Putin signals to Kim Jong-un. About what? Broadcast at 21:05.
Konstantin Borovoy, Boris Reznik, Valeria Fedorenko - about the Far Eastern trip of the Russian President
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned against attempts to "back North Korea into a corner" over its nuclear weapons programs and missile tests. Putin spoke on September 6 after meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum organized by Russia in Vladivostok.
“Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear program is a flagrant violation of US Security Council resolutions, undermines the nonproliferation regime and poses a threat to the security of Northeast Asia,” he said at a joint press conference with the President of the Republic of Korea.
At the same time, Putin also confirmed his reluctance to impose further sanctions against North Korea and said that it is impossible to solve the problem of the Korean Peninsula only with sanctions and pressure. He stressed that it is necessary to “remain calm as never before and avoid steps that could increase tension.”
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Russia often combines criticism of North Korean actions with calls on the United States, South Korea and Japan to refrain from any steps that could increase tensions or provoke Pyongyang, whose ties with Moscow are much warmer than with Washington. The South Korean president's office said Moon asked Putin to at least support international sanctions that would block oil supplies to North Korea. However, as Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, the heads of the Russian Federation and South Korea disagreed on the issue of stopping the supply of oil and petroleum products to the DPRK.
The Far Eastern trip of the Russian President is discussed by politicians Konstantin Borovoy, Boris Reznik, journalist Valeria Fedorenko, Vladivostok.
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Presenter: Andrey Trukhan.
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Vladimir Putin is trying to freeze the situation in the annexed Crimea and the occupied Donbass for many years, but in the end Russia is catastrophically behind the civilized world, despite all attempts to circumvent sanctions. This opinion was expressed to Apostrophe by Russian opposition politician Konstantin Borovoy, commentingstatement by the German Ambassador to the Russian Federation Rüdiger von Fritsch that .
The project of Crimea and the East of Ukraine (occupied Donbass - “Apostrophe”) is gradually approaching the state in which Transnistria, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia find themselves. In general, it is clear that the Kremlin sees this point of “stability” as a state to which it is interested in moving the situation. The latter for the distinction between this bandit enclave (the so-called DPR-LPR - “Apostrophe”) and the territory controlled by Ukraine indicates that the Kremlin sees this as a solution to the problem. This is an attempt to freeze the conflict for many years.
Of course, with regard to what is associated with the development of these territories - Abkhazia, Transnistria, South Ossetia, and now Crimea and the East of Ukraine (ORDLO - "Apostrophe") - everything possible is being done to maintain the viability of these regions. And when Putin personally gave guarantees), he really deceived investors, deceived a large company.
If this had not caused a serious scandal (with the disclosure of these plans), it would have ended with some kind of temporary solution to the energy problem of Crimea. But this is not just a depressed region, but a region that has come under sanctions. And, fortunately, Ukraine is closely monitoring the events taking place there. By the way, to a much lesser extent than Georgia for the events in Abkhazia and Moldova for the events in Transnistria. Thereby ( civil society institutions that arose parallel to state structures are a very valuable and important result in the new democratic Ukraine) and thanks to sanctions, of course, it is possible to restrain Russia’s ability to solve its problems in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
All the Kremlin’s attempts to circumvent sanctions and reduce the world community’s concerns about the occupied territories undermine trust in Russia and, most importantly, draw the attention of the world community to the very uncivilized actions of the Russian Federation. Indeed, in addition to violating sanctions, fundamental principles related to the observance of the rights of the population in the occupied territories are violated. New legislation has been introduced, which contradicts international principles, and repression and persecution are being carried out for political reasons. Russia causes colossal damage to itself with such uncivilized and criminal actions.
Russia's rating is already very low, and because of these events it is declining even more. The case with Siemens is a very illustrative situation that affects other companies and other contacts of the Russian Federation with the international community. And attempts to compensate for this relative isolation with the help of intelligence services that simply steal modern microcircuits further complicate the situation for Russia.
It's clear why this is being done. Finding itself isolated, Russia actually found itself disconnected from modern technological achievements of mankind. Modern computers can no longer be used. This affects everything from military technologies to agriculture, which cannot exist without modern electronics and modern technological advances.
