Vladimir Putin: Good evening!
Question: We are currently in the Crimea, not far from Yalta. You had talks with Viktor Yanukovych. If you can, please give us some details of these talks - what issues were raised? Was it a conventional agenda comprising issues currently associated with Ukraine? Perhaps you also discussed some new issues during your conversation? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: First of all, I promised that I would wish Mr Yanukovych a happy birthday. It's a significant birthday for him. I came to fulfil my promise and I did so gladly. That's the first point.
Second, of course we used the occasion to discuss the entire agenda of our bilateral relations. First of all, in the fields of economy and trade. I have already pointed this out, but I'll reiterate it - our trade has practically returned to its pre-crisis level. But there are, of course, still many problems both in our current plans and going forward.
As for current problem issues, they are associated with trade. We are conducting a number of anti-dumping studies, and Ukraine has initiated a couple of studies, even though we had agreed not to do this. Limits on the import of Russian glass to Ukraine are being considered.
The Ukrainians are asking for an increase, or at least for there to be no decrease, in the volume of pipe products that Russian oil and gas companies buy in Ukraine. You know that this is all routine, but it matters to the real, day to day, economic activity of specific companies.
Mr Yanukovych handed me a letter from Ukrainian pipe manufacturers thanking us for increasing purchasing volume and asking us to maintain this volume in the near future. As you know, yesterday in Chelyabinsk I met with executives from our steel and pipe companies. This is still a live process on which the fates of companies depend. Mr Yanukovych and I considered what volume we would be able to agree on.
Yes, there are certain disagreements between companies and between our ministries, but these are all friendly disagreements, of the kind you find ordinarily in any family. We are reaching mutually acceptable and even mutually beneficial solutions. So today - on pipe production. Unfortunately, for the time being, Russian pipe producers are unable to meet the demand from Russian oil companies and pipeline transport companies. They just can't.
We could buy in Ukraine as well as from other countries, but we prefer to buy a sizable amount from Ukraine. Here I have in mind prices and quality as well as our special relations with Mr Yanukovych.
Question: Mr Putin, tomorrow is Navy Day. Did you and Mr Yanukovych discuss the Black Sea Fleet and its future here in the Crimea? Thank you very much.
Vladimir Putin: No. We didn't discuss that at all. The only thing we agreed on... We also had a telephone conversation with President Medvedev and I know he issued instructions to State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, who is here in the Crimea, and he will attend tomorrow's official celebrations in Sevastopol alongside the Ukrainian prime minister.
Question: Mr Putin, today you said that the motorcycle is a symbol of freedom, and that freedom is the most important value we have.
Vladimir Putin: I said that?
Reply: That's what you said.
Vladimir Putin: So, that's how I see it.
Question: So therefore I would like to clarify, does this apply only to bikers or to civil society in general?
Vladimir Putin: It applies to every single person. I think that it is generally the most important value for anyone, for you and me, for any government, for any person. I think that it is one of the fundamental values in human life. And also for bikers in that sense, of course... I told them this without any exaggeration or sycophancy whatsoever. Indeed, when you get on a motorcycle or into a car, I assume you all drive cars, and I think every single one of you has felt this, when you get into a car, especially your very first car, you understand that you can go anywhere quickly and easily. And you do get that feeling of freedom. And in bikers, motorcyclists this feeling is particularly pronounced, particularly developed, because after all, it's a very special form of transport, it is fast and you can use it to get anywhere, and this is a feeling of almost total freedom. I think that, I was indeed being entirely sincere, and in this sense, bikes are a symbol of freedom. That's what I think.
Question: Mr Putin, a media war has developed recently in the media landscape between Russia and Belarus.
Vladimir Putin: And what, are there casualties?
Question: No casualties as yet.
Vladimir Putin: Well, thank God. What kind of war is it if there aren't any casualties?
Question: Compromising material about some Belarusian leaders has been released.
Vladimir Putin: What was the material about? I don't understand.
Question: About the activities of the Belarusian leadership.
Vladimir Putin: Oh, so that's how it is! What have they gone and done?
Question: In your view, what was the goal of ratcheting up this war? What is its end goal? Aren't you afraid that there will be an equivalent response from Belarus?
