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Before the conversation, the President, accompanied by Head of the Talent and Success Educational Fund Yelena Shmeleva, adviser to the head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Anton Pashkov and head of the regional cooperation department at the Movement of the First Ksenia Yanova, toured the World Youth Festival International Airport exhibition space located on the premises of Sirius University. The interactive exhibition format provides an opportunity for guests to become involved in various educational, HR, or development projects and offers insights into Russia’s youth policy achievements.

While visiting the pavilion titled Vladivostok is the Youth Capital of Russia, the President was shown products from Primorye businesses and goods created by youth teams from other regions.

Vladimir Putin also visited the display zone called Gardens by the Takeoff Runway, which showcases Russia’s best practices in creating opportunities for younger generations. While visiting the Gallery pavilion, the President saw the first open library repository of Sirius University. In the Museum of the World zone, he explored works created under the Without Borders: Artists of Donbass project.

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Excerpts from the transcript of the meeting with World Youth Festival participants

Moderator Anton Pashkov: Mr President, the whole world is here with us – 190 countries that have come to Russia. Despite some difficulties that arose in some countries, despite some logistical difficulties, they fought for the right to be here at the World Youth Festival. And of course, most of all they were looking forward to meeting you. Especially when they watched your heartfelt address at the opening ceremony, they kept asking when they could meet with you – and this day has arrived. Let me give you the floor.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

The first thing I want to say is that we are very glad to see you all. Welcome to Russia.

Further. We are very glad that so many people came from almost 190 countries around the world, from all continents. But what I want to emphasise is that we are not competing with anyone, we do not want to prove anything to anyone. We are just glad to see our friends. It is very important to note that we are not holding this meeting or similar forums for show. This is not a promotional but an essential event. And its essence is to bring together people who think approximately like us, approximately, because all people cannot think the same way, who adhere to approximately the same principles and values ​​as we do, and who want to work together to achieve a positive result for themselves, for their loved ones, for their countries. We are open to this work.

As I just said at the closing ceremony of this major event, which turned out to be a major event, we really hope that you enjoyed it.

And of course, our meeting today is intended to produce feedback from you, and we would like to hear your advice on what should be done so that other meetings of this kind can be held, maybe not in such a broad format, but to follow up on what was accomplished at this International Festival, so that we can move toward achieving our common goals, common development goals.

Honestly, I am interested in hearing your views both on the results of the work and on what could be done as next steps.

That about does it for my opening remarks.

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Vladimir Putin (replying to a question from China Youth Daily reporter Li Ruoyi): Yes, indeed, the situation is complicated, and there are many problems and hot spots.

We do not need to go far to find proof. We are in conflict with our neighbours; hostilities are raging, and this is quite a problem. It is always a tragedy when people fight each other, when people are killed and wounded, etc. Is the situation any better in the rest of the world?

The same thing has happened basically throughout the history of humanity to one extent or another. The question is how to live in such conditions, and what you can count on.

Of course, we should always think about a better future. Of course, we should strive to create conditions for reducing the number of conflicts and expanding the scale of cooperation.

Clearly, there are problems in the economic sphere, the social sphere and the sphere of security. But if young people like you that are involved in various areas of activity meet, listen to each other and hear each other, then politicians will be more inclined to make decisions that lead to conflict resolution, that lead to peace and stability for the future.

In my opinion, this is the role that young people have to play, and in the future – this is clear – one generation replaces another, this is only natural. If you establish permanent contacts at this point in your professional growth, including those with young people from various countries (even those countries that do not have good relations today), then you will have a stable foundation for a constructive future together.

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Vladimir Putin (answering a question from Belgian anaesthesiologist Matyas Kovacs about advice for young people who want to move to Russia and understand the Russian soul): Thank you for mentioning the Russian soul. It is a complicated substance. In any case, we have something that distinguishes us from other countries.

What is it? We coexist and develop within a tapestry of cultures, religions, and traditions. All of this together forms a space that enables us to engage – year after year, decade after decade – in the exchange not only of a genetic code, as seen in the emergence of numerous mixed families in Russia, but also of a cultural code.

In this way, a certain unity is created, a unified Russian nation, rooted in values we now call traditional, even if our understanding of them may not be entirely complete.

Russian culture, in this sense, is unique to some extent. It is captivating, diverse, and warrants closer acquaintance and understanding, particularly for those residing beyond Russia’s borders. By understanding it, they will be able to work with us openly, helping to create mutual benefit for both themselves and those with whom they cooperate.

By the way, Belgium – as you probably know – emerged on the world map as an independent state to a large extent due to Russia and Russian influence.

