BTW the full English-language transcript of the conference is here: http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/speeches/2004/12/23/1806_81700.shtml
E.g.: .MAXIMENKO (Peterburg television company): Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich. In a recent interview, Mr Kwasniewski said that the United States would prefer to have a Russia without Ukraine, than a Russia with Ukraine. Will you comment on this remark? And what is your opinion?
VLADIMIR PUTIN: You see, my fellow townspeople are asking the right sort of questions.
I was extremely surprised when I saw this interview with Aleksander Kwasniewski. Aleksander and I are on very good terms. He is an experienced person. He is still remembered in Russia, not by me personally, but by others from joint Komsomol work. I have the impression this remark was made not by an incumbent president, but by one who is seeking a job because his powers are expiring soon, because I do not think this remark was correct. First, for the serving head of a state – a very reputable state respected across the world and our neighbour – to comment on the policy of another country is not very apposite, in my view. But, of course, we took note of what was said. What does it mean a Russia without Ukraine is better than a Russia with Ukraine? To begin with, as you know, we are developing relations in the post-Soviet space in an exclusively civil and proper manner. Russia did not take the Yugoslavian path. Russia did everything for the post-Soviet states to gain an independent foothold. We are developing relations with all our friends and partners in the former Soviet Union not just at the level of good-neighbourliness, but on the basis of true equality, with complete respect for the past and future of these countries, with responsibility for the future development of our inter-state relations. If it is said that a Russia without Ukraine is better than a Russia with Ukraine, we need ask what is meant by this.
I repeat, we were not going to annex anyone. That is the first point. Second, if this is read as a wish to curtail Russia's scope for developing its relations with its neighbours, it means a desire to isolate the Russian Federation. I do not think this is the purpose of American policy, although we will have a meeting with President Bush, it is scheduled for the near future, in the New Year, and I will certainly ask him if this is really the case. If it is, then the position on Chechnya becomes more understandable. This means that there too they are following a policy to create elements rocking the Russian Federation.
But it seems to me Poland has things to attend to at home: unemployment there is running at 20% (I said we have 7.4% and Poland, 20%). In 1993, Poland's sovereign debt stood somewhere at 47-plus billion dollars. For political reasons, it was cut back by 50%, but today Poland has already run up a debt of 92 billion euros – this is more than 100 billion dollars, considering the euro-dollar exchange rate. "You should think closer to home," as they say in a well-known joke.
He comes across as so well-informed in these press conferences. He must have a teleprompter or something.
===== Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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