Vladimir Putin: First of all, if you noticed from my questions for clarification, I don't see any information war. Maybe because I don't read enough periodicals or haven't been reading the news online lately? But I still try to keep abreast of the developments on a daily basis.
Let me tell you honestly: I see no signs of any war, or any military hostilities. That's why I asked you if there were casualties. There are none. But if the press reacts strongly to certain things ...
The media often carry critical articles about me, about the Russian president and many of our politicians. Is that a war?
When critical comments appear in the media, our colleagues often think for some reason there is a hidden agenda. But that is not so. There is a mass of underground currents which I cannot even follow. What of it if some critical comments are published?
The best way to respond to such comments, if someone believes they are not fair, is to reply in the same information space. I think it would be right if the people affected were to respond in the proper way, and make their cases to the authors of the comments they consider unfair or overly critical. I do not even understand what they mean. I see no signs of any war, let alone an information war.
Remark: You should watch more television.
Vladimir Putin: And what will I see? Please tell me and I will tell you what I think.
Question: Do you find it hard to negotiate with the current Belarusian leadership?
Vladimir Putin: No, I find it very easy. We have reached agreement on all issues. You know, when the discussion concerns money or energy supplies, everybody wants something from Russia for free. And when they don't get it, they get very irritated.
But we should take the legitimate interests of our partners into account. I think we do. We reached agreement with our colleagues, including colleagues from Belarus, and signed a contract in 2007. And we are not asking for anything on top of that, beyond what the contract stipulates. The only thing we ask for is to observe the agreements we signed. Nothing else.
Now when they tell us: allow us to pay less this year and double the amount the next, we agree. The next year they tell us: no, let is leave things as they were the year before last.
Even in this case we try to reach a sort of consensus, to agree on some details, to ease the transition to market terms. And it seems to me the polemics, however sharp, between Belarusian and Russian energy experts has finally led to agreement. This indicates that both sides have margins of strength, and I would not like to aggravate things. Everybody wants to buy cheap and sell at a high price: that's the general rule. What is so special about it? There is no reason to overdramatise the situation. Just go to the market: every vendor there will ask for a high price, and you want to buy cheap. Then you strike a bargain. But I repeat: if you have got a bargain and signed a document, you must fulfill it. That is what we want.
Question: Mr Putin, could you comment on the release of Russian intelligence agents from the United States? Are you going to meet with them?
Vladimir Putin: I have met with them.
Question: Won't you tell us anything else?
Vladimir Putin: You are not asking me anything else.
Question: What did you talk about?
Vladimir Putin: About life.
Question: People say you sang karaoke with them.
Vladimir Putin: Not karaoke, but songs to live music.
Question: Could you tell us which songs you sang?
Vladimir Putin: "From Where the Motherland Begins." I am not kidding you. I am quite serious. And other songs of about the same content.
Question: Was Anna Kushchenko present? Chapman?
Vladimir Putin: She was. But there is little to comment on here. Mr Medvedev has already said it was a betrayal, and traitors always meet with a bad end. As a rule, they end drunk or drugged - in a ditch. One such person ended his life recently in this way abroad, and no one knows why.
Question: That is, you know all the traitors by name?
Vladimir Putin: Of course, I do.
Question: And you are not going to punish them?
Vladimir Putin: I don't think the question makes sense in this context. Such questions cannot be decided at a news conference. The special services have their own laws, which all service members are aware of. As for those in question, I can tell you that they live a very difficult life, each one of them.
Just imagine: First, you must know a foreign language as well as your native tongue. You must think in that language, fulfilling the tasks assigned to you in the interests of your homeland during many long years, without hope of diplomatic protection, putting your life and the life of your family in jeopardy every day, and the children don't even know what, say, their parents do.
Question: What are they going to do in Russia?
Vladimir Putin: They will work; I'm sure they will be offered good jobs, and they will have an interesting life.
Question: What is your assessment of their work?
Vladimir Putin: This is not my job; they should be evaluated by professionals, their bosses, the final user of such information, and the Supreme Commander - the President of Russia. More questions?
Question: Were gas issues, in particular a merger of Naftogaz and Gazprom, discussed today?