This is no longer important today; but what matters is that we have our own prehistory of positive relations with many countries worldwide.

Regarding your profession, it is indeed a noble pursuit, as I have emphasised on numerous occasions and want to reiterate now. While acquiring formal knowledge is essential for becoming a proficient anaesthesiologist or doctor, true excellence and talent necessitate possessing certain character traits and a soul as you mentioned today. To wholeheartedly dedicate oneself to others, empathy is paramount. In this regard, you will undoubtedly find good partners here.

We have our achievements in the medical field, though continuous efforts are required. Significant steps have been made in cardiovascular surgery and in some other areas. We have extensive programmes to combat cancer and diabetes. So, we have some remarkable accomplishments in these crucial areas.

I know about cases of cooperation despite restrictions imposed by various countries for political reasons. I know examples in your field of specialists persisting in their work, undeterred by such barriers, because their humanistic principles prevail. Moreover, I have come across situations where people faced quasi-political obstacles but despite any propaganda or differing perspectives on the processes involved, I have heard the commitment to patients in Russia, expressed as “we will always be there for you.” You know, we respect such people very much. Rest assured that this sentiment will always be reciprocated from our end.

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Caleb Maupin:My name is Caleb Maupin, and I am the leader of the United States delegation. I am representing the Centre for Political Renovation, and I would like to just thank you from the bottom of my heart for that dynamic interview that you gave to Tucker Carlson, in which you showed, many, many young Americans, a different kind of leadership, because our politicians and our leaders in the United States, they speak in soundbites, they speak in terms of scandal and gossip; but you presented a long-term vision, a scientific view of statecraft. And by getting through to young Americans, you made a difference. Many people who would never have listened to anything you had to say, or heard another prospective, heard you because of that interview.

Now, getting to my question, things between our two countries are not good at this point. You know, before we left, we had to have a press conference at the United Nations. We are concerned about being prosecuted. There are three Americans that have already been charged and are facing prosecution, possibly 15 years in prison, simply because they attended a conference like this in Russia. The Uhuru Movement, they are called. We are concerned, because I know that I speak for the majority of the American people when I say that we do not want our tax money dumped into this conflict in Ukraine any longer. We do not want our country to continue to deteriorate internally while our leaders waste money on prolonging this war.

I am frightened by what the Biden administration is doing, not just in Ukraine, but also on Taiwan, on the Korean Peninsula. And I really do see gatherings like this as a potential road to peace

And what I have seen at this festival has blown my mind: The amount of young volunteers that you have here, people who have stepped up, who love their country and want to just come forward and put together dynamic events like this. What kind of role can events like this, and young diplomacy activities like this, play in helping set the stage for maybe changing the dangerous direction our leaders in the United States are taking things, against the majority of wishes of the majority of people in our country? Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: The United States is a big and unique country in its own way. It took the people of America only 300 years to turn it into a superpower; this is a relatively short period, by our standards. This is an obvious fact.

 We also know outstanding American politicians; we know outstanding American businesspersons and cultural figures. All this is incontestable.

Our countries were allies during both world wars, while fighting Nazism and fascism. What has happened since? We know that after the war and after their allied relations, the United States and the Soviet Union started dividing the world. They successfully carved it up, built international relations and created the contemporary system of international law under this balance of power. Later, the Soviet Union disintegrated for a number of reasons, which I won’t go into now, but it was mainly because of domestic reasons. Only one superpower, the United States, remained. How did your elite take advantage of this monopoly, this world domination? That’s the question.

I believe the United States has failed to cope with the burden of responsibility it took on. The United States created a monopolist system and tried to make it stronger. I am talking about the US ruling elite, not the people of America. While strengthening their system of monopoly, they soon realised that the overwhelming majority of counties did not like it very much. Everyone eventually saw that this emerging world order was encountering greater resistance. Everyone, many countries, including your allies, by the way, see this. They are just keeping quiet now; they are afraid to say more than they should because of their economic dependence, and dependence in many other areas, and this includes their media outlets in some ways. Believe me, I know what I am talking about: even America’s allies don’t really like it.

Then, the problems and setbacks started piling up. First, the United States’ ruling elite decided that, given their monopoly on the right to rule the world, they no longer needed the system of international relations that was created after World War II. They believed it didn’t suit them because the global balance of power had changed and it became necessary to rebuild the system of international law in accordance with their needs.

What I mean is that in the case of the events in Iraq, for example, everything was done without the authorisation of the UN Security Council, the same as in Syria and in former Yugoslavia. I will not go into the reasons now, but there were no UN Security Council decisions there, were there? There were not. It was the United States that let the genie out of the bottle. But if they are allowed, why are other countries not allowed to defend their core interests in the same way?

