Official website of the President of Russia

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Question: All the Germans are interested to know what kind of person Mr Putin is. But of course we will have to touch upon political issues because everybody is currently worried about what has happened in the United States recently. People are afraid and they are coming to pin special hopes on the forthcoming visit by the Russian President. So we would like part of our talk to be devoted to what has happened in America.

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Question: Are you preparing for your upcoming visit to Germany?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I have been studying documents, talking by telephone with my colleagues, and naturally I have been working here with my aides.

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Question: Former Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl brought a tangible personal element, partnership and friendship to German-Russian ties. And we believe it has brought the Germans and the Russians closer to each other.

Vladimir Putin: I think that the incumbent German Chancellor Schroeder pays at least as much attention to his Eastern policy, in particular, the relations with Russia. Simply, Kohl and Schroeder are different people and they go about developing relations with Russia in different ways. But I can repeat that the current Federal Chancellor, Mr Schroeder, is at least as attentive to these relations.

I rate Helmut Kohl among outstanding international-class politicians, outstanding political figures of our time, on the same scale as, for example, Henry Kissinger in America. And besides, Kohl is a historian by training. He could look back on the past, assess the present and peep into the future, and that too is a unique combination of knowledge and experience.

Helmut Kohl is a person of another generation. So, perhaps because of that I find it easier to deal with Gerhard Schroeder.

We have developed relations that are more on the personal than on the business side. He has a special manner and a way of expressing his emotions, but I would like to stress that we have a very good personal and business relationship, and I value it highly.

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Question: It will be two years since you became the President of Russia. How heavy is this burden? Is it heavier than you had expected?

Vladimir Putin: Of course, I have never before been in such a situation. Nobody had prepared me for it, least of all I myself. I had never expected to become a Russian President. I never set such a goal for myself. And so all this was new and even unexpected for me. Above all it means a restriction on the freedom of movement and communicating with friends. I can’t go freely wherever I want, I can’t meet with whom I want and when I want. It involves a lot of technical problems and questions of security. Unfortunately, I often cannot afford to say what I want to say, and I sometimes want to say a lot.

Question: A public debate has flared up in Germany more than 10 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Some say that our country should play a more modest role in the world. Others, on the contrary, want to see its weight in the world increased. How do you see Germany’s role?

Vladimir Putin: You know, I am aware that this discussion has been going on for a long time, especially in the intellectual circles. I understand the fears of German intellectuals who recall again and again the times of Hitler’s tyranny and conclude that Germany should keep a low profile in the world and in Europe. Otherwise, they feel, imperial ambitions may again show themselves. I think that view is mistaken. No country and no single people has to bear the burden of responsibility for everything that has happened in its history. We should not forget it, we should bear in mind what happened in Germany, and, incidentally, in Russia under the communist regime. We should remember all this, but it need not prevent us from developing.

Question: Our readers would also like to know if you see in the Germans a characteristic feature that you particularly like.

Vladimir Putin: I don’t know if it is a characteristic trait, but it is at once a plus and a minus. I will draw a general conclusion later, but first I’ll give you an example to illustrate. When I lived in Germany I once called on a good friend of mine.

Question: Who was he?

Vladimir Putin: I don’t think I need to name him, it doesn’t really matter. Well, when I walked into his flat and looked around, my first reaction was to say: “Your home looks like a hospital.” Everything looked so sterile, so neatly arranged. On the one hand, it was good and I told him so. But I went on to add: “Normal people don’t live like that.”

You know, German punctuality in everything is a huge plus, no doubt about it. But there are certain elements to it that may create problems connected with various limitations in different fields. I think I should leave it there.

Question: How do you account for the sense of emotional closeness between the Germans and Russians, who had for a long time been artificially separated during the Cold War? Why this mutual attraction?

