In an exclusive interview with India Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses critical geopolitical issues, ranging from the conflict in Gaza to Russia's ties with India. Speaking to the network, Putin asserts that the "only way to solve the Palestinian problem" is by establishing an "independent Palestinian state," dismissing the idea of any new special plan. He firmly rejects Western narratives about reintegrating the Soviet Union, stating it is "simply not on the table" as it would "critically change the national and religious composition" of the Russian Federation. The President also offers high praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remarking that "India got lucky" to have him and describing him as a "very reliable person" with whom he shares trustworthy relations. Additionally, Putin reflects on the disintegration of the USSR, warning against the "idea of grandeur" that leads nations to make mistakes, and comments on the efficiency of global intelligence agencies.
00:00The other flashpoint is Gaza, and it is now being known that you, sir, Vladimir Putin, have a new peace plan for Gaza.
00:11Trump also has one. What is your Gaza peace plan, and what do you propose, sir?
00:15We don't offer any special plan. We have always believed that the only way to solve the Palestinian problem is by implementing the solutions adopted and considered by the United Nations over many years.
00:35And the most important one is establishing an independent Palestinian state. That is the key to resolving all issues.
00:43Okay. The other important issue when you talk about Israel and Gaza that Anjana just did is the fact that the Arab world, when it comes to the issue of Gaza and people of Palestine, did not really do as much as your ally, your friend Iran, did.
01:00How do you look at this entire scenario where this is a changed world order? We never thought that Iran would fight back for Palestinians more than the Arab world.
01:10Each of these countries, in its way, is concerned about Palestine and the Palestinian people, worrying for them.
01:20And each of them tries to contribute in resolving the situation.
01:24Some things are obvious, others remain hidden in the shadows.
01:28But it doesn't mean that no one is doing anything.
01:31This is a complex issue that no one has managed to resolve over the years.
01:34Hence, it can't be fixed in just a few months by clicking a button.
01:39However, we should aim precisely at achieving this goal, establishing a Palestinian state.
01:45What has been done until now was done by President Trump.
01:49Naturally, primarily the return of Israeli hostages in Hamas took this step.
01:54I think, frankly speaking, this was the most important thing that was done as part of the latest steps for the settlement in Gaza.
02:02I believe it would be correct, perhaps, to think about the possibility of organizing the governance in such a way as to transfer all authority to the Palestinians.
02:12There are such options.
02:14They are being discussed both by Arab countries and the neighbors and beyond it.
02:19It's being discussed in the United States as well, I know it.
02:23As part of the United Nations, we have always taken part in this process.
02:27We will continue to do that with our friends.
02:29President Putin, we have discussed a lot of geopolitics.
02:59We will stick to a bit of that in a while, but let's talk about your journey.
03:03You are a man from the intelligence community.
03:06How would you rate intelligence agencies today?
03:11Which one do you think is the best?
03:14I am sure you will say Russia, but I am still saying which one is the second best then?
03:19And how does CIA fare?
03:21Well, there are several powerful intelligence services in the world.
03:31There is CIA and our, Soviet and Russian intelligence.
03:36There is, as it is well known, a very efficient service, Mossad, Israeli intelligence.
03:41Many countries of the world have tradition of intelligence services.
03:46You know, I think it's better not to give evaluation to the efficiency of other people's intelligence.
03:52I am happy with the quality of work of our intelligence service.
03:55You know, you know, I think it's better not to give us an opinion of the effectiveness of the work of other people's intelligence.
04:04I am happy with the quality of work of our intelligence.
04:06Thank you very much.
04:36The man you are today, the leader you are today.
04:38Which were the days?
04:40My family.
04:41The family that I lived in and that I was born into.
04:44My parents.
04:45My closest people.
04:47I think that everyone is shaped primarily by our closest surroundings.
04:52Naturally, the social situation around, the colleagues, and, as you have fairly noted,
04:57that work in the intelligence service because it has strict discipline, strict ideology,
05:02and primarily has to do with the defense of the interests of motherland.
05:07And that was the entire point of the intelligence service of the Soviet Union.
05:11And I lived in that system for many years.