What happened in Yugoslavia? My colleagues have repeatedly said to me: “Well, yes, we did it without Security Council approval, but the war had been going on there for so many years – eight years of bloodshed, something had to be done.” And when Russia started to protect its people in Donbass, where there was also war and extermination of civilians – children, women, old people – why can’t Russia do that, stand up for its people? And not somewhere thousands of kilometres away from its national borders, but right next door, right around the corner. Moreover, people have requested and have been waiting for this help.

I do not want to go into details now, I just want to ask: is there an understanding that the world cannot be governed from one centre, and that this is even harmful to this centre, because it starts to undermine its foundations? In my interview with your journalist, Mr Carlson, I was just talking about the dollar being undermined, and they are banning transactions in dollars. Why they are doing this, your bosses, is totally incomprehensible. That is, clearly, they want to achieve a quick result, but they do not achieve anything, they only undermine the power of the dollar. This is the opposite of the intended result. And it is like this in many areas. I believe that this is a wrongheaded policy.

But if we return to your question, young people, of course, can do a lot. I don’t want to wade into domestic political affairs right now, I don’t want to characterise the way presidential candidates are acting. This is part of the domestic political culture of the United States, nothing more. But young people, of course, can do their part in building interstate relations. How? Very simple.

Simply by expressing their position inside the country within the confines of the law and the Constitution of their country or countries. This is the only way to act. We are by no means calling for any acts of disobedience. But in a democratic country, can a person express their position? Yes, they can. This is what you should do, and I think that this will create non-government forms of contacts that will foster equitable relations at the state level as well.

Thank you for your question.

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Vladimir Putin (answering a question from Amir Khawas from Egypt on the Russian volunteer community): With regard to how volunteer movements are organised, we have talked about the Russian soul today, and I want to say without any joke or irony: the people of Russia do have this sense of compassion in their souls. It is passed on from parents – from mothers, from fathers to children, and so on, from generation to generation. And that is why this desire to help others, the desire to support in general, I repeat, corresponds to our spiritual traditions. But concerning volunteerism itself – even in the most difficult times, at the turning points of Russia’s history, the hardest times, there were always a lot of volunteers, including during the Great Patriotic War, the Second World War. A lot of people volunteered to go to the front, just as many people are still taking part in combat operations today, in order to finally end the war that was unleashed in Donbass back in 2014.

Speaking of today, the volunteer movement started with preparations for the Olympics right here in Sochi in 2014. Later, there was another powerful boost to this during the fight against covid, you are certainly aware of that, when many young people risked their lives (and some of them indeed were lost) selflessly helping other people, giving them a hand, helping them to fight the disease or to avoid it.

Of course, we began to support this movement by setting up respective platforms to help those who voluntarily committed themselves to serve society or to hold specific, large events. We are very happy that millions of people, and now there are millions of them, are involved in this constructive joint effort.

As for working together, you are certainly aware that these platforms are currently being promoted in our country. We are delighted to invite you to join. You graduated from a university, and I do not know your plans, whether you want to go back to your home country, Egypt in this case, or get further education in Russia and do something together. And if you intend to promote volunteerism in your country, you can use our experience or at least all the positive things that we have achieved, we will be happy to share.

I can only wish you success. This is a noble cause.

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Dasha Kukarskikh: I am a theatre and film actress. A year ago, our team, the team of the “2022” project, which was recently released on Channel One, visited the new territories, the city of Mariupol, and shot the first feature film.

My question is this. In fact, I am very interested in what films you grew up on that made you so big-hearted, a person who understands and appreciates people. And, perhaps, how your tastes have changed by the age you are now.

Vladimir Putin: Films like today’s Cheburashka, but made back then: kind, a little sentimental, inspiring the best human qualities such as kindness, creativity, helping your neighbour. Films like that.

By the way, there were a lot of films like this, and there were a lot of good cartoons, made by Soyuzmultfilm, as you know. Of course, we need to pass on all this to our children, because what is being done today is probably very technologically advanced, with everything flashing before your eyes, all the shooting, shouting, exploding; everyone trying to catch each other but they can’t, and when they do, they always aim for the head. Perhaps these are action films that are in demand on the market. Are they always in demand among children? I don’t know, I am not sure about that.

Anyway, all people in my generation grew up watching those films. And later, of course, they studied War and Peace and Dostoevsky in our schools. I must say frankly that, of course, you begin to understand this at an older age. And of course, as a person grows up and gains experience interacting with people, they develop their own views on what is good and what is bad. They begin to look differently at the classics, at modern literature or works of cinema. Nothing unusual happened to me here; it was like with everyone else.