This is not an embargo yet, but with its actions Russia is bringing closer the moment when talk about an embargo can begin. In terms of technological level, the Russian Federation is gradually reverting to the state of the Soviet Union, which lagged behind world development by 50 years, or, as many experts said then, “not 50 years behind, but forever.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned against attempts to "back North Korea into a corner" over its nuclear weapons programs and missile tests. Putin spoke on September 6 after meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum organized by Russia in Vladivostok.
“Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear program is a flagrant violation of US Security Council resolutions, undermines the nonproliferation regime and poses a threat to the security of Northeast Asia,” he said at a joint press conference with the President of the Republic of Korea.
At the same time, Putin also confirmed his reluctance to impose further sanctions against North Korea and said that it is impossible to solve the problem of the Korean Peninsula only with sanctions and pressure. He stressed that it is necessary to "remain calm as never before and avoid steps that could increase tension."
Russia often combines criticism of North Korean actions with calls on the United States, South Korea and Japan to refrain from any steps that could increase tensions or provoke Pyongyang, whose ties with Moscow are much warmer than with Washington. The South Korean president's office said Moon asked Putin to at least support international sanctions that would block oil supplies to North Korea. However, according to Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the heads of the Russian Federation and South Korea disagreed on the issue of stopping the supply of oil and petroleum products to the DPRK.
Politicians are discussing the Russian President's Far Eastern trip Konstantin Borovoy, Boris Reznik, journalist Valeria Fedorenko, Vladivostok.
Presenter – Andrey Trukhan.
Andrey Trukhan: Vladimir Putin spent the past week very intensively - on a large tour of the Far East (Russian and non-Russian East), and made several striking statements on various topics. Today we will discuss his trip to the Far East, his words and, perhaps, the actions that he managed to perform with our guests.
We are in touch with our correspondent in the Far East, Valeria Fedorenko.
Valeria, tell us about your impressions.
Valeria Fedorenko: Vladimir Putin arrived today, and around him there is a very narrow pool of fellow Moscow journalists. Vladivostok journalists are not allowed near him. And we understand that we don’t even have to try.
Andrey Trukhan: And why?
Valeria Fedorenko: Well, we are trying to go to all the events at which Vladimir Vladimirovich is present, but, unfortunately, we are not succeeding. Moreover, even photographers accredited by the State Council were at the last moment transferred to a separate room, where they had to watch the broadcast and, accordingly, photograph it. Well, this is very funny.
On the 5th, Putin was at the BRICS summit. And almost immediately he headed to Russky Island - this is the part of Vladivostok where the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University is located. All major events are held on campus, such as the APEC summit in 2012, the third Eastern Economic Forum, major international and Russian events.
Putin met with the South Korean president, the vice president of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, and representatives of the business community. Putin even met with the governor of the Primorsky Territory. Unfortunately, we do not have information about everything.
Andrey Trukhan: Did Putin communicate with the people?
Valeria Fedorenko: He did not communicate with the people, and thank God. Because everything is still not good with transport arteries in Vladivostok. Vladimir Vladimirovich did not move by land, but by air - he boarded a helicopter and flew to Russky Island. That is, the city is not staked like before. Vladimir Vladimirovich has not met with the people, but he still has a tomorrow.
Vladimir Putin speaks with the President of South Korea at the Eastern Economic Forum. Vladimir Vladimirovich has a specific program, it is indicated on the website Kremlin.ru.
Andrey Trukhan: Are such visits by Vladimir Putin and the events in which he participates in your city interesting and important for residents? Or are you already used to it?
Valeria Fedorenko: Of course it's important. We are, as they say, a remote province by the sea. Living with us is good, but not entirely. And of course, everyone wants more attention to be paid to us. But recently - with the introduction of special economic zones, the Free Port of Vladivostok, priority development areas throughout the Far East - we feel some attention to ourselves. But this attention is not to mere mortals, that is, not to those who walk the earth and receive a pension of 15 thousand rubles at best, but to medium and large businesses, to people who already have money.
Yes, it would be very interesting for mere mortals to communicate with Vladimir Vladimirovich. We even had one local website come up with a cool idea - to make a route for the president around Vladivostok. And what didn’t they write there!.. They take him to the embankment to watch the sunset. Well, they don’t put it down, but they take it away, because the paving stones there have collapsed. People write and offer their own stories. People turn to Putin all the time.