Vladimir Putin: First, I think you are mistaken. During the Cold War there was such a division between the Soviet Union and the Western part of Germany, but the Eastern part of Germany was seen as the closest ally and partner. So, one should on no account say that there were no strong ties with Germany during the Cold War. At any rate, relations with East Germany existed and were very fruitful. Of course, they were based on ideology and the cooperation often did not fit into the framework of Western democracy. But this did not prevent the relations between the Soviet Union and Germany from growing. There was no “Iron Curtain” between us and the Western part of Germany even during the Cold War. In any case, a breakthrough was achieved in our relations when the Social Democrats led by Willy Brandt came to power.

And if I were to say what unites us most of all, it is hard to define this element, but I would describe it as similarity of our mentalities. I have been observing with some surprise and wondering why, in spite of such hard and grim pages in our history as the two world wars in which we were enemies, the Russian people have not developed a hatred of Germany.

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Question: Mr Putin, the Germans look forward to your visit with great interest and impatience. It will be very closely followed because it is taking place at a very difficult period. And as the editor of a widely read newspaper I see how the mood among the 12 million-strong audience has changed. Our newspaper even looks different now than usual; people now turn to the newspaper more and more often and spend days in front of their television sets. You know what I am talking about. This horrible event in America. How did you personally learn about it?

Vladimir Putin: From the chief of intelligence.

Question: Did they call you on the phone?

Vladimir Putin: Yes.

Question: And you switched on your television set at once?

Vladimir Putin: And I watched television all day long. I cancelled all the scheduled meetings. Then I called in the heads of all the security and military agencies for a meeting.

Question: What did you feel as you watched all that television footage?

Vladimir Putin: I felt like crying.

Question: Chancellor Schroeder said that evening, and I quote, “This is a declaration of war on civilisation.” Do you share that opinion?

Vladimir Putin: After the first shock has passed, we should approach the matter seriously and professionally. Nothing should be done that could cause the situation to deteriorate and lead to more such actions. We shouldn’t act or say anything of this kind. But we should combine our efforts and work professionally to prevent such things happening again.

I don’t think anyone needs convincing how dangerous it is. And nobody needs convincing that any state can be targeted.

Question: Have the strikes on the World Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington changed Russia’s attitude to the United States and the Western world as a whole? And if so, has this change been for the better?

Vladimir Putin: On our part there has been no change. We are already open. We think that the tragedy will bring it home to the whole world that the openness Russia offers for cooperation should be used. It is useful and necessary. My contacts with my counterparts (I have developed good contacts with the leaders in Europe and America) have long developed from the purely business into personal relations. And I would like my personal relations to develop into interstate relations, so that the contacts between Russia and Western countries follow the same pattern as my personal contacts with the leaders of those countries. I want to see them reach a similar high level.

Question: How many times did you talk with President Bush after these terrorist attacks?

Vladimir Putin: Twice.

Question: And what did you tell him?

Vladimir Putin: That I won’t tell you.

Question: What would be your advice to the American President in this situation?

Vladimir Putin: President Bush is an experienced enough man and he doesn’t need advice. But I would like to warn everyone, including the Americans themselves, against putting all the blame for what happened on him. I think it would be absolutely unfair.

First, it was only recently that he assumed responsibility for America. Second, he hasn’t even completed forming his team. He inherited the country in the shape it was in, and this is what determines his involvement in world affairs.

We have discussed the political threats many times. That is well known. I think this is not the right time to be gleeful and say: we have warned you, but you didn’t listen and now you have suffered this tragedy. I for one have talked with the previous US Administration and alerted it to the bin Laden problem. I was surprised by their reaction. They simply shrugged helplessly and said: what can we do? The Taliban refuse to turn him over. I remember being surprised: if they refuse to extradite him, something has to be done about it. That was the kind of America Bush inherited. We should now think in terms of working together more closely. I sensed such a determination on his part and on the part of the West. And the main problem is the problem of trust between us, the problem of common standards.

Question: What do you mean by common standards?

Vladimir Putin: It is the problem of religious extremism, fanaticism and separatism. These problems exist in many countries, including Europe. Perhaps not to such an extent as in Russia. In Russia these problems are more acute. And no wonder because after the break-up of the Soviet Union many destructive processes spilled over into the Russian Federation. But it would be wrong to conclude that the people who blow up houses in Moscow are freedom-fighters and those who do the same in other countries are terrorists. They are all criminals.

