these 13 people, including your friends, what you did to make sure that they were not related to this, are involved in this?

V.Putin: I know that they do not represent the Russian state and Russian power. And what they did specifically, I have no idea and do not know what they were guided by. If they even did something, then let our American colleagues not just tell something in the press, let them give us concrete materials, with justification. We will be ready to consider and talk on this topic. But you know what I would like to say ...

M. Kelly: It would be perfect. Will you ensure their extradition in the US?

V.Putin: Never. Russia does not give out its citizens to anyone, just like the United States. Do you give someone out, your citizens? This is in the first place.

Secondly, I do not see that I have committed any wrongful act.

And, thirdly, we repeatedly suggested to the United States to establish appropriate relations in this regard, to sign an appropriate interstate agreement on the extradition of criminals. The United States has evaded this and does not want to do this with Russia. What are you counting on? What are we going to give you to someone, and you are not? So international affairs are not done.

And further. You know, I ask you all the same to listen to me and bring to your viewers and listeners what I am about to say. We are discussing with our American friends and partners, and with state representatives, and we say when they make claims to us that some Russians interfered in the elections in the USA, we tell them very recently, at a very high level: you constantly interfere in our political life. Can you imagine, they don’t even deny this.

What did they say to us for the last time? They told us: yes, we interfere, but we have the right to this, because we carry democracy, and you are not, you can not. Do you think this is a civilized, modern formulation of the issue in international affairs?

We spoke yesterday about nuclear weapons, once the United States and the Soviet Union agreed, understood that the matter was about possible mutual destruction, and agreed on how to behave in this area, in the sphere of ensuring security in the presence of weapons of mass destruction . Let's now agree on how to behave in the cyberspace, which used to be in this capacity and volume.

Photo: video frame

M. Kelly: Let me ask the following question.

V.Putin: We offered the United States, our partners under President Obama: let's agree on how we will build relations, develop common rules, understand and adhere to them in cyberspace.

The first reaction of the Obama administration was negative, and then in the end, at the very end of his presidential term, they told us: yes, it's interesting, let's talk. But again everything disappeared, somewhere into the swamp drowned. Well, let's agree on this, we do not mind.

M. Kelly: So, you clearly said that you think that America interfered in the elections in Russia, right?

V.Putin: Constantly it does.

M. Kelly: And Russia did not interfere in the elections in America?

V.Putin: No, and is not going to do it. It's impossible. For us it is impossible.

M. Kelly: Why not? Why would not you do it?

V.Putin: First, we have our own principles, which consist in the fact that we do not allow ourselves to interfere in our internal affairs and do not climb into strangers. This is our principle. First.

And second, we do not have as many instruments.

M. Kelly: Come on…

V.Putin: No we can not.

M. Kelly: Can not be. You just said to me yesterday that the US is developing missile defense, you are responding with nuclear weapons. And now you tell me that we interfere in the elections in Russia, and you say: we will not do this, we will follow strict moral principles.

V.Putin: This is not a rocket weapon. This is a completely different field of activity. This is in the first place.

Secondly, we do not have such tools.

M. Kelly: Cyberwar.

V.Putin: This is a completely different activity. This is not a cyber war, and we do not have tools like yours. We do not have world media like you, like CNN, like yours. Where are we? We have Russia Today - all, the only tool of our media, and then you announced ...

M. Kelly: You have your own mechanisms of military action in cyberspace.

V.Putin: You interrupt me all the time, it's incorrect.

M. Kelly: I apologize.

V.Putin: We have one medium is Russia Today, and then he was declared a foreign agent and not allowed to work normally, - the only thing, one thing. You have a whole set, you have huge opportunities to work on the Internet, the Internet is yours. All Internet controls are in the hands of the United States, and all tools are in the United States, managing this cyberspace. Is it possible to compare? It is impossible simply. Let's agree on the rules of conduct in this cyberspace. You refuse.

Photo by: kremlin.ru

M. Kelly: David and Goliath.

So, there is a specific letter that was sent by a woman who was caught red-handed. She says: “We have a little problem at work, the FBI caught us. I am not kidding. So I tried to cover my tracks with my colleagues. I created photos on the network, posted posts on the network, so that the Americans believed that they were their people. ” And now you are sitting and telling me that you do not have any tools and that the United States has a whole market for cyber-tools - this is simply not true.

