Russia has numerous friends in France and Germany, and their numbers are constantly growing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday.
Among the attendees was former French President Charles de Gaulle's grandson, Pierre de Gaulle, the president of the International Russophile Movement's French unit. Putin said Charles de Gaulle embodied France and its desire for freedom, independence, and dignity.
"Yes, the situation is different today. Today, completely different people are at the wheel in France, and it is not about age but about about their views on the significance of France, maybe even its history and its future. I will not make judgments as it is not our business, but that of the French people. But I know that there are a lot of people in France with the views like yours, the friends of Russia, and their number is growing," the president said, addressing Pierre de Gaulle.
The Russian president said that he still had friends in Germany as well, and their number was also growing due to those who "pursue the interests of their own people."
"You know, it is not about if I still have friends in Germany, although I do have friends there, and their number is growing, strange as it may seem ... This is due to those who pursue the interests of their own people and do not want to serve the interests of others," he said.