We should go back to where we started, we should recall Goethe who saw all life as a single whole. And he treated development as a means of constant struggle for the good. The evil is also a single whole. We know that the financing centres, training bases and the cadre of terrorists are all the same. That evil manifests itself in different parts of the planet. To get rid of the tree of terrorism we have to eradicate its roots and not to use a stick to knock down the fruit.

Question: You speak about the need to uproot terrorism, but how to track down the real masterminds of the terrorist attacks? How should we react in order to bring them to account? What can be Russia’s role in this situation?

Vladimir Putin: I think in the post-9/11 situation it would be wrong to try to hold America back and hinder its actions, but at the same time these actions should be coordinated. They should be directed towards eradicating the evil and not towards generating its new forms. And that of course opens broad opportunities for acting together, for helping America, partly by providing the necessary information, bringing influence to bear on certain circles in some countries and creating a single front against international terrorism.

Question: Have these terrorist attacks changed the world order? Does the world look different now?

Vladimir Putin: It has made it evident to us that there are threats at least as huge as those we have been talking about during the past decades. A single strike on the United States inflicted more loss of life than we lost in Chechnya. A single strike. Imagine the scale of the threat. And of course we should counter this with some joint instruments. I don’t know what they will be. I have some ideas, but I am not ready to formulate them now, but something has to be done and it has to be done together.

Question: Can you see the United States, at least, using the territories of some CIS countries to deliver a retaliatory strike?

Vladimir Putin: This is something to be discussed with the leadership of those countries.

Question: But I simply had to ask this question.

Vladimir Putin: And I had to answer it.

Question: Many people fear that the situation may develop into a conflagration and that the world is in danger. Is the world in danger?

Vladimir Putin: I don’t think so. We needn’t panic. I can tell you confidently, I am absolutely sure of what I am about to tell you: together, we are much stronger than all the terrorists. One of their few weapons is panic in our midst. Our strength is incomparably greater than theirs. We shouldn’t allow them to divide us. We should act in every area, above all in the sphere of culture and education. We should think about the economic problems of developing countries and underdeveloped regions. The more brazen manifestations of terrorism and criminal acts should meet with a powerful and proportionate response. And we need to strengthen the international legal system of security.

And one more thing. We must not allow any quasi-state entities to be formed in Europe. The states should be responsible for what happens in their territories. We should strengthen the legitimate governments.

Question: What do you mean by quasi-state entities?

Vladimir Putin: We had Chechnya. What is it? Is it an independent or a dependent entity? Russia pulled out of it, but Chechnya never became an independent country in the full sense. Its territory was broken up into several regions, each under its own warlord. There wasn’t even anyone to talk to. You remember that representatives of Western humanitarian groups and businessmen went there. They were killed, beheaded. What for? To this day no one can answer this question because the situation there was a haven for criminals. We must not allow this to happen in the world.

Question: I would like to dwell on this a little longer because the word “war” strikes fear into Germans. When the word was uttered 10 years ago, it automatically meant a showdown between West and East. That danger no longer exists. Do you think that it is still possible to avoid a war in the present conditions?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, if we act resolutely. Events can take an undesirable course precisely if we try to placate and beg.

Question: What will you tell your daughters if they ask you whether the 21st century will be an age of peace or violence?

Vladimir Putin: I tell them that today no one doubts that if all the resources at the disposal of the civilised countries are pooled, it will be effective and it would be the best guarantee of a positive scenario.

Question: What do you think would be the public reaction in Russia if the Americans, perhaps jointly with NATO, delivered a massive military strike in retaliation?

Vladimir Putin: On the whole the reaction would be positive. Of course, much would depend on what shape it took. So far, we don’t know that. In principle, a positive reaction to a military operation depends greatly on how the operation is carried out, where and over what period and on the basis of what data.

Question: Is Afghanistan the right target?