V.Putin: Even now I do not understand what you are talking about. You understand, this is some kind of nonsense. In your own Congress, we analyzed the amount of information that came to the Internet from some Russian sources. We analyzed the amount of information that came from our media such as Russia Today. This is one hundredth of a percent in the entire information array of the United States, one hundredth. And do you think this one-hundredth part influenced the course of the presidential election? It's just crap, you know? This is a continuation of the same line, according to which those who lost, do not want to agree with this. You understand, I have already spoken about this many times. For example, I still do not understand how the policy of the United States will be built headed by the current President in relation to Russia. There is a lot more that is unclear, we still have no normal work, there are still no normal contacts.

But what is quite obvious is that the incumbent President chose a certain position within the country, he relied on those people who were ready to support the ideas with which he went to the elections. This is the main reason for his victory, not some kind of interference from the outside. It's a bullshit. Can someone believe that Russia, somewhere in the thousands of kilometers, with the help of some two or three Russians, as you said, whom I do not know that they interfered and influenced the course of the elections? You yourself are not funny?

M. Kelly: You are talking about the reasons, but I'm still trying to understand whether it happened or not. One of your good friends is actually accused of this - Yevgeny Prigogine. You know him?

V.Putin: I know such a person, but he is not listed in my friends. It's just a twitch of facts. There is such a businessman, he is engaged in the restaurant business, then something else. You see, he is not a government official, we have nothing to do with him.

M. Kelly: After you heard that he was accused, did you talk to him? Did you pick up the phone, call him?

V.Putin: Still that did not suffice. I have so many cases and problems.

M. Kelly: He's your friend, he was just accused.

V.Putin: Did not you hear what I said? He's not my friend. I know such a person, but he is not listed on my list of friends. Did I not clearly say? And we have a lot of such people. In Russia, in general, 146 million people, it's less than in the US, but still quite a lot.

M. Kelly: He is quite famous.

V.Putin: Well known, and what? Is there a lot of famous people in Russia? He is not a government official, he is not a government official, he is just a private person, a businessman.

M. Kelly: Some say his real job is to do your dirty work.

V.Putin: Who are these people? And what dirty work? I do not do any dirty work. Everything I do is in sight. This is the stamp you have, someone who likes to do dirty work. You think that we are doing the same. No, it's not.

M. Kelly: First, you know, you recognize this, he is a famous Russian businessman. He is accused of conducting this operation, this is the same person who is accused of sending Russian mercenaries to Syria. And they struck at complexes that belong to units supported by the Americans.

V.Putin: You know, this person can have very different interests, including, say, interests in the sphere of the fuel and energy complex in Syria. But we do not support, we do not interfere with him and we do not help him. This is his personal initiative, private.

M. Kelly: You did not know about this?

V.Putin: Well, I know that there are several companies, we have a couple of companies there that are involved, including, maybe, him, but this has nothing to do with our policy in Syria. And if he does something, he does it not in agreement with us, but, most likely, in agreement with the Syrian authorities or the Syrian business with which he works there. We do not interfere with this. Does your government interfere in every step of the representatives of your business, especially modest enough? This, in fact, the average business. And that, your President interferes in the affairs of every American medium-sized company, or what? Is this not nonsense?

M. Kelly: If 13 Russians and 3 organizations actually intervened in our elections, you have nothing against it?

V.Putin: I do not care. I do not care because they do not represent the state.

M. Kelly: Do not you care?

V.Putin: Absolutely indifferent. They do not represent the interests of the Russian state. And if you are worried about something, tell us officially, send us documents confirming this, explain to us what they are specifically accused of. We will then see if they violated Russian law ...

M. Kelly: Yes, I looked.

V.Putin: No, it's not. If they violate Russian law, we will attract them. And if they did not violate the Russian law, then they should not be involved in Russia. But in the end you must understand that people in Russia do not live by American laws, but by Russian laws. So it will be. And if you want to agree with us on something, let's sit down at the negotiating table, choose the subject of these negotiations, agree, sign the document. But you refuse this!