05:13I was watching one of your interviews where I think you were interacting with school children.
05:22And one of the children asked you, one of, one girl there asked you,
05:39what has been the most shattering experience of your life?
05:43And you said, the disintegration of USSR.
05:47How did that affect you?
05:49And what is your vision of Russia?
05:51It had an impact in the sense that we always need to very carefully look at our every step,
06:02and we need to understand the consequences of that.
06:05That's number one.
06:07Number two.
06:08It is very important not only for the former Soviet Union, but it applies also to Russia.
06:13What was the conclusion that I came to?
06:15It is that the Soviet Union, at a certain point of time, was in such a state that its leadership,
06:23and possibly even ordinary citizens, believed that it was so big, so great,
06:28that nothing, ever, under any circumstances would happen to it.
06:33And this idea of grandeur is the point when a country starts to make one mistake after another,
06:40thinking that everything is all right.
06:41Yes, we made a mistake here, and was a small failure there,
06:46but we are so big, that it will always pass.
06:49We'll survive.
06:50And the number of mistakes grows like a snowball,
06:54and it's getting harder to manage that.
06:56I see the same as happening with some other countries today.
07:00Therefore, I'm keeping an eye.
07:02Are you going to name them?
07:17Okay, but we go back to USSR, sir, because you talked about how one mistake was rolling into another.
07:26Who do you hold responsible for this situation?
07:29I mean, you're talking about people also who thought that probably it will never happen with us.
07:34There will never be any disintegration.
07:36But I'm sure you must have seen the Gorbachev years.
07:38You saw how Yeltsin went on.
07:41Whom do you hold responsible?
07:42What was the phase in which decisively USSR was disintegrating, breaking up?
07:51I would not want to pinpoint the guilty and who is to blame more.
08:05In general, it was the system that turned out not to be viable.
08:09We need to recognize that, and we need to think about it.
08:12We should not look for specific culprits,
08:15but we need to think how to create a system
08:17that will not simply protect itself, but develop.
08:21That's the point.
08:23And if such system is in place,
08:25it would be self-sufficient, autonomous, and effective.
08:29Are you looking at reintegration then?
08:35Reintegration of what?
08:36The Soviet Union?
08:38Of the Soviet Union?
08:39No, of course not, that's simply not on the table.
08:52We do not have such a goal, and it won't make any sense.
08:56There is also a question of rationality.
08:59It does not make sense in current circumstances
09:02because it would critically change the national
09:04and religious composition of the Russian federation.
09:08It does not make sense.
09:10You should tell that to some of the Western papers
09:12who keep writing about how you really want
09:14the old Soviet Union back,
09:17because that's what they keep doing.
09:18I won't tell it to them.
09:29You know why?
09:31Because they still do not want to listen to what I'm saying.
09:34They want to listen to themselves only,
09:36or they want to comment on what I'm saying
09:38the way they like it.
09:39They write a lot about saying
09:40that you want to build the empire back.
09:44Yes, they do that in order to scare their population.
09:55They abuse their monopoly in the global media.
09:57It is called manipulation of the public opinion,
10:00and the goal is to justify their aggressive policy towards Russia.
10:03I don't see another goal.
10:06Right.
10:07Then if you're different,
10:09how would you, Vladimir Putin,
10:12summarize Vladimir Putin's life and ideology?
10:18No, I think it is too early for me to summarize my life.
10:22I have some work ahead of me.
10:24I like that,
10:25because we're going to talk about longevity.
10:26But before that,
10:27there's a very important question.
10:28You're going to India.
10:30The prime ministers of India
10:33have had a huge, huge role to play
10:36in the strengthening of India-Russia ties.
10:39Who do you think,
10:40in your span of being a leader here in Russia,
10:44really made that difference
10:46since you were in power,
10:49in enhancing India-Russia ties?
10:52Which are the prime ministers?
10:54Well, you have already asked me
10:56to characterize other leaders of other countries.
11:00I do not think it is very polite.
11:02You know,
11:03now we're working with prime minister of India,
11:06His Excellency Narendra Modi.
11:08Indeed,
11:09we have very trustworthy and friendly relations.
Be the first to comment