Interview: Putin Says Working in Russia's Interests, Does Not Feel Global Arbiter of Everyone's Fate

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he does not feel like the arbiter who decides the fate of everyone in the world and is working in the interests of Russia and its people.

"I am just working in the interests of Russia, in the interests of our people... But to somehow feel like the master of the world's destinies - there is no such thing. Believe me, not even close. I am just doing my duty to Russia and to our people, who consider Russia their homeland," Putin said in the interview.

Furthermore, talking about Russia, Putin stated that his country is not at a crossroads, but it is on the strategic path of its development and will not turn away from it.

"Russia is not at a crossroads, it is on the strategic path of its development and will not turn away from its path," Putin said.

Russia's leader also elaborated on the topics of Western weapons and the special military operating.

Regarding the first topic, Russia has nullified everything that the United States has invested in its missile defense system by creating Avangard hypersonic missile system.

"We, in fact, nullified everything they [Americans] did, everything they invested in this missile defense system," Putin said when comparing the US missile defense system and Russia's Avangard.

Speaking of the operation, the Russian armed forces have fully taken the initiative on the contact line in the special military operation zone, the president noted.

"The initiative [on the contact line] has completely passed to our armed forces. Everyone knows this, everyone admits it," he said.

Furthermore, if Russia abandons its people in Donbass today, then the losses will increase many times over tomorrow and Russian children will have no future, the Russian leader underlined.

"It is necessary to increase ... the number and power of weapons, increase the effectiveness of the forces and means used," Putin said when asked how to minimize Russia's losses so that during the offensive they would be less than in defense.

No one will take Russia into account if it does not protect itself, and the consequences could be catastrophic, the leader added.

Moreover, US- and UK-made missiles transferred to Ukraine will not change the situation on the battlefield, according to Putin.

"They use these UK, US missiles. It does not change the situation on the battlefield. Yes, they just cause us damage, certainly. It is obvious. But in fact, this does not change the course of the combat and the consequences that inevitably come for the opponent," Putin said, commenting on a recent leak of a conversation between four high-ranking German military officers who discussed possible supply of long-range Taurus missiles, suited to attack the Crimean Bridge, to Kiev.

Continuing the topic of the leaked conversation, the president noted that these discussions are aimed at scaring Russia but are really nothing more than a fantasy.

"First, they are indulging in fantasies, encouraging themselves. Second, they are trying to scare us. As far as Germany is concerned, there are problems of a constitutional nature there. They say correctly: if these Taurus [cruise missiles] hit a part of the Crimean bridge, which, of course, even according to their concepts, is Russian territory - this is a violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany," Putin said.

The Russian president added that the opposition in Germany is acting even more aggressively.

"We will see what they will agree to, we are so closely following this," Putin said.

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Returning to the topic of the Ukrainian conflict, Putin noted that the potential presence of foreign troops and the shipment of additional Western security assistance to Ukraine will not shape the course of the conflict on the battlefield.

"The thing is, Western military personnel have been present in Ukraine for a while, they were present even before the coup ... But if we are talking about foreign countries' official military contingents, then I am sure that it will not change the situation on the battlefield. This is the most important. The same as arms shipments do not change anything," Putin said.

However, if the US troops appear in Ukraine, Moscow will treat them as interventionists, and Washington understands it.

"The United States has announced that it is not going to deploy troops. We know what US troops on Russian territory are, they are interventionists. And we will treat this as such, even if they appear on the territory of Ukraine. And they [the US] understand this," the Russian leader said.

Speaking about the foreign contingent in Ukraine, Putin noted that if Poland sends troops into the country, it will not leave.

"Because if, let's say, Polish troops enter the Ukrainian territory to - as it is said - protect the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, for example, or in some other places in order to free up Ukrainian military contingents to participate in hostilities on the line of contact, then I think that Polish troops will never leave. Well, it seems so to me," Putin said.

The president explained that Poland would then want to return the lands that it considers historically its own.

"Because they will want to return... they are dreaming, they want to return those lands that they consider historically theirs, and which were taken away from them by the Father of Nations, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, and transferred to Ukraine. Of course, they want them back. And if official Polish units enter there, they are unlikely to leave," Putin added.

Aside from that, the Russian leader said that the attempts by Ukraine to attack Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions are taking place amid its failures on the front lines.

"There is a very simple explanation. All of this is taking place amid [Ukrainian] failures at the line of contact, the front line. They have achieved none of the goals that they set last year," the president said.

Putin suggested that the attacks were aimed at interfering with, if not thwarting, the upcoming Russian presidential election.

"On the state borderline the enemy tried to attack with sabotage groups first and foremost - here is the latest report by the general staff - about 300 people, including participating foreign mercenaries," Putin said.

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Putin Says Russia Ready for Nuclear War, But Does Not Think It Going ‘Head-On’

One of the big topics of the interview was the use of nuclear weapons, discussing which the Russian president said that his country is prepared both militarily and technologically for a possible nuclear conflict, although things are unlikely to come to this.

"From the military and technical point of view, we are, of course, ready," Putin said.