I'm telling you the third time: we proposed a joint work in the field of cyberspace. But the US refuses to officially work in this direction, only some 13 Russians are thrown into the press. Or maybe there are not Russians, maybe there are Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews, just Russian citizenship. And then you need to check, maybe they have dual citizenship or a green card, and maybe they were paid for this work by the Americans. How do you know? And I do not know.

M. Kelly: There is at least one evidence: Andrei Krutskikh is the Kremlin’s advisor on cyberspace [special representative of the President of the Russian Federation on international cooperation in the field of information security]. When he spoke at the Forum on International Security in February 2016, he, I quote, said: “I warn you: we are now at the threshold of the moment when we will talk on an equal footing with Americans in the information space.” What did he mean? Because it sounds like a threat right before the elections were hacked.

V.Putin: It seems to me sometimes that you are joking.

M. Kelly: No, I'm talking seriously.

Photo by: kremlin.ru

V.Putin: A man said about his attitude to our contacts and work in a certain area with our foreign partners, in this case the US. Yes, I have no idea what he said. You ask him then what he had in mind. Do you really think that I control everything?

M. Kelly: But he is an adviser to the Administration on cyber questions.

V.Putin: So what? We have two thousand employees of the Administration, do you really think that I control everyone? Von Peskov is sitting opposite, my press secretary, he sometimes carries such a “blizzard”, I watch on TV and think: what does he say there? Who entrusted it to him?

I have no idea what he said, well, you ask him. Do you think that I should comment on everything that the officials of the Administration or the Government say, or what? I have my own job.

M. Kelly: I think that when it comes to our two countries, you know perfectly well what is happening, and now this is a Russian problem. The fact is that our heads of intelligence services have just come before the Congress, they say that Russia is the biggest threat to US security in the world, more than ISIS. You can not achieve the lifting of sanctions, now there is almost no relationship between our countries. Did this intervention, whether you knew about it or not, turned out to be a counter blow to Russia?

V.Putin: Listen, you're exaggerating everything. I, just as I do not know that someone has said something to us, and I do not intend to comment on these statements, I do not follow what is going on in Congress there.

I am interested in what is happening in the State Duma. They passed the law in the near future, which is needed to solve those or other problems related to health care or the housing and utilities system, or they did not accept it, or they delayed it on some issues. Or there lobbying is of some kind of interest, and some regular law in the sphere of nature conservation, forests and environmental issues is not passed - that's what interests me. What do you have there in Congress discussing? You yourself are watching this, I still didn’t have enough to do it.

M.Kelly: You know that the sanctions have not been lifted. You know that relations between our two countries are now not at a historically low level, but very close to it. And partly for this reason Russian interference in the American elections is bad..

V.Putin: Listen, the sanctions are completely unrelated to any mythical interference with the elections in the United States by Russia. The sanctions are completely different - with the desire to stop the development of Russia, to contain Russia. This policy of containing Russia has been carried out for decades, from time to time. Now back to her again. This is a wrong policy, it harms not only Russian-American relations, but also American business, because it gives the opportunity to free up space for competitors of American business in our market.

We were with you in St. Petersburg at the Economic Forum. The largest delegation of business representatives was from the USA. People want to work with us, but they are not given, they are being held back in order to hold back Russia. Here we were holding back — holding back, including in order to prevent our defense industry from developing, so yesterday we discussed with you, did something happen? No, it did not work; Russia could not be held back and it will never be possible. It's just, you know, an attempt on the means that ...

M. Kelly: In cyberspace, can we restrain Russia?

V.Putin: I think that it is impossible to restrain Russia anywhere. It is necessary to understand this. Look, you can not hold back North Korea. What are you talking about? Why do this? Why should one restrain one another, attack, suspect in something? We offer to cooperate.

M. Kelly: Here is my question for you: why do you constantly interfere in our elections? Or why would not you do that? Let me ask the following question.

In St. Petersburg, Moscow, here in Kaliningrad, you spent almost all of our time talking about the fact that the US interferes in the electoral processes in Russia and that Russia has a powerful arsenal of funds in the cyber war. You say at the same time that you did not interfere. Do not you think this is implausible?

V.Putin: I absolutely do not think this implausible, because we do not have the purpose of intervention. We do not see what purpose we can achieve if we intervene. The goal is not. Let's say we set a goal to intervene. Just like that, for the sake of the process, or what? What is the purpose?