We have an unfinished building on Kiparisovaya, 26. In general, people bought apartments, shared construction, defrauded shareholders - not a very good story. And on this long-term construction it is written: “SOS, Putin.” Last year, before the last forum, when Putin came, it was written: “SOS, Putin.” But someone gave an order - and “SOS” was corrected to “805”, and the name “Putin” was painted over with a white rectangle.
Andrey Trukhan: Well, it’s also somehow creative...
Valeria Fedorenko: Yes, that's also very cool. Of course, the people want to attract the attention of the president, because there are a lot of unresolved problems in the region.
Andrey Trukhan: I turn to Boris Reznik, a journalist, a man who has been associated with the Far East for almost 50 years. In 1969, he wrote about the events at Damansky.
Boris Lvovich, Vladimir Putin’s trips, those forums that are often held in the 21st century - does this play an important role for the region, develop it, somehow change life? How do you see this?
Boris Reznik: Probably, there is nothing equal to the Far East, not only in our Fatherland, but also in the world - such a colossal resource base, such opportunities to develop nearby markets, access to the seas, and so on. That is, if everything is done wisely and scientifically, the Far East can be made a world pearl. There have been many attempts to raise the Far East, to attract the attention of not only the residents of our Fatherland, but also of neighboring countries. But, unfortunately, there is no deep, powerful impact yet.
Personally, I am encouraged every time that fairly representative delegations gather: what if they come to an agreement, what if they do something. But I am discouraged by the chatter that goes on on these forums, empty, unsubstantiated. Now they are again saying that applications for 2.4 trillion rubles have been received, 1 trillion 200 billion have been selected, and fantastic facilities will be built.
Shuvalov announced that a road-railway bridge would be built from Sakhalin to the Japanese island of Hokkaido. But this bridge was already declared several years ago. The bridge was supposed to connect the Russian mainland with the island of Sakhalin. They set a price, more than 400 kilometers of road, either a bridge crossing, or an underwater tunnel. But then there was no money, and this idea was practically closed.
What is it like to build a bridge in Hokkaido? This means we need to build a road that will connect the Russian mainland with Sakhalin. And as far as I know, we don’t have money for this yet. Then why build? And what to carry? If we had a different relationship with Japan today, and it would be transit from Southeast Asia, say, through Russia to all other countries, this would be one approach. Then, probably, it would be necessary to do some calculations. It would be possible to captivate the Japanese with this idea.
Here is a bridge in the Blagoveshchensk area with China across the Amur. The question arises: what should we transport across this bridge? After all, our border is about 1 thousand 300 kilometers. Cupid is freezing. For almost 4.5–5 months, you can transport any goods along the entire length without bridges. What do they carry there? They don't carry anything. At the beginning of “perestroika” we transported building materials and equipment to China – there was a continuous stream of cars. And they went back empty. They only brought money from China. The city of Heihe arose on the adjacent bank of the Amur. Amazing city! On the site of the village they created skyscrapers, a colossal number of unique buildings, structures, and so on. And with us - alas and ah. And this bridge is translated into plans from year to year, its price is indicated.
The only thing that, in my opinion, is very serious being done there now is that Rosneft, together with South Korea, is building a super-shipyard. There was a Zvezda plant in the Primorsky Territory. And now oil tankers with a displacement of up to 360 thousand tons will be created there. We have never produced such vessels. The largest ones are about 180 thousand tons, and they only made one warship. And these unique oil tankers will be built there. There is real work being done there, real money is being invested and it is flowing in.
Andrey Trukhan: Konstantin Natanovich, what did you see that was meaningful in Vladimir Putin’s trip to the Far East? Or on his previous trips? What changes for Russia after his loud statements or some decisions?
Konstantin Borovoy: What needs to be addressed in the Far East is the Soviet approach. Nobody is asking Elon Musk to pay attention to the desert or Las Vegas. Entrepreneurs develop certain areas, invest money, and start new projects. When the state begins to engage in gigantic projects - bridges, "East Davos", then things turn out the way they do.
Today we are witnessing a not very good direction in Russia's development. Essentially, the regions are to some extent left to their own devices. The main topic of discussion at the visiting session of the State Council was about money.
Andrey Trukhan: But there is no money.