Vladimir Putin: That is up to the American leadership to determine, because the US is currently collecting data on the persons involved in these terrorist attacks and on the whereabouts of the potential killers. We for our part provide them with the necessary information support. That is, we are ready to hand over what our special services have; and after they put everything together and analyse the whole database of information, they can draw the final conclusion, comparing this information with that from other sources.

Question: Mr Putin, of course you are right in saying that the military forces of the two great powers are far superior to those of terrorists. This applies to logistics too. But how can you fight a criminal who kills himself and whose routes of escape cannot be traced?

Vladimir Putin: You can take my word for it, there are many ways of doing that. I think you would agree with me that potential suicides cannot be regarded as normal people. We all know that to achieve a positive result one has to take advantage of weaknesses. And you can believe me, terrorist organisations and terrorists have a lot of weak spots. First, it is necessary to block all the financing of terrorists. Sources of financing must be identified and presented with corresponding requests no matter whether these happen to be states or firms or legal entities, and borders must be sealed to prevent such cash flows. That danger must be taken very seriously.

You remember that during the Cold War representatives of opposing blocs managed to penetrate into each other’s holy of holies. There were information centres that seemed to be impenetrable, and yet they were penetrated. I am sure that if we take terrorist threats seriously and focus our attention, our efforts, material resources and organisational capacity on it, we will be able to neutralise these threats, I have no doubt about it.

Question: Mr Putin, several years ago an American writer, Samuel Huntington, published a book entitled “Clash of Civilisations,” in which he writes about a clash of cultures. Is that what we are witnessing today?

Vladimir Putin: No. I think it is a harmful theory. To fight manifestations of religious fanaticism today it is necessary first of all to find a support base in the region from which that religion originates. This is a precondition of a successful fight against terror. The world should not be divided on the basis of cultures. And, by the way, we have some positive experience in our work.

Question: What can the West and the United States learn from your experience in Afghanistan in terms of what may confront them there?

Vladimir Putin: My answer to this question will be a follow-up to the answer to the previous one. One should look for a base of support and for allies inside Afghanistan. And there are many forces there one can rely on. One of the best known and understandable forces is the Northern alliance and President Rabbani.

Question: We know that Moscow has also experienced some horrible terrorist attacks coming from the same direction. Perhaps you know who carried them out?

Vladimir Putin: We have quite accurate data. It was a terrorist group from Chechnya. Some of the criminals have been arrested. But houses were blown up not only in Moscow, but also in Dagestan. Hundreds of people died. Bombs were also set off in public places, including markets.

Question: How great is the danger of Islamic terrorism?

Vladimir Putin: It is one of the most real dangers. But religious extremism is characteristic not only of Islam, it exists in other religions as well. And the fact that it is engendered above all in Islamic states is because many international problems are unregulated and there are economic difficulties in the countries where Islam is the official religion. It is very convenient to transform socio-economic and political problems into problems of religious character; some countries find it very convenient.

Question: Do you see a connection between the terrorist attacks in America and the latest actions by Chechen militants?

Vladimir Putin: It is possible. As a rule, terrorists coordinate their actions. And secondly, as we have often repeated, their activities and financing as a rule are coordinated from a single centre.

Instructions on flying Boeing planes were recently found in a hideout of Arab mercenaries in Chechnya. We have already passed on this information to our American partners. It does not mean that these were the very people who carried out the terrorist acts in the United States. But it indicates which centres study such methods of terror and can use them. The US became the first victim of such a method.

Question: You are a vehement opponent of the American anti-missile defence systems. Have the recent events in New York changed your approach in any way? It is conceivable that a terrorist state somewhere is working to build missiles.

Vladimir Putin: We have already said that the American anti-missile defence system is no protection against such things. I have repeatedly said that terrorist attacks can be launched not only from the air. Other weapons of mass destruction can be used: chemical and bacteriological weapons. And besides, the American NMD is a protection only against ballistic missiles, but not against other missiles. What worries us is not the American plans of changing something in the agreements on anti-missile defence, we are worried about the possibility of the whole system of agreements, the entire architecture of international security collapsing. This is the main issue. We do not rule out that current agreements may be replaced with others. But other agreements first need to be worked out, and a vacuum should not be allowed to appear.