M. Kelly: In order to wreak havoc - is that the goal?

V.Putin: Listen to me.

Just recently President Trump said a very correct thing. He said that if Russia set itself the goal to wreak havoc, then it achieved this. But this happened not because of our intervention, but because of your political system, internal struggle, confusion and contradictions. Russia has absolutely nothing to do with it, absolutely. We have nothing to do with it. At home, sort it out first.

But such a statement of the question, about which I said that you have the right to intervene everywhere, because you carry around democracy, and we are not, it creates conflicts. We must treat your partners with respect, and then they will treat you with respect.

M. Kelly: You said, Mr. President, that you thought that the intervention in our elections was carried out by some patriotic Russians. And of course, people will ask the following question: are you a patriotic Russian citizen?

V.Putin: I am the President of the Russian Federation. And my constitutional duties include resolving a number of issues to protect the interests of Russia. When I talked about people who are patriotic, I meant that against the backdrop of deteriorating Russian-American relations one can imagine that people, and people using cyberspace, can express their point of view, their opinion, including this one world network? Of course, they can. But can we forbid it to them? But we do not control it, and most importantly, that we do not control it. This is not the position of the Russian state, I immediately tell you about it.

M. Kelly: You can not, Russian intelligence agencies can not understand who is doing this, and you can not put an end to it when you hear about it?

V.Putin: Perhaps, if we were to do this purposefully, we probably identified these people, if they exist. But we do not have such a goal.

We offer you official negotiations, you refuse. And what do you want? So that at the click of the Congress we start running here and carry out some kind of investigation? Let's sit down, sign a contract in the field of work in cyberspace and we will execute it. How do you want it? Otherwise, things are not done in international affairs.

M. Kelly: So you do not have a goal to put an end to this? And what does this mean for our elections in 18 year, in 20 year? Can we expect similar cases?

V.Putin: I did not say that we have no goal to put an end to this. I said that we have ...

M. Kelly: You just said that.

V.Putin: No, I did not say that. I said that we do not interfere in the privacy of our people and can not forbid them to express their views, including on the web. But I also said that the official position of the Russian state is that we do not interfere as a state in domestic political processes in other countries. This is the most important thing. I want this to be fixed in our conversation today and that people in the US understand this.

M. Kelly: I'm sorry, I want to go deeper. Do you want and are you ready to stop your citizens who behave like this and who undermine relations between our countries?

V.Putin: I want to tell you that we will obstruct everything that violates Russian law or our international obligations. For the third time or in the fourth, I already say and repeat: we are ready to sign a corresponding agreement with the United States. You refuse until now. Let's sit down at the negotiating table, choose what we consider important, sign this document and we will observe it on both sides and properly verify and verify it.

M. Kelly: I apologize, with all due respect, I still did not hear the answer: are you ready to act against the Russian citizens who committed these crimes? If I'm wrong, then please correct me. Of course, you do not negotiate on this issue with the US, but inside you can put an end to this?

V.Putin: I want you to hear me. We will interfere with everything that violates the legislation in force in Russia. If the actions of our citizens, whatever they are and against whomsoever they are directed outward, violate the laws in force in Russia, we will react to it. If they do not violate Russian laws, then we can not react to it.

M. Kelly: How so?

V.Putin: Yes, any. If they do not violate the laws of Russia, they have nothing to attract.

M. Kelly: Does this not violate Russian law?

V.Putin: But I have to see what they did. Give us the materials. After all, no one gives anything.

M. Kelly: You know what it's about. This is the breaking of the servers of the Democratic Committee and the breaking of mailboxes, the spread of misinformation on Twitter, various disinformation about our presidential campaign, shooting in Florida. Dissemination of information that changed the course of the presidential campaign.

V.Putin: With all due respect to you personally, with all due respect to the deputy corps, the Congress of the United States, and we respect all these people, I want you to finally understand. Are there people with legal education? Maybe there's. One hundred percent is. And well-educated people. They must understand and know that we in Russia can not pursue anyone unless they violate Russian law. And we can not even start an investigation if there is no reason for that.

The occasion can not be our conversation with you today and there can be no reason to investigate this fact in the US Congress. Give us at least a formal request with a statement of the facts, send us an official paper. After all, just talking on the air can not be an excuse for an investigation.