Konstantin Borovoy: Yes. But Vladimir Vladimirovich says like Medvedev: “There is no money, but you hold on!” - can’t and doesn’t want to. And he begins to distribute not money, but kicks to those who allegedly do not give money - ministries, departments. They whisper in his ear: “There’s no money, Vladimir Vladimirovich!” And he gets even more excited and begins to say: “They forgot to include the Far East in both this program and this program.”
Vyacheslav Shport, the Khabarovsk governor, proposed not to allocate money through projects and directions, but to dump it all together and give it to him. This is such a simple move, a simple solution. Because for the money that is allocated for projects, you have to fight for a long time, prove it, and then also report. And then they dumped them into one heap and gave them to Vyacheslav.
Or better yet, create a Ministry for the Development of the Far East. Well, it’s a Soviet, full-fledged idea. And what will this ministry do, other than spend funds? It’s clear that it will do nothing. They will steal money, as always.
The bet on the development of the Far East using Soviet, centralized state methods is initially a losing one. And a huge number of contradictions. “It is necessary to attract money,” says Putin, “to develop projects.” And then everyone talks about the lack of workers and jobs. A controversial task. They promise to create 97 thousand new jobs. Who will take these jobs? Apparently, the neighbors are Chinese. This is all very sad.
And the saddest thing, of course, is that the country is beginning to spread apart, and this is evident, autonomization is taking place. It is clear that this was a consolidating visit, it had such a purpose - pre-election, to show that everything is manageable, everything is under our master's gaze. But in essence, both the impression and the state of affairs are such that the region is gradually being left to its own devices. This means that the connection with the center is lost. Well, this is natural - the structure of power, so to speak, which was called the “vertical of power”, when the center distributed resources to the regions, has been destroyed.
But now there is nothing special to distribute, and there are many reasons for this. The main reason is, of course, slow economic development. And this is due to the fact that the business is not developing. And all the calls to invest in the Far East... Eastern and Western investors will not come until they are given the opportunity to invest money, develop, and operate their own business. You can deceive. And what they were doing was a simple deception.
Andrey Trukhan: Is this how you characterize the forum?
Konstantin Borovoy: Yes, "East Davos": we develop business, attract. But in essence, nevertheless, this spectacle is very sad... In general, now everything in Russia is quite complicated. But in the Far East it is much more difficult. No wonder your correspondent said that Putin meets only with large entrepreneurs. But the rest are not there - they are crushed, strangled. And without them there will be neither a budget nor economic development. The Far East exactly repeats the pattern that exists in the center - this is the nationalization of the economy, the concentration of resources in the state and the exclusion of citizens' initiative. This is not how the economy develops.
Andrey Trukhan: Vladimir Putin said in his speech that it is not possible to reverse the trend of population outflow from the Far East. Although the numbers are no longer so large, the Far East still loses 0.3 percent annually.
Boris Lvovich, why do you think people leave? And is it possible to change anything?
Boris Reznik: First of all, I would like to object to Konstantin Borovoy. The fact is that despite all the imperfections of our budget, they still give money to the Far East, and quite serious money. Let us at least remember the Vostochny Cosmodrome, how much money was stolen there, unfortunately. It would probably be possible to build two cosmodromes already. There is a global, systemic, unscrupulous, brazen theft going on.
I'll give you one example. When I was a deputy, we raised money for a colossal social project. We had about 600 orphans who were leaving orphanages, but they had nowhere to live, they were not given apartments. And they allocated a billion rubles. This money was enough for 546 apartments. Ribbons were cut, including by Vyacheslav Ivanovich Shport. About 200 apartments were built. There is not a penny of money - all the money was stolen. I wrote to the attorney general. A criminal case was opened. The Minister of Construction was brought to criminal liability. He takes the next one. A month and a half later, the next one steals and is brought to criminal charges. And in a year and a half, five ministers of construction at one site - orphanages - stole wild money.
And what to do with such a government after this?! There are not enough fingers on two hands to count how many ministers were prosecuted during Shport’s time. And he recruits them all. People completely far from production, some “sidekicks” from Komsomolsk-on-Amur and so on. That's the problem - theft. The money that is allocated today, which should be used to solve social issues, issues of infrastructure development (after all, this is the concern of the state), it all goes into the pockets of bureaucrats.