And I wish you all the best in your work. The fact that you addressed the problems, as I see, of those who live in this region [Donbass], is very important, because these are acute problems, and people certainly need the support of creative and talented people who can convey how people live in a vivid, intelligible and emotional way.

Thank you.

Davis Akampurira: Thank you so much. My name is Davis Akampurira from Uganda. Your Excellency, I am a former student union president in my country, and also served in various youth leadership positions in my country, and I’m also a farmer.

Your Excellency, first of all I would like to thank you for what you have been doing for Africa, especially do with scholarships and other things, but also I want to thank you for, over time, talking about injustices in international politics, in particular, the manifestations of neocolonialism.

I would like to say that in this struggle, you have done this not for your own interests, or the interests of the people of Russia, but for the people of the world. I would like to thank you for that, Your Excellency.

Another point, Your Excellency. I would like you to tell us, maybe especially tell me and people of Africa, how can we work together with Russia, to see how we can solve some of the challenges that are affecting our people? We also see that we can work together with the people of Russia, to see that everything is solved in the world. Thank you so much.

But also, if I can conclude with personal privilege, Your Excellency, I would like you to mentor me. I would like to be your son from Africa. Thank you so much.

Vladimir Putin: What can I say to you, my son?

(Laughter in the audience.) First, I would like to address you not only as a son, but also as a president because you are the president of a student union, so I will allow myself to address you as ”Mr President.“

You know, if you are not joking, in North America, in the States, in Europe, many people, serious, literate, profound people believe that to a large extent the well-being of these countries is based on the exploitation of other people. Today's prosperity is based on the exploitation of Africa to a large extent – the exploitation of natural wealth and human resources. They are straightforward about this, honestly.

I don't think we need to fall into some kind of extremism here, or demand remorse. But what is absolutely necessary is to take these circumstances into account, because it is only by taking this into account that we can achieve a correction in today's unfair economic world order.

I'm getting into complicated subject matter. It may be difficult for people who are not initiated in this to engage and understand it all at once, but I will not talk in detailed or sophisticated terms. Today's economic world order is unjust. It is no coincidence that at the World Trade Organisation, the government heads of most countries in the world cannot agree on anything even after many continuous sessions. Why? Because the rich countries do not want to create a system of international economic relations that will open markets for developing economies and create liberal conditions for their development and growth. Year after year, countries with developing economies try to make changes in this world economic order, but they are constantly barred at almost every step.

We were attending the Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg, and you must have noticed what the African leaders said. By the way, despite the shouts and creating these conditions for them, for the African leaders not to come to Russia, almost all of Africa came anyway. And not just because we have a very good background of relations, but because Africa is developing and wants to be truly independent and does not respond to others yelling at them. The history of our relations is very kind and very good and has deep roots.

At this forum, for example, my African colleagues mentioned that they, the countries of Africa, now have such a cumulative debt which, by definition, cannot be repaid. Whatever you do, you can’t repay it. But such terms for their financial relations were formulated, and African countries were forced to take loans on these terms, as if the Western financial community did not understand that it would never be possible to pay this money back.

You know, there was a similar case in the history of mankind, in the history of Europe. After the First World War, the greedy rulers, the then greedy rulers of France and Great Britain, created such financial terms for Germany and imposed such indemnities and such conditions for repayment of debts, they believed, to the Entente states that it was by definition impossible to repay those debts. And this was one of the reasons for Hitler’s rapid rise on the political scene. Because he was telling his people: “Look at what these bandits are doing! They imposed on us such conditions under which we will never, from generation to generation, the Germans will not be able to pay off and become a normal country. We have only one way – to fight for our interests with weapons.” This is not the only reason, but one of the major reasons.

Why are such conditions being created for Africa today, by imposing such financial obligations? Of course, this does not mean that we should always follow the path of resistance and fight for our interests with arms. But we must do everything to change the current situation, to make it much more fair, understandable, transparent, and therefore more stable, as I just said in my closing remarks at the forum, here in the next room.

There is one more point that I would like to highlight. In the course of numerous contacts with African leaders, even from those countries where the economic situation is very difficult today and people have a very hard life, sometimes malnourished, but none of them – none, I want to emphasise this – asked for anything directly. No one extended out a hand, no one asked for anything: give us this, or give us that. Everyone was talking about only one thing: let us establish fair, honest joint economic work.

I want to tell you that we are ready, of course, to support our African friends when needed. You may have heard that we have now sent free grain to several African countries, and even paid for the shipping of this grain. Where it needs to be done, we are ready. But, of course, we are even more interested in fruitful joint work on equal terms. Africa expects this both from the world and from Russia. And of course, these are the principles that will guide us in our work. Africa has a great future.