M. Kelly: The intelligence service, as well as the special prosecutor who made the official accusations, is that not enough for you to take up the case?

V.Putin: Absolutely not enough. If you do not have a legal education, I can tell you: this requires a request.

M. Kelly: Legal.

V.Putin: Then you must understand that for this you need an official request to the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation. And then we do not even have an agreement with you so that we can act. But at least send the paper.

M. Kelly: Vladimir Putin cannot instruct that an investigation be started about whether something has been committed that is undermining relations with Russia's largest partner, the United States of America?

V.Putin: Let's give the document, give the official request. We'll look at him.

M. Kelly: They said it last year. And now there is an official charge.

V.Putin: There is no document. Give the request, the document to the General Prosecutor's Office. We need to act through official channels, not through mass media and abuse in the US Congress, with accusations against us, which are not confirmed by anything. Give the document.

M. Kelly: Let me ask you a question. In 2001, you were President when the FBI arrested Robert Hanssen for spying for Russia. Fifteen spies were expelled from the United States. The Kremlin did the same - several diplomats were expelled from Russia immediately. In December, 2016, after our intelligence services came to the conclusion that in fact there was interference in our elections, two objects of diplomatic real estate were requisitioned, confiscated, and several diplomats were sent. Nevertheless, you did not react to it then. Why?

V.Putin: We believed, and now I believe that this was not based on any reason, in the first place.

Secondly, this was done in clear contradiction with international law and with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. This is a gross violation of international law, an unjustified withdrawal of our property. We really expected that there would be a reaction from the new administration. But, since this does not happen, I already said this, and the Foreign Minister repeated this, we will apply for the protection of our interests in the relevant judicial instances of the United States.

M. Kelly: Can I ask a question about President Trump?

Every time he says something about you, it is always imbued with respect. He never has a hard word for you. At the same time, when he talks about his party or about political leaders, or about his employees, he constantly insults them. Why does he treat you so kindly, do you think?

V.Putin: I think he does not personally care about me. I think he is an experienced person, he is a businessman with very great experience and understands that if there is a need to establish partnership with someone, then one must treat his future or acting partner with respect, otherwise nothing will come out. I think this is a purely pragmatic approach. This is in the first place.

Secondly, even despite the fact that for him this is the first presidential term, he is still a man who learns quickly, he understands perfectly well that at the level we are at, to engage in mutual complaints and insults is a way to anywhere, it is just to deprive our states of the last chance for dialogue, just the last chance. That would be most regrettable.

If you noticed, I, for my part, and to him and to all my colleagues, not only in the United States, Europe, and Asia, also always treat with the same respect.

M. Kelly: Perhaps you are, but our President called the North Korean leader a small man with a missile. That is, he is not so diplomatic when talking about others. Surely you've heard about this?

V.Putin: Yes, I heard. You know our reaction to this. We all call for restraint.

M. Kelly: What do you think about President Trump?

V.Putin: This question is not very correct, because the assessment of the work of President Trump should be given by the American people, his voter. But that's what I would note, I like it or does not like someone, we also may not like some things, but he does everything possible to fulfill the election promises that he gave to the American people. Well, he is consistent in this sense. I think that in fact this is the only correct way to confirm your respect to those people who voted for it.

M. Kelly: He praised your leadership qualities. Is he an effective leader?

V.Putin: Well, I repeat, this is the American people should determine. But he has clearly expressed leadership qualities, of course, are present, because he takes responsibility for decision-making. Like these, I repeat, decisions to somebody or not, but he still does it. This, of course, is a sign of the availability of these leadership qualities.

M. Kelly: Do you ever read his tweets?

V.Putin: No.

M. Kelly: Do you ever publish tweets?

V.Putin: No.

M. Kelly: Почему нет?

V.Putin: I have other means of expressing my point of view or making some sort of decision. Well, Donald is a more modern person.

M. Kelly: Would you say that he is brighter than you?

V.Putin: Maybe.

M. Kelly: Returning to interference in the elections. There are two theories about you, at least two theories.

The first theory: when Clinton was Secretary of State, you felt that she interfered in the election process here in 2011 year, in 2012 year encouraged protests, including against you, and it pissed you off.