As for the outflow of personnel. This process has now really slowed down. People no longer flee from the Far East, as in former times. They say that 100 thousand applications for the notorious “Far Eastern hectare”, that everyone will rush to cultivate the land, will come from the Black Earth Region and from other regions of the country. Well, this is more official optimism than truth. In fact, these lands are not very suitable for agriculture. These are acidic lands, they need to be limed, they need to be fertilized, and this is a very long process. And all this, naturally, affects the cost of production. And across the river is China, which supplies vegetable products at lower prices. Therefore, the competitiveness of the owners of these “hectares” is a big question.
Andrey Trukhan: Are all these lands so bad? Or are the unsuitable ones singled out?
Boris Reznik: There are certain restrictions. There are copses all over the Far East. And today I read funny information on the Internet that 200 kilograms of honey were collected on the allocated hectares. And my friend, who retired and is now engaged in beekeeping, he alone pumped 7 tons of honey. And on all hectares they extracted 200 kilograms of honey, and this is such a commendable note.
What can attract people? I myself went to the Daman events in 1969 and stayed there; indeed, I lived in the Far East for more than 50 years. Why? In addition, I really really liked it there - there is amazing land, amazing people, but also, as a young journalist, I began to earn 60 percent more than in Moscow. I was paid 3.60 in travel allowance. I immediately got an apartment. These are the incentives that can anchor a person there. In the West it is more difficult to get all this stuff.
Andrey Trukhan: But now there are no such incentives in the Far East?
Boris Reznik: Relatively. They are trying to do something. In youth complexes you can buy housing for 16 thousand per square meter in installments. When a child is born, I think 10 percent is taken from this amount. But these are some small measures that do not solve the problem. There must be very serious organizational and economic measures, and political will. And of course, special control over the expenditure of funds.
Andrey Trukhan: As far as I understand, there is none of this. And there is no hope that under the current government something will change for the better in this direction? Or I'm wrong?
Boris Reznik: No, you're not wrong. What has developed today in the Khabarovsk Territory is a parody of power: a swindler is chasing a swindler with a swindler. I speak completely responsibly, without fear of being brought to justice. Ready to prove it with documents. Absolutely wild amount of abuse. People come to grab and run away.
Andrey Trukhan: We talked about the Far East as a Russian region. But Vladimir Putin came there with other tasks. Foreign policy plays a big role in his Far Eastern tour. He returned from China, where some ideas were voiced. He made a loud statement about nuclear tests in North Korea.
Konstantin Natanovich, Vladimir Putin said loud words, said that he condemns the DPRK’s nuclear program, that this is a violation of all international laws, something needs to be done. But at the same time, he spoke out against the pressure offered by the United States and Western countries in general. What does Russia offer? How might it affect North Korea's nuclear program? After all, neither carrot nor stick works in this case, in my opinion.
Konstantin Borovoy: Russia's position on this issue is twofold. On the one hand, it is clear that it was necessary to support the Western coalition, a coalition that includes Japan, South Korea, and, well, partially China. On the other hand, we know that the North Koreans’ nuclear technology did not come out of thin air, but rocket engines were supplied to them from Russian territory.
Andrey Trukhan: And Ukraine, as some say.
Konstantin Borovoy: They also claim that it was not the Buk that shot down the Boeing. Mikhail talks about this quite often, that he was shot down by a Ukrainian plane.
It seems that Russia’s goal in this region is to maintain tension, to try to enter the dialogue of the world community from this side - as a conciliator, or something. But it is known that the North Koreans quite sharply opposed Russia’s participation in the negotiations. They need direct negotiations with the United States. Apparently, they thanked him for his help in the development of nuclear missile technologies. But they said that they would then deal with the United States themselves. Somehow this is how it all worked out.
That is, quite provocative activities in this region did not lead to the result that was needed - provocation, creation of tension... As was the case in Ukraine, Syria and other regions. Creating tension, international negotiations, participation in international negotiations, influencing an unstable situation. That is, this is the classic role of the intelligence services - to create instability, and then wring all sorts of benefits out of it.
The situation there is complicated. And as far as I understand, it will be resolved without Russia’s participation. And the situation will be resolved because world leaders - the United States, China, Japan, South Korea - are interested in this. This situation will somehow be resolved, I think.
Andrey Trukhan: Boris Lvovich, how do you see this situation? How is North Korea a dangerous neighbor for Russia? And can Russia somehow influence the foreign policy of the DPRK?