The president added that his US counterpart, Joe Biden, is part of a "traditional school of politics" and also that the US has many other experts in the Russia-US relationship and strategic deterrence.

"That is why I do not think that everything is rushing head-on [in that direction], but we are ready for this," Putin noted.

Furthermore, the Russian nuclear triad is more cutting-edge than similar weapons in other countries, which has been confirmed by experts, Putin added.

"Our triad, the nuclear triad, is more advanced than any other triad. Only we and Americans have such triads, in reality. And we have progressed much further here. Ours is more advanced, the entire nuclear component... everyone knows that, all specialists know," Putin said.

It is also important to note that Russia is ready to make use of its nuclear arsenal to safeguard the existence and sovereignty of the Russian state, according to the president.

"We are ready to use weapons, any weapons, including the one that you mentioned, if we are talking about the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty, and independence being undermined. We have all this written down in our strategy, we have not changed it," Putin said.

In this regard, Russia will station its troops and strike systems near the borders of Finland and Sweden in the wake of them joining NATO.

"We did not have troops there, now there will be. There were no strike systems, now there will be," Putin emphasized. "Why have they done this? In my opinion, this was based on purely political considerations. Perhaps they very much wanted to be members of the Western club, under some kind of umbrella. This is an absolutely senseless step from the point of view of ensuring their own national interests."

However, there has not yet been any need to use tactical nuclear weapons as part of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, Putin noted.

"Why should we use weapons of mass destruction? There has never been such a need," Putin said.

When asked whether such an idea ever occurred to him, Putin replied, "No, but why?"

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Furthermore, the Russian president has not ruled out that if the United States conducts nuclear tests, Russia may do the same.

“If they conduct such tests, I do not rule out - it is not necessary that we need it or not, we still need to think about it, but I do not rule out it that we can do the same,” Putin stated.

Putin noted that there is an agreement banning such tests. The United States did not ratify this Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), and Russia, to maintain parity, withdrew its ratification, Putin reminded.

"Since the treaty was not ratified by the United States, it did not finally enter into legal force because it did not receive the required number of ratifications. But nevertheless, we adhere to these agreements,” Putin said.

However, such tests are being considered in the United States, Putin added.

“This is due to the fact that when new warheads appear, some experts believe that it is not enough to test them only on a computer; they need to be tested in their natural form. These are the ideas in certain circles in the United States, they are floating around, and they have a place to be. We know about this. And we are watching,” Putin said.

In November 2023, Putin signed the bill to revoke the ratification of the CTBT, which had been signed by Russia in New York on September 24, 1996. The CTBT is a multilateral treaty that bans nuclear weapon test explosions and all other nuclear explosions for civilian and military purposes. The treaty was adopted in 1996 but never entered into effect, as it would require ratification by all 44 countries that had nuclear power or research reactors at the time it was signed.

Of the nine recognized nuclear powers, only France, the United Kingdom and Russia had signed and ratified the treaty before Moscow's withdrawal. The United States, China and Israel have signed but not ratified the treaty, while India, Pakistan and North Korea have neither signed nor ratified it.

Speaking about the United States and its nuclear weapons, Putin also noted that the US is developing nuclear forces, but it does not mean that they are ready to unleash a nuclear war tomorrow.

"They are now setting tasks of increasing their advancement, novelty, they have a corresponding plan. We know about it too. They are developing all their components. So are we. But this does not mean that, in my opinion, they are ready to unleash this nuclear war tomorrow. Well, they want to ... We are ready," Putin said.

Lastly, the president briefly commented on the North Korean nuclear forces. Putin said that the country possesses its own nuclear deterrence capabilities and has not asked Russia for anything.

"First, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has its own nuclear umbrella. They have not asked us for anything," Putin noted.

Putin Sets Technological Economy, Security Self-Sufficiency as Russia's Future Goals

During the interview, Putin also expressed hope for Russia to have a more technological economy in the future, based on research, artificial intelligence, genetics, and for the country's self-sufficiency in security and defense sectors.

"The future belongs to children, so I have already talked about programs dedicated to motherhood and childhood, but all this is done only on an economic basis. I hope that it will be more technologically advanced, more modern, and will be based on up-to-date achievements in science, technology, information technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, genetics, and so on … And certainly, the country will be self-sufficient in ensuring its security and defense. We will have to multiply all this together many times, and the future will be assured," Putin said.

The Russian president also praised the development of the country's agricultural sector, saying that this field also needed the application of modern technologies.

Putin pointed to Russia's "firm and stable" economy as well, and called on Russian people not to forget the achievements of older generations.

Moreover, Russia's economy can overtake Japan in terms of purchasing power parity in the coming years, but the country has a lot to do to change the structure of its economy and needs to work on its efficiency and innovation, Putin stated.

Earlier this year, Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov said that Russia can overtake Japan in the next three to four years in the World Bank ranking of the world's largest economies based on purchasing power parity.

"We still need to do a lot so that we have a decent position not only in purchasing power parity, but also per capita. This is at first. And secondly, [we need to work] so that the structure itself changes, so that it becomes much more efficient, more modern, more innovative. This is what we will work on," Putin said.