The second theory: when the “Panamanian documents” were published, where the money traces leading to you were published, this was the last straw for you, and it made you angry.

V.Putin: Complete nonsense.

As for Hillary, we are personally acquainted with her, and in general, always, when we met, we had a good dialogue. In general, I don’t really understand why at some stage ... Apparently, her advisers advised to focus part of their election campaign on criticizing what is happening in our country. Well, it's their choice. I have never attributed this personally to her. This is just such a line of conduct.

As for any dossier, it is generally complete nonsense. There someone was mentioned from among my friends, friends, so what? None of this, as you know, did not end, it's all nonsense, nonsense and just a crack in the press. I, in general, even forgot about it, I do not even remember what it was all about. And in general, nothing can annoy me in this regard. I am guided by pragmatic considerations, not emotions.

M. Kelly: Once you mentioned this, your friend was mentioned in the Panama Dossier. Let me ask you a question about Sergey Roldugin. It is said that he introduced you to your ex-wife, that he is the godfather of one of your daughters. He's a cellist.

V.Putin: Yes, I know this man very well, this is one of my friends. He is a wonderful musician. His whole life is devoted to art, music. We have many, by the way, artists who are engaged in business in one way or another. He, besides me, has other connections in the country, including with representatives of business, who included him in this work. He legally earned some money. He did not earn any hundreds of billions. All the money that he personally earned, he allowed for the purchase of musical instruments abroad and imported them to the territory of the Russian Federation. Some of these instruments he uses himself, almost one, cello, he plays the cello.

M. Kelly: 12 million dollars.

V.Putin: Yes, in my opinion, so, something like that. But this is a unique tool.

M. Kelly: Much money.

V.Putin: Yes. Imagine, he is such an abnormal man, and the people of art are all a little greeted, he spent all this money on the purchase of musical instruments. I bought, in my opinion, two cellos, in my opinion, two violins, one plays himself, all the others handed out to other musicians, and they use them in their work. They are all imported to the territory of Russia.

M. Kelly: According to the “Panamanian dossier” and documents that are published on offshore accounts, he has at least 100 billions of dollars in assets. He has a stake in the largest Russian media agency, he has a yacht, he has interest in a Russian bank. He is a great musician.

V.Putin: You know, I am not aware of his business, his affairs of some kind, but you can believe me, I know for sure that he has just enough real income to buy these musical instruments. All the rest is some kind of paper motions, on paper, he has nothing more, except what he has acquired. Maybe he still has something, but it is you who have to ask him, but I do not control his life.

M. Kelly: Question next: how does a cellist earn so much money? People ask this question because many people think ...

V.Putin: Listen, take a lot of our representatives of art, and you probably have such. You also have representatives of art, including from Hollywood, which the restaurant contains, then bought some shares. What, in the US there are few such representatives of show business and art, or what? Yes, full, much more than we have. And we have a lot of those who are engaged in business, besides their creative activity, very much. He is one of them. So what? The question is not whether it is engaged in it or not, whether it received some profit or not. The question is whether he broke something or not. According to my information, he did not break anything.

M. Kelly: That is, there are no questions about making money, I am from America, we are capitalists. But the only question is, is it really your money that you earned?

V.Putin: It's definitely not my money. I did not even consider how many of them Mr. Roldugin had, as I said. But, according to my information, he never violated anything in his creative and business activities, not one Russian law, not one legal norm.

M. Kelly: Speaking of money. In 80, in 90, in the wake of bankruptcies, it was difficult to get loans in the US, so Trump needed to go to other places. Trump's eldest son said that in Russia there is a disproportionate concentration of our assets, we are pouring big money into Russia. Did you know that the big money associated with Russia was owned by Trump?

V.Putin: Bullshit is everything. There were no infusions on Trump's property in Russia, as far as I know. I do not even know if such plans were serious.

M. Kelly: Really?

V.Putin: Look, it all seems to you that the whole world is spinning around you. This is not true.

M. Kelly: It's not about me, it's about what Donald Trump's son said.

V.Putin: But you think that we all know what Donald Trump's son said - well, not that, you know? Donald came here, to Russia, when he was not even a candidate. I did not even know that he was coming. That is, in retrospect, I found out about it, they told me that he turned out to be in Russia. What his son said about this, I also have no idea. Listen, I don't know what he said. Did he break something or not, son of Donald Trump? If he broke something, make a complaint to him. And if he didn't break anything, that you cling to every word?