Boris Reznik: I do not share Mr. Borovoy’s belief that we allegedly helped them make a nuclear bomb. This is all, in my opinion, idle fiction. You will remember Russia’s reaction when Kim Jong-un launched another missile, and it almost crashed into the Primorsky Territory. That is, today we are among the first to share the nuclear threat, together with Japan and China.
Of course, we would like to resolve this problem, because it does not bring anything good not only to us, but to the whole world. And we have probably never been so close to a fairly extensive war due to the fact that the Americans will not tolerate this threat to exist, and not only to the island of Guam, but also to the United States. I think drastic measures will be taken. Although I really wouldn’t want people to die. I wish Korea's leaders had some common sense.
By the way, I was there at one time. The way of life there makes a hard impression, the life of the local residents is incompatible with the 21st century, sheer fanaticism. Therefore, I think that for us this is also not a gift of fate - what is happening.
Andrey Trukhan: But, as I understand it, Russia has no leverage. We can call for North Korea not to test or use weapons, we can warn Western countries against active intervention, but we cannot influence ourselves.
Boris Reznik: This is the case when, probably, no one in the world has these levers. What could it be? There will be vulgar trading: “Give us this, give us that, otherwise we will go crazy. Remove the sanctions from us.” That is, they will extort some privileges for themselves by threatening them with nuclear weapons. And this can take a long time. I think this option is quite realistic.
Andrey Trukhan: Vladimir Putin returned to Russia from China. If you look at Russia's relationship with China over the past hundred years, how have these relations changed? China and Tsarist Russia are the same balance of power. The Soviet Union and socialist China are a different ratio. China and Russia in the 90s, China and Russia now. When were Russia and China equal in size? And does Russia now depend on China in its foreign policy or not?
Boris Reznik: Unfortunately, we are very far behind China economically. But we are doomed to build relationships: the Chinese are with us, and we are with the Chinese. In principle, if we develop, deepen and expand points of contact, this could develop into a serious alliance. Russia and China are two great countries that can resist someone, clearly articulate their position, and so on. Although the Chinese always have their own benefit in mind. Well, that's probably how it should be. But the way Putin’s relations with the Chinese leadership developed on various positions is encouraging today. The Chinese support the Russian line on many issues, Russia supports China. I think that if my relationship continues to develop this way, nothing will overshadow it, then this is a good, fairly reliable and strong partner.
Andrey Trukhan: There is a popular point of view that Russia has become a junior partner of China and cannot build an independent line in these bilateral relations. Konstantin Natanovich, can anything ruin this relationship?
Konstantin Borovoy: We said this even at the moment when the process of Russia’s reorientation from the West to China was taking place. A new level of cooperation was expected. All the experts said that this would end with a junior partnership, huge losses. China is quite pragmatic; cooperation with the United States is much more important to it; this is its main market. And Russia, for many reasons, is not a serious market for China. China will not develop the Russian economy to spite the United States or Europe.
The bet placed on eastern cooperation is simply wrong; it ends in the transfer of significant territories, well, essentially, to China for temporary use. But we know what happened with temporary use in connection with China. Everything is changing gradually... By the way, this is very worrying for the residents of the Far East. They see it all, understand it and feel it: Russia doesn’t need them, Russia needs China. This bet is definitely wrong. Instead of providing freedoms, rights to citizens, giving them initiative, the opportunity to develop...
I recently saw a story about Old Believers who believed in the “hectare” program, sent a representative, and he began to get used to it. And little happens. Old Believers have large communities that could return to Russia. And not only because of Mizulina, but also because this is an effective program. But they are unlikely to appear. Not to mention other programs that are actively developing in Russia today. Let's say the Jehovah's Witnesses have already been recognized as an extremist, terrorist organization. There are already some conversations about Baptists. And even about Catholics. To assume in this situation that they will be left alone, they will be given what they actually need - development independent from the state: “Get away from us! We will do everything ourselves,” - there are no such examples in Russia yet.
Although this is the liberal model - to provide people with the opportunity to create, develop, do their own businesses, do their own things. And the state must withdraw. The structure of today's Russian state is such that it does not give citizens the freedom to create, the freedom to be independent producers. And then they are surprised: “Something is not working out. There is no money in the budget.” And where will they come from if the main people who supply money to the budget - citizens of Russia - are not given the freedom to work and creativity.