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Vladimir Putin (replying to a question by Yegor Oryel, a specialist on artificial intelligence on the introduction of artificial intelligence): We can be proud of our achievements in this area. Why? Because our so-called electronic government is probably much more advanced than others, and we have achieved much greater success than many other countries. And, of course, this is the result of the work by these people that you mentioned, including Dmitry Chernyshenko, who is one of the organisers of these events. We have taken definite steps forward in this area but, of course, this is not enough yet.

Naturally, we must work with our colleagues inside the country and abroad on this technology, and probably harder and more intensively than before. This is true because – should I say the obvious? – because the future is clearly moving to this. The development of artificial intelligence creates tremendous competitive advantages for any country that develops this technology. We will certainly do this.

We are doing this now, and we will continue to do it. This process raises many ethical issues but we have grounds to boast in a good way in this respect because, as you certainly know, we are negotiating this with our leading companies and have reached agreements on it. They are creating the tools for self-monitoring in this area, on this platform, if you want to describe it in more precise or broader terms. This is critical because it is impossible to stop the development of artificial intelligence. This is an obvious fact.

I am not inclined to agree with those who see this as some kind of end of the world scenario, who think there will be a point of no return. They believe humanity will not be able to go back to a human world, that after this point of no return it will enter a different era, an era of machines that will rule the world. However, it all depends on us, at least for today.

This, in part, depends on the solution to the issues that have already been raised here by our friend and partner from the United States and our friends from other countries, notably, that we must come to terms with each other. This is so because if it gets out of control, it could do irreparable damage. It’s true. I have talked about this. When humanity realises the existence of some real dangers for itself if this technology gets out of control, I think the time for agreement will come. This will happen in the same way as conditions matured at one time for agreements on the non-proliferation and control of nuclear weapons. It is perfectly clear that we will have to come to terms on this at the international level. It seems to me that common sense will prevail, and we will be able to come to terms.

It is impossible to stop the development of technology. This suggests the conclusion that we must move forward and be among the leaders.

<…>

Aleksandra Deletic: Mr President,

My name is Aleksandra Deletic, I am from Montenegro. I am General Secretary of the True Montenegro (Prava Montenegro) political party.

And most people in Montenegro, and the president of our party Marko Milacic would also like to join me in asking this question: do you think that this youth festival has helped the world to see the pressure that Western countries and democracies are putting on the Russian Federation by introducing sanctions. One such country is Montenegro. Despite the fact that most of the residents do not agree with this policy, I would like to point out that in Montenegro, former president Milo Djukanovic is directly responsible for this policy, which is a betrayal of his own homeland. Do you, as one of the major leaders of a world power, believe that we can cooperate to achieve common interests?

And before you answer, on behalf of the Montenegrin delegation and the people of Montenegro, I would like to apologise for the sanctions that have been imposed on the Russian Federation. Thank you for your attention. Thank you for your time.

Vladimir Putin: You know, Montenegro has always been a country close to us, and the people who live there are close to us in terms of faith and culture. We understand the situation Montenegro is in, so, as you understand, joining the sanctions has no effect on you, it is all purely populist. And the former leader of Montenegro – he was not only a leader, but I think he was also a businessman, and it is not even clear what was more important – whether he was a leader or a businessman. Well, that is not important. What is important is something else, and this is what I want to answer.

You have just spoken about sanctions, about the fight against sanctions, and how today's event affects this. I want to emphasise once again what I said at the very beginning. We organise events of this kind and this youth festival not as tools to fight sanctions. Our government is fighting sanctions, and quite successfully, as you can see.

We do not organise events of this kind to prove something to anyone, or to argue or compete with anyone. We hold events in order to find friends, to create conditions for communication between young people, so that they get more information about us, about Russia, and once they have this information, they can, like many of the participants in our meeting today, make plans for cooperation between specific people and specific professions, specific enterprises, perhaps, create new formats and interactions and help countries, even those countries that are in conflict with each other today, to find ways out of these challenging situations. This is what our event, including today's event, is dedicated to.

We are very pleased that you are here, and we are grateful to you. Thank you very much.

<…>

Vladimir Putin (commenting on the speech by Andrei Savelyev, former resident of Kiev who moved to Crimea after the coup in Ukraine, joined the militia, volunteered in military hospitals; he came to the festival as part of the Donbass delegation): I want to thank you for your stance. The moment you stood up and spoke in such confident, masculine voice, I immediately saw the calibre of the person I was talking with.