M. Kelly: A year before Donald Trump wanted to become president, he said that he knew you, he talked a lot with you. It's true?

V.Putin: No. I have never met him.

Before his presidency, before he put forward his candidacy?

M. Kelly: Yes, before he put forward his candidacy.

V.Putin: No, we did not know him. We never even talked to him - not on the phone, no way.

M. Kelly: You very soon will most likely be elected to the fourth term of the Russian presidency, right?

V.Putin: We will see. As the Russian voter decides.

M. Kelly: How does someone like Vladimir Putin, who is so popular in Russia, like you, feel any threat from Navalny? I understand that he was in serious trouble. But could you become partners with him and let him become a challenge for you?

V.Putin: The question of with whom I could cooperate, with whom I would not want to cooperate, I can tell you absolutely frankly: I would like to cooperate with those people, and I am ready to do this, who are striving to make Russia stronger, more effectively, it became a competitive country, self-sufficient. But for this, the people we are talking about must have a clear, precise program of actions aimed at the development of the country in modern conditions. There are such people, including ...

M.Kelly: Could he also pardon him to become a worthy opponent? Bulk is just such a person, he is quite popular here in Russia.

V.Putin: Any person can be pardoned if he deserves it.

M. Kelly: Why didn't you do that?

V.Putin: If he deserves it. There are no exceptions for anyone, there are no exceptions for anyone. But now we are not talking about pardon, we are now talking about certain political forces. They do not have a development program for the country. Do they have something positive and what do I really like? This is what they reveal problems, and it's good actually, it's right, and it needs to be done. But for the positive development of the country this is not enough, not enough. Because only to focus on problems, it's not just a little, and it's even dangerous, because it can lead to certain destruction, and we need creation.

M. Kelly: Our political analysts talk about your chances: if you do not have any significant opponent, then most likely you will win the election. And what next, what will happen after that? The Chinese Chairman has just canceled the restriction on presidential terms. Is this what you would do too?

V.Putin: I do not think that now, at this meeting with you, in this conversation, in an interview with American television, I must talk about my political plans. But yesterday, in my opinion, I told you and said that I never changed the Constitution, I did not do it all the more under myself, and I do not have such plans for today.

As for China, before criticizing any decisions in a country such as China, one must think and remember that there live one and a half billion people, and after thinking about it, we need to come to the conclusion that we are all interested , so that China is a stable and prosperous state. And as it is better to do, it is probably more visible to the Chinese people and the Chinese leadership.

M. Kelly: Can you get out of power? Because many experts say that it would practically be impossible for you, because in your status you are most likely to be in prison as a result of the actions of your opponents, or something much more terrible will happen. That is, you need to keep your legal capacity and to be in order, to remain in power.

V.Putin: Your so-called experts wishful thinking. I have already heard a lot of nonsense about this. Why do you think that it is necessary after me to come to power in Russia people who are ready to destroy everything that I have done in recent years? Perhaps, on the contrary, it will be people who want to strengthen Russia, create a future for it, create a development platform for it for future generations. Why did you suddenly decide that the destroyers will come, who will destroy and destroy everything? Maybe someone would like this, including in the United States. But I do not think that they are right, because the United States, it seems to me, is just interested in something else - that Russia is a stable, prosperous and developing country, if you have, of course, the opportunity to glance at least on 25 –50 years to come.

M. Kelly: Have you looked after any follower? Do you have someone already on your mind?

V.Putin: I have been thinking about this since 2000. Thinking is not harmful, but in the end, the choice will still be for the Russian people. Anyway, I sympathize with someone or, conversely, someone does not like me, the candidates will come to the polls, and eventually the final decision will be taken by the citizens of the Russian Federation.

M. Kelly: Let me ask you a question about Syria. Do you think an attack using chemical weapons in Syria is false news, misinformation?

V.Putin: Конечно.

First, the government of Syria has long destroyed chemical weapons.

Secondly, we know about the plans of militants to stage the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian army.