Andrey Trukhan: There is another acute problem in the Far East - the Kuril Islands, relations between Russia and Japan. Information bursts occur periodically. Some solution is being found, but we will not know about it because it will not be made public. Boris Lvovich, can the problem with the Kuril Islands between Russia and Japan be resolved?
Boris Reznik: As for the dominance of the Chinese. Here I would like to object to Konstantin Natanovich. Since I am a resident of the Far East, I can tell you with authority that there is no dominance of the Chinese in the Far East and is not expected. According to the law, they cannot take the notorious “hectare”. The only thing they can do today is to rent some land for a very short period of time - for the agricultural period - to cultivate it and get a harvest. These are some temporary things. And if we talk about numbers, then two years ago there were only 12-14 thousand Chinese in the Khabarovsk Territory, who came and walked, like Rembrandt, according to the inventory in the Khabarovsk Territory. They had documents with chips. Our migration services knew where this or that Chinese was, when he arrived, when he left, and so on. And these conversations remind me of a wonderful writer, my friend Valentin Rasputin. Once he spoke on Radio Russia and said: “We have dominance - 7 million Chinese.” I say: “Valentin, we only have less than 6 million inhabitants. Where did you get these numbers from?” - “Here I am walking down the street - I meet Chinese people all the time.” So there is no truth in this statement.
As for the Kuril Islands. This is a complex problem with a long history. In my opinion, it is extremely difficult to resolve. From time to time we make some progress in negotiations, but he’s like, “Let’s master it together.” - “Well, let’s master it together.” And when we start talking in detail about how we can develop these islands together, we are faced with very simple problems. For example, they have one tax law, we have another, they need to be aligned and brought into compliance. And it's not just about taxes. And this idea disappears again.
Until we sign a peace treaty with Japan, I think the prospects for deep, comprehensive cooperation are elusive. In the Duma, I was involved in the Japanese direction, we met a lot with both the Japanese and our specialists on this problem. Maybe they will make a decision in 1956 that we return two islands - Habomai and Shikotan, and leave two islands with us. But there must be political will, and only it can probably solve this problem. In my opinion, it does not yet have any diplomatic solution.
Andrey Trukhan: Konstantin Natanovich, how do you see the solution to the problem of the Kuril Islands? After all, many documents were developed by various political forces.
Konstantin Borovoy: This is a very difficult problem. It is very difficult to return stolen property. Returning Crimea is an almost insoluble problem. Return it and that's it. What are these two islands? This is not our territory, this is territory belonging to Japan. You can negotiate endlessly, but the Japanese will not invest, they have said this many times. Even under Andrei Kozyrev, the idea was expressed to create a free economic zone there for joint use. Well, they won't do it. It is an insult to the honor of normal people when something is stolen from them and then offered to be shared. With Crimea, the following proposals are also heard: “Let’s now use it together.” But Ukraine will never agree to this fiction. And the Japanese won't go either.
What was stolen must be returned. Everything is very simple. So simple that if this rule is not followed, complex political and economic problems arise. Indeed, no agreement has been signed, investments are limited by law. And if we are faced with sanctions today, then from Japan similar restrictions have been in place for a long time. Because no one wants to return someone else's property.
Andrey Trukhan: But if everything is so neglected, as they say, either return it or not... Still, the Japanese offer some intermediate steps. So they see some kind of perspective?
Konstantin Borovoy: Let's go to Crimea - it's the same model. Some intermediate steps to share stolen property. Do you believe this yourself? This can't be true. This is insulting to the person and to the state from whom something was stolen. How can you share someone else's territory? She needs to be returned. And stop the state of war we are in with Japan, because we still have not signed a peace treaty. There will be no investment, and there will be no economic cooperation until we follow international rules.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
It is not profitable for Russia to carry out a full-scale attack on Ukraine, at least in the near future. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not decide to escalate the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the eve of the presidential and parliamentary elections, as this could lead to consequences unpredictable for the Kremlin, a former deputy said State Duma of the Russian Federation Konstantin Borovoy. “After all, the intensification of hostilities in Donbass does not guarantee that the one who will come to power in Ukraine...