I appreciate your stance because your actions are, somewhat paradoxically in today’s circumstances, aimed towards the well-being of both Ukraine and Russia, for the benefit of their peoples. I am confident that people like you, as I have previously said publicly, are essential contributors to the inevitable reunion, perhaps, at least, on a spiritual level.

However, for this to happen, it is necessary to eliminate any obstacles in the way. The biggest of these hindrances is the disgusting manifestation of nationalism, a poison that continues to afflict the lives of numerous peoples, including those in Ukraine today.

For those unfamiliar with the details, for our foreign colleagues and friends, let me explain. The young man has just mentioned the Banderites. Who are they? They are followers of a certain Bandera who collaborated with Hitler during the Second World War and was involved in the mass extermination of millions of victims, including Jews (1.5 million), Poles, Russians, and Belarusians. The scale of the atrocities is staggering.

Later, in the middle of the war, when it became evident that Hitler’s forces were losing, Bandera’s supporters tried to switch sides and join the Allies. It was at that time that the Nazis started to press down on them.

But this is an absolutely established historical fact: these people collaborated with Nazism, the Nazis and participated in the extermination of the civilian population. In contemporary Ukraine, these figures have been elevated to the status of national heroes. Their portraits are paraded like icons in major cities, they receive salutes and serve as symbols of the present-day Ukrainian state. This is precisely what we are fighting with the help of people like the comrade present here.

Christian Wagner (retranslated): My name is Christian Wagner, and I am from Hamburg. I studied to become a professional worker, a builder, then moved to China and continued my studies there. I am taking part in a festival in China, and we are strengthening cooperation with the Eurasian continent, as well as with all continents and all regions. Cooperation between Russia and China is an important, a key point. In my experience, the German people want friendship with the Russian people, and we can see mutual sympathy and solidarity between the two peoples. We feel a sense of solidarity, primarily at the level of young people.

My question is this. How can you use this opportunity to improve mutual understanding and ensure and strengthen European sovereignty? Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: You concluded your question with your wish to strengthen European sovereignty, as I understand. However, you know, this is exactly what Germany’s problem is today. It is not even a problem, but perhaps a disaster for today’s Germany. Where did it come from? Today’s authoritative and respected German politicians, like Mr [Wolfgang] Schäuble, said several years ago that after World War II, Germany had never been sovereign in the full sense of the word. This was not me who said this, but German politicians. It is also clear why: due to a range of restrictions imposed after World War II and the restrictions imposed by the victorious countries.

First, I have already publicly stated that today’s generation of Germans is not responsible for what the Nazis and fascists did in Germany, in Europe, and in the world as a whole. But we must do everything to prevent anything like this from happening in the future; that is a must. This is perhaps the special responsibility of the German nation.

I would also like to note that we always had a golden age in our development and achieved success when we, Russians and Germans, united our efforts. Whenever Germany and Russia were together and worked together, we achieved great and clear success.

Unfortunately, it is not the case today. However, I believe that sooner or later, the deep national interests of Germany and the German people will inevitably bring to the top politicians who will adhere to this viewpoint and prioritise national interests.

Of course, I think that as a multipolar world is being built within the system of relations that is taking shape and developing, fundamental changes will take place in Europe. Today we hear calls for Europe to have its own armed forces and greater independence. This is not me saying this; European politicians are expressing these views. This means that, despite the well-known hierarchy in the Western world, the desire to be independent and to protect one’s sovereignty still breaks through to the surface. It is an inevitable process for all of Europe, and I am sure that it will be the same in Germany. But you need to be patient and work to solve current problems.

And, of course, if young people, regardless of their political views, wish to achieve this positive outcome, they must unite. Thank you for thinking about this.

Anton Pashkov: Mr President, we have been working for an hour and a half now. Could you give us heads up as there are too many questions.

Vladimir Putin: Let us go on…

Ksenia Yanova: Let us continue.

Come on everyone, you have a unique opportunity.

Vladimir Putin: Please.

Anton Pashkov: Let me choose. Here, the young man has been holding out his hand for a long time.

Anastasia Gubernatorova: Good afternoon, Mr President.

Let me begin. The young man can continue after me. Please excuse me.

Vladimir Putin: That is right, March 8 is coming, International Women’s Day.

Anastasia Gubernatorova: Thank you very much.

My name is Anastasia Gubernatorova, and I represent the Belgorod Region.

I would like to start my question by thanking you personally, Mr President, for supporting the residents of the Belgorod Region after the recent events.

We highly appreciate the contribution you’ve made for every one of us. We feel that you stand with us, and that our country is with us. I think everyone here will agree. We can feel that we are together and that soon everything will be the way we want it to be, and we will build our future together with you.