Today we comply with the agreements reached with President Bush on holding consultations, and that gives us hope that we will achieve the necessary agreements in the future.

Question: Mr Putin, can you see the creation of a joint anti-terrorist unit in the light of the existing terrorist threat?

Vladimir Putin: I think that is a possibility. It is a goal we should all strive for, and not only in the fight against terror, but in creating a safer world for everyone.

Question: The last question. You will come to Germany next week. What important message do you want to bring to the Germans?

Vladimir Putin: Germany is one of our leading partners. I know that for a variety of reasons Germany is one of the centres of a united Europe. The Chancellor has managed to build up relations and the foreign policy in such a way that Germany has become an attractive country in Europe even for small states. I know this for sure from my personal talks with European leaders. And I want this visit to strengthen our bilateral relations, chart new coursers of development and thus contribute to a new Europe in which Russia has gained its due place even though it is anything but a small country. QUESTION: All the Germans are interested to know what kind of person Mr Putin is. But of course we will have to touch upon political issues because everybody is currently worried about what has happened in the United States recently. People are afraid and they are coming to pin special hopes on the forthcoming visit by the Russian President. So we would like part of our talk to be devoted to what has happened in America.

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Question: Are you preparing for your upcoming visit to Germany?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I have been studying documents, talking by telephone with my colleagues, and naturally I have been working here with my aides.

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Question: Former Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl brought a tangible personal element, partnership and friendship to German-Russian ties. And we believe it has brought the Germans and the Russians closer to each other.

Vladimir Putin: I think that the incumbent German Chancellor Schroeder pays at least as much attention to his Eastern policy, in particular, the relations with Russia. Simply, Kohl and Schroeder are different people and they go about developing relations with Russia in different ways. But I can repeat that the current Federal Chancellor, Mr Schroeder, is at least as attentive to these relations.

I rate Helmut Kohl among outstanding international-class politicians, outstanding political figures of our time, on the same scale as, for example, Henry Kissinger in America. And besides, Kohl is a historian by training. He could look back on the past, assess the present and peep into the future, and that too is a unique combination of knowledge and experience.

Helmut Kohl is a person of another generation. So, perhaps I find it easier to deal with Gerhard Schroeder.

We have developed relations that are more on the personal than on the business side. He has a special manner and a way of expressing his emotions, but I would like to stress that we have a very good personal and business relationship, and I value it highly.

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Question: It will be two years since you became the President of Russia. How heavy is this burden? Is it heavier than you had expected?

Vladimir Putin: Of course, I have never before been in such a situation. Nobody had prepared me for it, least of all I myself. I had never expected to become a Russian President. I never set such a goal for myself. And so all this was new and even unexpected for me. Above all it means a restriction on the freedom of movement and communicating with friends. I can’t go freely wherever I want, I can’t meet with whom I want and when I want. It involves a lot of technical problems and questions of security. Unfortunately, I often cannot afford to say what I want to say, and I sometimes want to say a lot.

Question: A public debate has flared up in Germany more than 10 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Some say that our country should play a more modest role in the world. Others, on the contrary, want to see its weight in the world increased. How do you see Germany’s role?

Vladimir Putin: You know, I am aware that this discussion has been going on for a long time, especially in the intellectual circles. I understand the fears of German intellectuals who recall again and again the times of Hitler’s tyranny and conclude that Germany should keep a low profile in the world and in Europe. Otherwise, they feel, imperial ambitions may again show themselves. I think that view is mistaken. No country and no single people has to bear the burden of responsibility for everything that has happened in its history. We should not forget it, we should bear in mind what happened in Germany, and, incidentally, in Russia under the communist regime. We should remember all this, but it need not prevent us from developing.

Question: Our readers would also like to know if you see in the Germans a characteristic feature that you particularly like.

