Putin: Either Russia will be sovereign, or there will be no Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to the China Media Corporation in which he discussed relations between Moscow and Beijing, as well as various current international issues.
247, with Sputnik - In the interview, conducted on the eve of his official visit to China, where he will participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on June 9 and 10, the president indicated that the SCO was created as a "rather modest" organization, but has now transformed into an organization with "enormous resources": a quarter of the world's GDP corresponds to its member countries, where 43% of the world's population lives and which cover 23% of the planet's territory.
Similarly, Putin indicated that the capabilities of the SCO members, including the military, "are a colossal force that will undoubtedly be directed by us not to confront anyone, but to provide the necessary conditions for comprehensive and inclusive cooperation, both between our countries and with other nations, wherever they may be, on any continent."
Sino-Russian cooperation
"China and Russia are neighbors. We have been talking for centuries, we have very deep historical ties and roots," the Russian president recalled.
Currently, "China is Russia's number one partner," Putin indicated. "In the past, the total volume of trade in goods grew and reached US$87 billion (R$331 billion), and so far this year, during the first four months, we have registered the same growth as we had throughout last year," he emphasized.
Putin added that both countries have joint plans in the area of industrial cooperation development, rail transport infrastructure, and the digital economy. "The latter is one of the key directions," indicating that this is related to important areas of the future such as robotics and artificial intelligence.
Furthermore, the Russian president highlighted that he has a very good relationship with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.
Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
The positions of Moscow and Beijing regarding the solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula are "very close or completely coincident," Putin stated. Both countries initiated the roadmap for resolving tensions between the two Koreas.
Putin praised the "unprecedented measures" adopted by North Korea to reduce tensions: announcing the completion of nuclear and ballistic missile tests and destroying one of its largest nuclear test sites. "All of this, of course, are practical steps towards denuclearization, and that is our ultimate common goal," he stressed.
Putin also indicated that he understands North Korea is demanding absolute security guarantees before fully denuclearizing, "especially after the tragic events that occurred in Libya and Iraq."
Putin described his American counterpart Donald Trump's decision to meet personally with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as "brave and mature," and expressed his hope that the summit between the leaders would yield "positive results."
Russia will not abandon its sovereign path.
Addressing the issue of international sanctions imposed on Russia by various Western states, Putin asserted that "the presence of some restrictions and sanctions does not surprise us, does not frighten us, and will never force us to abandon the path of independent and sovereign development. I think that either Russia will be sovereign, or there will be no Russia, and, of course, the Russian people will always choose the first option. Just like the Chinese, I suppose. We have no other path. But we understand that with these restrictions and sanctions, our partners are only trying to limit development," he emphasized.
The Russian leader expressed his wish that "common sense prevails," and that all restrictions, "illegal and harmful to the global economy," be gradually lifted to normalize Moscow's relations with all partners, including the US and "other countries that danced to the tune played" by Washington, and also imposed anti-Russian sanctions and are now beginning to suffer the negative consequences of their decision.
World cup
Russia is hosting the 2018 World Cup, "so our most important and fundamental goal is to celebrate this championship properly, to be a celebration for millions of football fans around the world," said the president. Regarding the Russian national team, Putin assured that "it will show modern, interesting and beautiful football and will fight until the end."
Furthermore, the president named his favorite soccer players and, among the national teams that could win the 2018 World Cup, highlighted Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and Spain. "Undoubtedly there will be other competitors, but the strongest will win," the president concluded.