Of course, I would like to note that the volunteer movement in the Belgorod Region is growing, and it is very gratifying and important for us to understand that you appreciate our work and put it on a par with those who are changing this world. It was also very important for us to see that platforms for the development of the volunteer movement in our country and the world are expanding. Thank you for this opportunity to exchange experiences and share some of our practices with volunteers and volunteer organisations, with caring Russian people who help us every day. These are families and young people from kindergartens, schools, colleges, and universities who write letters to our military every day. These are the people who send humanitarian aid. These are all those who are always with us and always support us. Once again, thank you very much for this. We thank you for supporting the residents of the Belgorod Region and thank you on behalf of the people living in the city of Belgorod.

Please, tell us if there is a way to add new platforms for exchanging experiences and practices with other regions, so that people from other countries and regions can also share with us. This is very important for all of us present here. Thank you once again for this opportunity.

Vladimir Putin: As for these platforms for exchanging experiences, we already have three or four of them, such as Mashuk and Tavrida. There will be 12 in the near future. We understand how important this work is and will create conditions to provide more opportunities like this.

However, I would like to say something because you are from Belgorod and mentioned the situation there. Perhaps not everyone knows this, and I will not go into detail, but you and the people of the Belgorod Region will understand. Shelling civilian targets and attacking squares and civilians with multiple launch rocket systems is, of course, a war crime.

This is the way we will deal with what has happened, and we will not leave those who did it in peace.

In general, I would like to thank you and all the residents of the Belgorod Region for your courage, for your readiness to fight, and for your patriotic attitude to what is happening. Of course, I would also like to thank all the volunteers who are making a huge contribution to the common cause.

Thank you very much.

<…>

Vladimir Putin (answering a question from Milos Tanaskovic from Serbia on relations between Russia and his homeland): You know as well as I do, and probably even better: relations between Russia and Serbia are special and have historically deep roots. I always talk about this with special warmth, because for centuries – I want to emphasise this – the Serbs have been Russia’s most reliable allies. We know, remember, and appreciate this.

<…>

Noah Shenk: My name is Noah Schenk, I’m representing the United States on behalf of the Centre for Political Innovation.

Mr President, I’d like to say, I’d like to echo my partner’s sentiments in saying thank you so very much for allowing us to come here.

But I’d also like to say that it is little bittersweet for me to be here, because, for example, during the opening ceremony there was a moment when we were all joining hands, and there was a woman in front of me and there was a man in a wheelchair, and he was sort of closed off. And I watched her reach her hand down and grab his hand and they joined hands. And I felt the warmth of humanity, I felt the human spirit, and I see that all over this festival, I see so many people joined together celebrating humanity. I see so much optimism. I see so much hope. I see so many young people ready to unleash their potential and push humanity forward.

And then I thought, back home, I thought about all the people at home who can’t afford to get an education, who ruined their lives with drugs because they live in a society that doesn’t care for them. I started to tear up because there are these two sides, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized: this is the difference between a collapsing society in the West, and the rising society that is in the BRICS nation and the new emerging economy today.

So that brings me to my question here today, which is: do you see a world where the West could begin to join the new economy, begin to join BRICS? And if so, what do you think that would look like?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, until today, everyone had been striving to join the West. Even Russia once aspired to join the G7, the G8. Then we realised that it made no sense, because no one takes our interests into account there. This is our Western partners’ problem and mistake.

I tried to convey this idea to your compatriot when answering the previous question from our American guest. You know, you just talked about some purely social problems: education and healthcare. I must say honestly that this is not only the United States’ problem, although, of course, it is probably strange to hear this for so many people. Many, say, from Latin America, try to get to the United States any way they can. This flow of migrants, which irritates a large number of Americans, is known to everyone. But there are many such problems in other countries – in rich and developed ones.

In fact, healthcare problems are very acute for Europe as well. The United States has so far created conditions for the best use of knowledge and abilities of highly skilled specialists from all over the world, including from Europe; salaries are higher, so European specialists move there to live. The world is unfair, that’s true, and people without the appropriate income cannot get a normal education and have no right to expect medical care. People can die right on the doorstep of a medical facility if they do not have insurance in the United States. Unfortunately, there have been incidents like this, and more than once; we know about these tragic cases.

This does not mean that everything is well in other countries, that they have reached social balance and social justice. I have already said today that our common task is to put all people in equal conditions, but this is a difficult goal. However, I believe, I am sure, that if we are going to create a multipolar world, where we are not only independent from each other, but also help each other, then social issues, including education and healthcare, will be resolved more easily and more effectively. Because by joining forces, we achieve better results.