Vladimir Putin: I don’t know if it is a characteristic trait, but it is at once a plus and a minus. I will draw a general conclusion later, but first I’ll give you an example to illustrate. When I lived in Germany I once called on a good friend of mine.

Question: Who was he?

Vladimir Putin: I don’t think I need to name him, it doesn’t really matter. Well, when I walked into his flat and looked around, my first reaction was to say: “It looks like a hospital.” Everything looked so sterile, so neatly arranged. On the one hand, it was good and I told him so. But I went on to add: “Normal people don’t live like that.”

You know, German punctuality in everything is a huge plus, no doubt about it. But there are certain elements to it that may create problems connected with various limitations in different fields. I think I should leave it there.

Question: How do you account for the sense of emotional closeness between the Germans and Russians, who had for a long time been artificially separated during the Cold War? Why this mutual attraction?

Vladimir Putin: First, I think you are mistaken. During the Cold War there was such a division between the Soviet Union and the Western part of Germany, but the Eastern part of Germany was seen as the closest ally and partner. So, one should on no account say that there were no strong ties with Germany during the Cold War. At any rate, relations with East Germany existed and were very fruitful. Of course, they were based on ideology and the cooperation often did not fit into the framework of Western democracy. But this did not prevent the relations between the Soviet Union and Germany from growing. There was no “Iron Curtain” between us and the Western part of Germany even during the Cold War. In any case, a breakthrough was achieved in our relations when the Social Democrats led by Willy Brandt came to power.

And if I were to say what unites us most of all, it is hard to define this element, but I would describe it as similarity of our mentalities. I have been observing with some surprise and wondering why, in spite of such hard and grim pages in our history as the two world wars in which we were enemies, the Russian people have not developed a hatred of Germany.

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Question: Mr Putin, the Germans look forward to your visit with great interest and impatience. It will be very closely followed because it is taking place at a very difficult period. And as the editor of a widely read newspaper I see how the mood among the 12 million-strong audience has changed. Our newspaper even looks different now than usual, because people turn to the newspaper more and more often and spend days in front of their television sets. You know what I am talking about. This horrible event in America. How did you personally learn about it?

Vladimir Putin: From the chief of intelligence.

Question: Did they call you on the phone?

Vladimir Putin: Yes.

Question: And you switched on your television set at once?

Vladimir Putin: And I watched television all day long. I cancelled all the scheduled meetings. Then I called in the heads of all the security and military agencies for a meeting.

Question: What did you feel as you watched all that television footage?

Vladimir Putin: I felt like crying.

Question: Chancellor Schroeder said that evening, and I quote, “This is a declaration of war on civilisation.” Do you share that opinion?

Vladimir Putin: After the first shock has passed, we should approach the matter seriously and professionally. Nothing should be done that could cause the situation to deteriorate and lead to more such actions. We shouldn’t act or say anything of this kind. But we should combine our efforts and work professionally to prevent such things happening again.

I don’t think anyone needs convincing how dangerous it is. And nobody needs convincing that any state can be targeted.

Question: Have the strikes on the World Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington changed Russia’s attitude to the United States and the Western world as a whole? And if so, has this change been for the better?

Vladimir Putin: On our part there has been no change. We are already open. We think that the tragedy will bring it home to the whole world that the openness Russia offers for cooperation should be used. It is useful and necessary. My contacts with my counterparts (I have developed good contacts with the leaders in Europe and America) have long developed from the purely business into personal relations. And I would like my personal relations to develop into interstate relations, so that the contacts between Russia and Western countries follow the same pattern as my personal contacts with the leaders of those countries. I want to see them reach a similar high level.

Question: How many times did you talk with President Bush after these terrorist attacks?

Vladimir Putin: Twice.

Question: And what did you tell him?

Vladimir Putin: I won’t tell you.

Question: What would be your advice to the American President in this situation?

Vladimir Putin: President Bush is an experienced enough man and he doesn’t need advice. But I would like to warn everyone, including the Americans themselves, against putting all the blame for what happened on him. I think it would be absolutely unfair.