The Russian economy is actively developing despite a huge amount of Western sanctions, so there is no need to set up a special body to protect Russia from these coercive measures, as the existing bodies — the government, the Central Bank and the Security Council — analyze everything they do, Putin further stated.

"There is simply no need. We analyze, the government, the Central Bank, the Security Council, we analyze everything that our enemies do. Much is done not even for political or military reasons, although this is argued, but it is done simply for reasons of competition," Putin said.

Russia Ready for Talks on Ukraine, But Not Discussions Shaped By Wishful Thinking, Putin Says

During the conversation with the Sputnik's CEO, Putin also spoke about resolution of the Ukrainian conflict. He said that Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine, but they have to be based on realistic premises and not on wishful thinking.

"Are we ready for talks? Yes, we are, but we are only ready for talks that are not based on some psychotropic drug-induced wishful thinking, but those that are based on the developed situation on the ground, as they say," Putin said.

However, Putin noted, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine should not serve as a temporary pause to allow Kiev to rearm itself, but should be a serious conversation to ensure Russia's security guarantees.

"We are, however, ready for a serious conversation, and we want to resolve all conflicts, and especially this conflict, by peaceful means. But we must clearly understand for ourselves that this is not a pause that the enemy wants to take for rearmament, but this is a serious conversation with security guarantees for Russia," Putin stated.

The president added that Russia knows the various options being discussed and knows the "carrots that are going to be shown" to convince them that the time for negotiations has come.

Russia wants to resolve the Ukraine crisis through peaceful means, Putin stated.

It’s easier, however, to come to terms with those that are "snorting cocaine" than with clever and dangerous people, Putin noted.

"Those who are a bit cleverer started to think that something should be changed in terms of a strategy towards Russia. That’s when all the ideas appeared to revive negotiations, to find some ways to end this conflict, to find out where Russia’s real national interests lie. These are dangerous people, by the way," Putin said.

Putin pointed out that it was easier to deal with people guided by their bad habits.

"Do you remember an old Russian saying? What was happiness for the man in the street? 'Full, drunk and snuffing tobacco' It’s easy to deal with people like that," Putin said. "Nowadays they are snorting cocaine, right? Doesn’t really matter but it’s easier to deal with these people. Clever people are more difficult to handle. They are dangerous because they influence the public’s mind, including ours. They will toss all kinds of wants and wishes and make them look like carrot sticks for us."

Moscow has repeatedly said that it was ready for negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine but Kiev officially banned any such talks. The West meanwhile has been turning a blind eye to Kiev’s constant refusals to engage in dialogue.

Putin, when commenting on the possibility of a "fair treaty" with the West, also noted that he does not trust anyone, but Russia needs written guarantees.

"I do not want to say this, but I do not trust anyone. However, we need guarantees. And these guarantees should be in writing, they should be good enough for us, and they should be something that we would believe in. That is what I am talking about," Putin said.

The president added that currently it was premature to discuss this prospect.

"But we would certainly not fall for some empty promises," he said.

The Russian head of state explained that he preferred to rely on facts, not some "good intentions and talks that anyone can be trusted".

"We would never do anything that runs counter to the interests of our country," he added.

Russia Has No Plans to Split West, They Will Do It Themselves: Putin

Talking about the contradictions that have arisen within the Western community, Putin said that Russia has no intention to attempt to split the West, they will do it themselves.

"We are not going to engage in any attempts to split the West; they will do that themselves with flying colors. But we will, of course, strive to ensure that our interests are respected," Putin said.

Furthermore, Russia is not interfering in any elections either, and will work with any elected US president, accoriding to the Russian leader.

Last month, when asked who is better for Russia among possible future US leaders — Biden or Trump — Putin said in an interview with Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin that it would be Biden as he is "more experienced" and "more predictable," and he is "a strong politician." The Russian leader added that Moscow will work "with any US leader who is trusted by the American people."

"We do not interfere in any way in any elections. And, as I have said many times, we will work with any leader who is trusted by the American people, the American voter," Putin said.

Commenting on the 2024 election cycle in the US, the president said that it is becoming increasingly uncivilized and the US political system cannot claim to be democratic.

Russia, not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, demands the same attitude towards itself and therefore will not allow anyone to interfere in its domestics political processes.

"We have said it many times, and I have said it many times, we will not let anyone do this," Putin said.

Putin also called US President Joe Biden’s attempt in 2011 to dissuade him from participating in the elections as interference.

"Well, that is the sign of interference," he said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that Russia will decisively suppress any attempts to interfere in internal affairs and subversive activity from abroad on the eve of the presidential elections in the country.

Russians will go to the polls from March 15-17 to elect a new president. In addition to incumbent President Vladimir Putin, the candidates include lower house international affairs committee chair Leonid Slutsky, lower house Far East and Arctic development committee chair Nikolai Kharitonov, and lower house Deputy Speaker Vladislav Davankov.

Wrapping up the interview, Putin stated that the countries saying that they do not have red lines when it comes to Russia should understand that Russia will not have such lines either.

"As for the states that talk about having no red lines with regard to Russia, they should then understand that Russia also will not have any red lines towards those states," the president concluded.