Russia (bbabo.net), - Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin and new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held their first face-to-face meeting in the Kremlin. The conversation lasted more than three hours, then the politicians spoke to reporters and answered questions. "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" has collected theses.
- The response of the US and NATO to Russian security proposals does not take into account the main points - non-expansion of the alliance further to the east, non-deployment of its strike weapons near the borders of the Russian Federation, return of the bloc's military potential and infrastructure in Europe to the state of 1997. Nevertheless, Russia is ready to continue working together and "go along the negotiation track" with the West.
- Moscow will seek to negotiate security guarantees through diplomacy, but will not allow negotiations to drag on and worsen its position during this process, the Russian leader warned.
- Russia does not want a new war in Europe, which is why it puts forward its security proposals. Moscow is ready to discuss the proposals of Western partners in this area. "But we are ready to do this only in conjunction with those fundamental issues that are of paramount importance to us," Vladimir Putin said.
- Both for the Germans and for all Europeans it is absolutely clear that sustainable security cannot be built against Russia, but only with Russia, Olaf Scholz said. He acknowledged that the positions of Russia and the West regarding security issues differ, so dialogue between the parties on all topics of concern to them is important.
- The Ukrainian authorities do not want to implement the Minsk agreements, Putin pointed out. In addition, "in Ukraine, human rights are massively and systematically violated, discrimination against the Russian-speaking population is fixed at the legislative level," the Russian leader noted. He also stated that what is happening in the Donbass is genocide.
- Vladimir Putin commented on the appeal of the State Duma regarding the recognition of the DNR and LNR. “I will proceed from the fact that we must do everything to solve the problems of Donbass, but do it the Federal Chancellor said, primarily based on the opportunities to implement the Minsk agreements that have not been fully realized,” he said.
- Nord Stream 2 is a purely commercial project, and there is no politics in it, the Russian leader said. At the same time, he reminded German consumers that they receive fuel on average five times cheaper than their neighbors, thanks to Nord Stream, its first branch.
- Russia is ready to continue gas supplies through Ukraine after 2024, when the current transit contract expires. "Naturally, if there is a demand for it from European importers and it will be profitable, and the gas transportation system of Ukraine itself will be in good technical condition," Putin explained the conditions.
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