And thirdly, these are all the attempts that have repeatedly occurred in the near past, these accusations, the use of this as a pretext for consolidating efforts in the struggle against Assad. We are all well aware of this, understandable and even uninteresting. And I want to say: bored, girls.

M. Kelly: The bodies of children killed by sarin - do you want to say “boring” about this?

V.Putin: Are you sure that these bodies are the result of the activities of government forces? I think on the contrary, that this is the result of the activities of criminals, criminal elements and radical elements - the terrorists who commit these crimes in order to blame President Assad.

M. Kelly: А The UN has come to other conclusions. They conducted an autopsy on the bodies of the children who died, and your Foreign Minister says that it was all invented. Do you also think that all this was invented?

V.Putin: Of course. Absolutely sure of this even. After all, there was no serious investigation.

M. Kelly: And there were no dead bodies?

V.Putin: Maybe the dead bodies were what happens in the war. You see how they took Mosul - they razed everything to the ground there. And look how they took Rakka - they still haven’t got the bodies from the ruins and have not buried them. You do not want to think about it?

M. Kelly: We call this an attempt to get away from the answer, pointing out the mistakes of others, in order to justify themselves or their ally. We are talking about the fact that sarin was used against children, they were killed. You tell the international community that this did not happen.

V.Putin: Listen, in order to be sure of this, you need to conduct a thorough investigation with a visit to the site, with the collection of evidence. Nothing was done. Let's do.

M. Kelly: Let's do. They wanted to investigate, they wanted to explore the helicopters, they also wanted to send their inspectors on these helicopters that were there, but Russia said no. Why did Russia say no?

V.Putin: There was nothing of the kind, Russia did not say no. Russia is in favor of a full investigation. If you don't know this, please hear it from me. This is not true, we have never been against objective investigation. It's a lie. This deception is the same as the shaking of a test tube with allegedly existing weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which was slipped by the CIA to its Foreign Minister and who then apologized for it, but the country was already destroyed. This is the same fake, the same stuffing, which has no serious reason. In order for these grounds to be serious, it is necessary to investigate. We are for this investigation.

M. Kelly: Since the beginning of the year, there have been at least four attacks using chemical weapons based on chlorine. US Secretary Tillerson has just stated that this is Russia's responsibility, because in Iran they promised that you would put an end to and prevent such chemical attacks in Syria. What will you answer to this?

V.Putin: I will say that we have nothing to do with this and we demand a full-fledged investigation.

And as for the crimes, go back to Rakka, please, and bury at least the bodies that are still in ruins and ruins after the application of the corresponding massive strikes on residential areas. And investigate this matter, then there will be something to do.

M. Kelly: One of the questions that our viewers will have: how will we find our way back? How will we return to the fact that these two great nations were less hostile to each other, so that they were more allies? Do you agree that now it is not so that we are not allies?

V.Putin: Unfortunately not. But we did not write you into enemies.

You made a decision at the level of parliament, at the level of Congress, and recorded Russia as one of the enemies. Why did you do it? Have we imposed sanctions on the United States? This is the United States imposed sanctions on us.

M. Kelly: Зwhy you cry?

V.Putin: No I dont know. I can then ask you another question: why did you contribute to a coup d'état in Ukraine? Well, why did you do this? You directly, publicly admitted that you spent billions of dollars on it. Publicly, your officials have said so. Why support gosperevoroty, armed struggle in the territory of other countries? Why did you put missile systems along our borders?

Listen, let's sit quietly and talk and see. It seems to me that the current President wants this, but certain forces do not allow him to do this. But we are ready for this on any issue: on missile issues, on cyberspace, and on the fight against terrorism. At any second. But it is necessary that the American side be ready. But sometime the public opinion of the United States will probably push the political elite to the beginning of this process. As soon as our partners are ready - at this very moment, please.

M. Kelly: Before we finish our interview: what legacy do you hope to leave behind?

V.Putin: I'm just confident that Russia will gain additional powerful dynamics of development, will be stable, with a balanced democracy, with good prospects for using the latest achievements of the technological revolution. We will continue to work on improving our political system, the judiciary. And all this together, I am sure, will strengthen both the unity of the Russian Federation and the unity of our people, and will create prospects for a confident movement forward for a long historical perspective.

M. Kelly: Mr. President, thank you very much for this interview.

V.Putin: Thank you.

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