DUSHANBE: Russia may soon announce that it has developed new weapons as tests are proceeding successfully, President Vladimir Putin told r...
DUSHANBE: Russia may soon announce that it has developed new weapons as tests are proceeding successfully, President Vladimir Putin told reporters following a visit to Tajikistan.
He also noted that US leader Donald Trump was doing a lot to resolve decades-long crises. According to Putin, as for resolving the Ukraine crisis, Russia and the United States continue to be guided by the agreements that were reached at the Alaska summit.
TASS has compiled the main points from the president’s statements.
On importance of CIS
The majority of people "could not see clearly what was happening" at the time when the Soviet Union collapsed and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was created.
The CIS "remains relevant:" "Its goal is to preserve the common space, primarily the humanitarian one."
It is crucial for the former Soviet countries "not to drift too far apart from each other:" "It’s important that we preserve the feeling that there is much that unites us."
The decision to create the CIS Plus platform matters a lot: "It’s an important decision because it transforms the organization from being something like a family affair and secures its status as an international organization."
On new weapons
Russia may soon make a major announcement on new weapons it is developing: "I believe that we will have an opportunity to report about the new weapons that we announced a while ago. These weapons are being developed and undergoing tests. The tests are proceeding successfully."
"The novelty of our nuclear deterrence capabilities is higher than in any other nuclear-weapon state; and we are actively developing it all. We are developing what I mentioned earlier, in previous years; we are working to finalize it."
On New START
There is enough time until early February to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), provided the United States shows "goodwill" to do that.
If the Americans believe that "they don’t need it," then it’s okay with Russia: "We have everything going according to plan in this regard."
On impetus from Alaska summit
Russia and the US share an understanding about resolving the Ukraine conflict peacefully: "We did not disclose everything that had been discussed in Anchorage. We simply said that in general, both the United States and the Russian Federation share a vision on how to proceed and where to look in order to end the conflict, all through peaceful means. These are difficult issues."
Russia and the US continue to be guided by the agreements that were reached at the Alaska summit: "We continue to stick to the framework of the discussions we had in Anchorage."
On response to potential Tomahawk supplies to Ukraine
Russia will respond to the Tomahawk missile threat by strengthening its air defenses: "Our response is to strengthen Russia’s air defenses."
Vladimir Zelensky’s threats to target Moscow with Tomahawk missiles are "him puffing out his chest."
On Nobel Peace Prize
There have been instances in the past where the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to people who did nothing for peace: "In my view, by making such decisions, they significantly undermined the credibility of the award."
Trump "is really doing a lot to resolve complicated crises, which have been there for years and even decades."
The US leader "genuinely seeks" to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
If Trump's Gaza plan is implemented, "it will be a historic moment."
The Nobel Committee did not ask for Zelensky’s opinion when making a decision on this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner: "I think the Nobel Committee was hardly interested in the opinion of the Kiev regime’s leader. Second, it’s ridiculous to link the Nobel Peace Prize with weapons supplies."
On Russia-Azerbaijan relations
The AZAL plane crash did not trigger an intergovernmental crisis between Russia and Azerbaijan: "Had it been an interstate crisis, our trade and economic ties wouldn’t have grown. However, despite everything we witnessed and faced, significant growth continued."
The situation in relations with Azerbaijan stemmed from "a crisis of emotions:" "It’s because we experienced a very serious, tragic event - the crash of a plane and the death of its passengers. So we needed to slow down and figure things out."
In general, the situation around the AZAL plane crash is clear; "there are some details and intricacies left that experts need to finalize appropriately."
Russia is hopeful that the negative page in its relations with Azerbaijan has been turned: "I do hope that we have now turned the page and will move on."
Azerbaijan’s determination to boost relations with Russia "is fundamental and enduring."
Emotions should not get in the way of cooperation. "Of course, emotions are a part of life, but it’s certainly better to keep them in check so that they do not affect our work and progress. I think - and hope - that this thing is behind us."
On migrants
Russia is interested in attracting foreign workforce, but it should be "the workforce we need."
Migrant workers must respect Russian laws and rules.
There are a lot of migration-related issues, and they are affecting regular Russians: "First of all, we need to think about our citizens.".
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