Translated material
Answered as prime minister
Vladimir Putin gave an interview to French Le Monde
Toward the end of his first foreign visit as prime minister, Vladimir Putin assured French journalists that “the president of Russia today is Mr. Medvedev.” During his short stay in Paris, Mr. Putin managed to hold negotiations with the current leaders of the country - President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon, and with former President Jacques Chirac, and even with the patriarch of French literature, Maurice Druon. It seems that the intensity of the visit amazed the journalists of the Le Monde newspaper, to whom Putin gave an in-depth interview before returning to Moscow. Dinner Messrs. Putin and Sarkozy, in their opinion, is “a slightly unusual format from the point of view of the protocol.” So the question arose: “Does this highlight some ambiguity about who is running foreign policy in Russia—you or Mr. Medvedev?”It turned out that the whole point is that Vladimir Putin gave his word. Mr. Sarkozy, according to Putin, long ago - even “when the question of what I would do after my presidential powers was being decided” - made him promise to make his first visit in his new capacity to Paris. Either no one else tried to extract such a promise from Putin, or he refused others...
The ambiguity that Le Monde journalists asked about could not be avoided - and again because of Mr. Sarkozy. The Russian Prime Minister admitted that he was forced to maintain a conversation on a wide range of issues, and not just about trade and economic ties. “The President is the President, and he spoke, among other things, about the political and defense component of our relations, and spoke about international affairs. “I, your humble servant, of course, today am primarily concerned with issues of the economy and the social sphere, but as a member of the Russian Security Council, of course, to a certain extent I am also related to the issues that we discussed with the President of France,” Putin said. And he explained: “As for the distribution of powers within Russia, the final word, of course, remains with the president. And the President of Russia today is Mr. Medvedev.”
However, Putin had to talk with journalists not only about the economy, but also about international affairs (Iran and Serbia), and about the situation in the North Caucasus, and about the state of the legal and judicial system, and even about specific entrepreneurs and corporations. And of course, I had to come up with another variation of an answer to another variation of the question about the new configuration of power in Russia and his relationship with President Medvedev. Journalists asked whether the current “dual structure” of power is not a temporary solution and whether there are plans to strengthen the role of the head of government so that he “becomes, let’s say, equivalent to the German chancellor?”
The Prime Minister recalled that Russia is a presidential republic and said that no one is going to change the key role of the head of state in the political system. “But the fact that I headed the government is, of course, an interesting fact of our political history,” Putin continued. - But perhaps something else is more important. More important is that I simultaneously led a party that occupies a leading position in the political life of the country and has a stable majority in parliament. This is, of course, a sign that in Russia more attention is paid to multi-party politics and the growing influence of parliament in the political life of the country. And this is actually the main political signal.”
Le Monde journalists tried to make Vladimir Putin immediately signal about the prospects of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. “If President Medvedev asked your opinion about the possible easing of the conditions of detention of Mikhail Khodorkovsky or shortening the term of his imprisonment, what would you answer him?” - this is how they formulated the question to the prime minister. And although the answer itself was predictable (“I would answer him that this is a decision that he must make on his own”), a small discussion ensued between Putin and the correspondents about the principles of political and economic competition. During this discussion, in particular, the Russian prime minister explained to French journalists the difference between Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Oleg Deripaska.
As you know, the ex-head of YUKOS was recognized by Forbes magazine as the richest Russian in 2004, and the head of Basic Element topped this ranking in 2008. There is another parallel between them: both at different times failed to obtain a visa to enter the United States.
It was the fact that Khodorkovsky was denied an American visa that Vladimir Putin drew attention to when commenting on the possibility of easing the conditions of his detention in the colony. “These people were once denied entry into the United States, they were not even given a visa, because they were considered to be connected with the mafia,” he said about the former head of YUKOS for some reason in the plural.
“For our part, in recent years we have tried to ensure that business representatives are equidistant from power. It seems to me that on the whole we are succeeding,” Putin said. And to the journalist’s remark that Khodorkovsky’s problems may be related to the fact that he traveled to America too often, he replied: “He received this visa in the end. And now we have entrepreneurs who are still not given these visas. Let's say, Mr. Deripaska. I asked my American colleagues: why don’t you give him a visa? So can you explain this to me? If you have reasons not to give him a visa, if you have materials on the basis of which he is engaged in illegal activities, give us these materials, and we will use them within the country. They don't give us anything. They don't explain anything to us. And he is denied entry. He is not my friend, not my relative. He is a representative of large Russian business. He has commercial affairs, multi-billion dollar affairs in many countries around the world. Why is he restricted in his movement around the world? What did he do? If you did something, show me. If you have nothing to show, then remove the restrictions. As for Khodorkovsky, the point is not that he traveled abroad. The fact is that he broke the law. Repeatedly and rudely. Moreover, part of the group he was part of is accused - and this has been proven in court - of committing crimes against the individual, and not just in the economic sphere. Behind them are murders, and more than one person. This kind of competition is unacceptable. And we, of course, will stop it in every possible way.”
But what is the fault of the head of the Hermitage investment fund, William Browder , who is not allowed into Russia, Vladimir Putin still does not know. “You know, this is the first time I’ve heard this name. I don’t know who Mr. Broder is (as in the transcript of the conversation posted on the government website - Ed. ), as you said, why he can’t go to Russia . I can't comment because I don't know anything about this issue. Well, probably... Russia is a big country. There may be some difficulties,” he answered when asked about the reasons for the entry ban.
In fact, Vladimir Putin hears this name for the first time while he is prime minister. Because, while working as the President of Russia, he had already heard it at least once. In 2006, he was asked about Browder at a press conference during the G8 summit in St. Petersburg. “I’ll be honest, I just don’t know the reasons why a specific person was denied entry into the Russian Federation,” Putin said then. “I can imagine that this man violated the laws of our country, and if others violate them, we will refuse others too.” And for those who come to us to work, especially to invest in the Russian Federation, in our economy, we will provide all possible support and assistance.” It is noteworthy that before this, the head of the London Stock Exchange, Clara Furse, wrote to Putin about Browder. She noted in a letter leaked to the press that barring Browder's entry "could have a negative impact on Russia's image as a country favorable to foreign investment and on the ability of Russian companies to increase capital outside Russia." However, as you know, little could have negatively affected Russia’s investment image in recent years.