First, it was only recently that he assumed responsibility for America. Second, he hasn’t even completed forming his team. He inherited the country in the shape it was in, and this is what determines his involvement in world affairs.

We have discussed the political threats many times. That is well known. I think this is not the right time to be gleeful and say: we have warned you, but you didn’t listen and now you have suffered this tragedy. I for one have talked with the previous US Administration and alerted it to the bin Laden problem. I was surprised by their reaction. They simply shrugged helplessly and said: what can we do? The Taliban refuse to turn him over. I remember being surprised: if they refuse to extradite him, something has to be done about it. That was the kind of America Bush inherited. We should now think in terms of working together more closely. I sensed such a determination on his part and on the part of the West. And the main problem is the problem of trust between us, the problem of common standards.

Question: What do you mean by common standards?

Vladimir Putin: It is the problem of religious extremism, fanaticism and separatism. These problems exist in many countries, including Europe. Perhaps not to such an extent as in Russia. In Russia these problems are more acute. And no wonder because after the break-up of the Soviet Union many destructive processes spilled over into the Russian Federation. But it would be wrong to conclude that the people who blow up houses in Moscow are freedom-fighters and those who do the same in other countries are terrorists. They are all criminals.

We should go back to where we started, we should recall Goethe who saw all life as a single whole. And he treated development as a means of constant struggle for the good. The evil is also a single whole. We know that the financing centres, training bases and the cadre of terrorists are all the same. That evil manifests itself in different parts of the planet. To get rid of the tree of terrorism we have to eradicate its roots and not to use a stick to knock down the fruit.

Question: You speak about the need to uproot terrorism, but how to track down the real masterminds of the terrorist attacks? How should we react in order to bring them to account? What can be Russia’s role in this situation?

Vladimir Putin: I think in the post-9/11 situation it would be wrong to try to hold America back and hinder its actions, but at the same time these actions should be coordinated. They should be directed towards eradicating the evil and not towards generating its new forms. And that of course opens broad opportunities for acting together, for helping America, partly by providing the necessary information, bringing influence to bear on certain circles in some countries and creating a single front against international terrorism.

Question: Have these terrorist attacks changed the world order? Does the world look different now?

Vladimir Putin: It has made it evident to us that there are threats at least as huge as those we have been talking about during the past decades. A single strike on the United States inflicted more loss of life than we lost in Chechnya. A single strike. Imagine the scale of the threat. And of course we should counter this with some joint instruments. I don’t know what they will be. I have some ideas, but I am not ready to formulate them now, but something has to be done and it has to be done together.

Question: Can you see the United States, at least, using the territories of some CIS countries to deliver a retaliatory strike?

Vladimir Putin: This is something to be discussed with the leadership of those countries.

Question: But I simply had to ask this question.

Vladimir Putin: And I had to answer it.

Question: Many people fear that the situation may develop into a conflagration and that the world is in danger. Is the world in danger?

Vladimir Putin: I don’t think so. We needn’t panic. I can tell you confidently, I am absolutely sure of what I am about to tell you: together, we are much stronger than all the terrorists. One of their few weapons is panic in our midst. Our strength is incomparably greater than theirs. We shouldn’t allow them to divide us. We should act in every area, above all in the sphere of culture and education. We should think about the economic problems of developing countries and underdeveloped regions. The more brazen manifestations of terrorism and criminal acts should meet with a powerful and proportionate response. And we need to strengthen the international legal system of security.

And one more thing. We must not allow any quasi-state entities to be formed in Europe. The states should be responsible for what happens in their territories. We should strengthen the legitimate governments.

Question: What do you mean by quasi-state entities?

Vladimir Putin: We had Chechnya. What is it? Is it an independent or a dependent entity? Russia pulled out of it, but Chechnya never became an independent country in the full sense. Its territory was broken up into several regions, each under its own warlord. There wasn’t even anyone to talk to. You remember that representatives of Western humanitarian groups and businessmen went there. They were killed, beheaded. What for? To this day no one can answer this question because the situation there was a haven for criminals. We must not allow this to happen in the world.