Vladimir Putin: A merger was not discussed, but we spoke of the energy problems in our relations. We discussed development of pipelines, South Stream, Ukraine's gas transportation system, and the possibility of Russia's involvement in various projects. These projects are so far at the initial stage of discussion amongst the experts. But we talked about them in detail, including with experts from the Ukrainian government.
Question: Mr Putin, may I ask a personal question related to this hot summer? The heat wave is lasting incredibly long, people are using different methods to protect themselves from the heat, and weather forecasts are not encouraging. Do you have a recipe for surviving in this heat?
Vladimir Putin: Do you mean for agriculture, people, yourself, or myself?
Question: Everyone, including you personally. What do you do to survive this heat?
Vladimir Putin: Drink hot tea; they say this facilitates perspiration and hence allows you to feel better during the high summer temperatures.
But the situation in agriculture is indeed very difficult. You know that a state of emergency has been declared in many Russian regions. But we will overcome; we will allocate requisite resources to agriculture, as I have said. They will include direct subsidies, grants, government guarantees, loan subsidies, and grain sales, primarily fodder grain, to livestock-breeding farms from the grain reserve, and we will also subsidise the loans our farms will take out to finance such purchases. In all, there is a large package of support measures. We only need regional leaders and farm directors to act quickly and energetically to submit expert substantiation for the size of such support.
Question: So there will be no food shortage?
Vladimir Putin: Of course not.
Question: We won't have any issues with food supplies will we?
Vladimir Putin: No, no, of course not. Despite the unfortunate weather, we do have two fortunate circumstances, the availability of financial reserves and the existence of the grain fund.
Question: Mr Putin, tell us, please, doesn't it seem to you that it's about time to join the party?
Vladimir Putin: Party?! What are you proposing? You have a party?
Question: You have a party! But you are not a member of it. But the party is in need of renewal. I just want to hear your point of view.
Vladimir Putin: We have developed a sufficiently effective mechanism for interacting with the party as a whole, with the party's leadership. Now, as you know, we hold a party conference practically every quarter and will do this in all federal districts. These are like mini party congresses. My current status in relation to the United Russia party in no way limits my opportunities to influence what the party does and in no way limits the party's influence on the government's decision-making, because we have developed very close ties, particularly on preparing the next three-year budget, for 2011 and the following two years, 2012-2013. This is very professional, very tough and very nerve-wracking work on distributing resources across various sectors. And, of course, we cannot do this in isolation from the deputies of the leading party, the leading faction in the State Duma, United Russia. We are constant contact with them. I assure you, this is quite sufficient. And "putting on airs" and being appointed to some kind of post would seem to me to be completely counterproductive.
Question: How are you planning to spend your holiday, if indeed you are taking a holiday this summer, and where are you planning to spend it?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, as you know, I holiday in Russia. I'm thinking of visiting some regions in Russia that I like. Some regions I haven't been to. Well, Mr Medvedev and I have agreed to spend several days together, and we're now looking at regions we could visit.
Question: And which regions do you like?
Vladimir Putin: You know, I like all of Russia! I would visit some places in the Russian Arctic where I haven't been, some places in the Russian Far East. I'll choose a place, look around, go there, look around, and tell you about it later. I'll not hold anything back, I assure you.
Question: Has the election campaign for the next electoral cycle already started?
Vladimir Putin: It started as soon as the previous campaign finished, because these so-called election campaigns and pre-election campaigns, in my view, are not very effective. People look at specific results, specific deeds. I often travel through the regions, and frankly speaking, and I was sceptical about these receptions, but then I realised that this is an additional way of interacting with people. Direct interaction. And maybe not even my direct interaction as party leader, but the party itself, party officials. They interact with people, accept their applications and requests. They start to become more familiar with their problems. I have an enormous pile of mail in my reception area, and honestly, without pomp, out of sight of the press, from time to time I sign stacks of papers this big for individual citizens, solving specific problems. This works, maybe not on the scale that you would want it to, but it works. I think that it is good that the party has become involved in direct work on the ground. I'll say it again, maybe this is not enough. Maybe we need to find additional forms of direct interaction, of understanding our citizens' needs. And to develop more effective measures for reacting to these problems and in resolving these tasks and issues. These are issues of growth and improvement in the ways the party works.