Friday, January 4, 2019
For Russian President Vladimir Putin, 2019 may become a defining year in terms of the formation of protest sentiments. This was stated by Russian oppositionist Konstantin Borovoy, Khvilya reports. He notes that dissatisfaction with the authorities is growing in Russia and society is beginning to realize that Putin and his people are incapable of “carrying out any adequate policy or managing the economy.” “Protests come in different forms. Bye …
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
The meeting with Donald Trump did not bring positive results to the Kremlin, so Vladimir Putin found himself in a difficult situation. A similar opinion was voiced by Russian oppositionist and publicist Konstantin Borovoy. According to him, today Putin’s tail was set on fire and this is obvious. The real, full-fledged financial isolation of Russia has begun: credit lines are closed, accounts are blocked, and the civilized West is preparing a new round of sanctions against the Kremlin. "Tools created...
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be able to hold out in power for another six years. This was stated by Russian oppositionist and political expert Konstantin Borovoy, commenting on the future of the current political regime in Russia. “Putin doesn’t have six years. The processes that he himself launched are not for six years. This will end much faster due to external pressure, due to...
Thursday, June 28, 2018
The mention of the former President of Georgia, ex-governor of the Odessa region Mikheil Saakashvili throws Russian President Vladimir Putin out of balance. Russian opposition politician Konstantin Borovoy spoke about this. “I don’t think that in the context of the elections the Kremlin is concentrating on the personality of Yulia Tymoshenko or anyone else - it is concentrating on everyone at once, trying to exert a strong influence on everyone. The only politician...
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Russia's idea of building the Kerch Bridge is doomed to failure. After the return of Crimea to Ukraine, the Kerch Bridge built by the occupiers will have to be demolished. Russian oppositionist Konstantin Borovoy warned residents of the Russian Federation about this. “Serious problems will arise immediately after the return of Crimea to Ukraine. People have documents confirming that they bought land and building materials, but they do not understand that all this...
Friday, August 25, 2017
— Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced a reduction in defense spending in 2018. What does this indicate? Is Putin retreating? “This indicates that sanctions are very effective. And the structure of the economy is such that it does not allow experimentation in the field of any provocations. There's simply no money for it. But the most important information is that the reduction will be...
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
US President Donald Trump's statement about Ukraine's interference in the American election campaign is an inept attempt to protect himself using the advice of the Russian intelligence services. This opinion was expressed by Russian oppositionist Konstantin Borovoy. “The attack on Ukraine suggests that Russian intelligence services are using hybrid tools. I think that the attempt to frame Ukraine was made many times and not by chance. This statement is...
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Due to the constant deterioration of the financial situation of Russians, the number of protests will only grow. Russian opposition politician Konstantin Borovoy admits that for many Russians today it is about survival. There are no longer resources for anything other than food. In this regard, the number of protests and their intensity will increase. He stated this in an interview with...
Friday, June 2, 2017
The number of protests is growing because the economic situation of Russians is rapidly deteriorating. An unstable situation has recently arisen in Russia. And we are talking about protests not only in Moscow, but also in the regions. This opinion was expressed in an interview for Politeka by Russian opposition politician Konstantin Borovoy. “Banks are closing, prices are high, wages and pensions are delayed. Here in the Far East...
Friday, June 2, 2017
— In the last month, many different rallies have taken place in Russia - political and non-political. Will there be any result from them or not? — In Russia as a whole, an unstable situation has arisen. We are talking about protests not only in Moscow, but also in the regions. Banks are closing, prices are high, wages and pensions are delayed. Here in the Far East they protested...
Saturday, March 11, 2017
The Kremlin lives in its own propaganda reality, so it does not need proposals to improve relations with the West. This opinion was expressed on Facebook by Russian politician Konstantin Borovoy, Politeka reports. Borovoy commented on Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s article for the WSJ, in which he proposed a number of measures for the US administration to improve relations with Russia and pacify it. Borovoy states that the Kremlin lives...
Friday, March 3, 2017
Alexei Navalny’s FBK is actually engaged in covering up the corruption schemes of the Russian government and helping various groups around Vladimir Putin. This opinion was expressed by Russian opposition politician Konstantin Borovoy, Politeka reports. Borovoy wrote a series of posts on Facebook in which he accused another Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, of playing on the side of the authorities. The Anti-Corruption Foundation recently published a large-scale...