<…>

Vladimir Putin (commenting on the remarks by Julia Mtsweni from the South African Students Congress on the importance of youth participating in decision-making within BRICS): You know, BRICS was born in Russia, it all happened gradually. At one of the international events held in St Petersburg, I suggested to our Chinese and Indian friends that the three of us should get together for a meeting.

This is how the RIC association – Russia, India, and China – came into being. Then Brazil joined later to make it BRIC, followed by South Africa making it BRICS. Now it is an influential and representative association, a magnet that attracts many countries around the world, because, as our friend from the United States noted, these countries are gaining momentum. I have already cited this data.

The global GDP of the BRICS economies is greater than that of the G7 countries, and the gap is widening and will continue to widen. This is a fact, nothing can stop it, and even if someone wants to reverse this trend, it can no longer be done, and it will keep increasing.

But you are right. Of course, we must hear what the young people have to say. This is why we – it was Russia’s initiative – have created a youth platform. With what you just said in mind and the fact that we chair BRICS this year, we will do our best as chair to ensure that young people from the BRICS countries can sit with us at the same table and take part in our discussions.

<…>

Vladimir Putin (answering a question from Valeria Montejo from Colombia on how leaders make unconventional decisions and take responsibility for the consequences): You know, I believe, you should always have an inner compass, which can show the right direction when we think about the future rather than a current event. A person who was in politics once famously said, “The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election while the statesman thinks about the next generation.” (Applause.) But we always have to choose, and, clearly, when we choose, we know that not everyone will be happy with the choices. However, we have to think about the outcome and work for the good of the country and the people, for the future of the state. This is not an easy process.

We, in Russia, had a statesman, a military leader, by the way, of German origin – Marshal, or Field Marshal Munnich, who said that Russia is a country that is directly governed by God, because if it isn’t, it’s not clear how it continues to exist. I agree with the first part: Russia is a country that is directly ruled by God. As for the second part, my years of working in my current position suggest that Russia exists because of the Russian people and other peoples who inhabit this vast territory, their talent and devotion to their country and their confidence in the future and the future of our children.

<…>

Israa Skan: Hello everyone,

I am truly honoured to stand before you today and extend my heartfelt gratitude to you, Mr President, for this splendid festival you have organised.

So, my name is Israa Skan, I am 21 years old, and I am from France. And I am deeply inspired by the cultural richness of Russia and all the other countries showcased at this event.

Russia holds a special place in my heart, as I am planning to pursue my master’s degree focusing on the Middle East and the North African Region with the key interest in its relations with Russia.

As a young woman inspired to navigate the world of diplomacy, I am eager to seek your guidance. What advice would you offer to young women worldwide who show a similar interest in diplomacy? Additionally, considering the huge success of this festival, are there any plans to make it a recurring event celebrating culture exchange and understanding? Spasibo bolshoye. Thank you very much, Mr President. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: As for forums like this, we will, of course, continue holding them and making them even more informative, eventful, colourful, and attractive.

As for women in professions, in Russia, women play a remarkable role in public life, but regrettably there are not so many women in the Government. One of them is present here. Ms Golikova, please rise. (Applause.) Tatyana Golikova oversees social issues, medicine, and culture. But generally, there are many women at different levels of authority in this country. In fact, the more of them there are, the better, because women possess certain traits related to the performance of their professional duties. They tend to be more amenable to discipline and meticulous in the positive sense of the word.

What can I advise? It’s not up to me to advise women. It’s more trouble than it’s worth. It’s better not to mess with them. (Laughter.) But then, I can always add that this is not a piece of advice but just thinking out loud.

No matter what a woman does, she must, of course, always remain feminine, she must remain a loved one and create a certain atmosphere around her and, of course, in the family. A woman’s destiny is procreation, and this is an absolutely unique natural gift. We all feel an immense respect for it and support it; we have a large-scale programme to support motherhood and childhood. I am not being lyrical about it, this is a serious matter both for France and for all of Europe, for the advanced economies, and for Russia as well. Falling birth rates are a serious challenge for all countries, including in the economy.

Women’s role is unique in this regard, but at the same time, all of us (I mean us men) expect women to remain attractive, charming, and tender. But how can a woman do all that – both make a career and maintain an attractive appearance – I don’t know, it’s a female secret which I am not even trying to probe.

I wish you all the best!

Anton Pashkov: Thank you very much, Mr President, for this frank conversation and for your time.

Vladimir Putin: I want to ask my African “relative” and our Italian friend to come up here. (The three of them pose for a photograph.)