Question: I would like to dwell on this a little longer because the word “war” strikes fear into Germans. When the word was uttered 10 years ago, it automatically meant a showdown between West and East. That danger no longer exists. Do you think that it is still possible to avoid a war in the present conditions?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, if we act resolutely. Events can take an undesirable course precisely if we try to placate and beg.

Question: What will you tell your daughters if they ask you whether the 21st century will be an age of peace or violence?

Vladimir Putin: I tell them that today no one doubts that if all the resources at the disposal of the civilised countries are pooled, it will be effective and it would be the best guarantee of a positive scenario.

Question: What do you think would be the public reaction in Russia if the Americans, perhaps jointly with NATO, delivered a massive military strike in retaliation?

Vladimir Putin: On the whole the reaction would be positive. Of course, much would depend on what shape it took. So far, we don’t know that. In principle, a positive reaction to a military operation depends greatly on how the operation is carried out, where and over what period and on the basis of what data.

Question: Is Afghanistan the right target?

Vladimir Putin: That is up to the American leadership to determine, because the US is currently collecting data on the persons involved in these terrorist attacks and on the whereabouts of the potential killers. We for our part provide them with the necessary information support. That is, we are ready to hand over what our special services have; and after they put everything together and analyse the whole database of information, they can draw the final conclusion, comparing this information with that from other sources.

Question: Mr Putin, of course you are right in saying that the military forces of the two great powers are far superior to those of terrorists. This applies to logistics too. But how can you fight a criminal who kills himself and whose routes of escape cannot be traced?

Vladimir Putin: You can take my word for it, there are many ways of doing that. I think you would agree with me that potential suicides cannot be regarded as normal people. We all know that to achieve a positive result one has to take advantage of weaknesses. And you can believe me, terrorist organisations and terrorists have a lot of weak spots. First, it is necessary to block all the financing of terrorists. Sources of financing must be identified and presented with corresponding demands no matter whether these happen to be states or firms or legal entities, and borders must be sealed to prevent such cash flows. That danger must be taken very seriously.

You remember that during the Cold War representatives of opposing blocs managed to penetrate into each other’s holy of holies. There were information centres that seemed to be impenetrable, and yet they were penetrated. I am sure that if we take terrorist threats seriously and focus our attention, our efforts, material resources and organisational capacity on it, we will be able to neutralise these threats, I have no doubt about it.

Question: Mr Putin, several years ago an American writer, Samuel Huntington, published a book entitled “Clash of Civilisations,” in which he writes about a clash of cultures. Is that what we are witnessing today?

Vladimir Putin: No. I think it is a harmful theory. To fight manifestations of religious fanaticism today it is necessary first of all to find a support base in the region from which that religion originates. This is a precondition of a successful fight against terror. The world should not be divided on the basis of cultures. And, by the way, we have some positive experience in our work.

Question: What can the West and the United States learn from your experience in Afghanistan in terms of what may confront them there?

Vladimir Putin: My answer to this question will be a follow-up to the answer to the previous one. One should look for a base of support and for allies inside Afghanistan. And there are many forces there one can rely on. One of the best known and understandable forces is the Northern alliance and President Rabbani.

Question: We know that Moscow has also experienced some horrible terrorist attacks coming from the same direction. Perhaps you know who carried them out?

Vladimir Putin: We have quite accurate data. It was a terrorist group from Chechnya. Some of the criminals have been arrested. But houses were blown up not only in Moscow, but also in Dagestan. Hundreds of people died. Bombs were also set off in public places, including markets.

Question: How great is the danger of Islamic terrorism?

Vladimir Putin: It is one of the most real dangers. But religious extremism is characteristic not only of Islam, it exists in other religions as well. And the fact that it is engendered above all in Islamic states is because many international problems are unregulated and there are economic difficulties in the countries where Islam is the official religion. It is very convenient to transform socio-economic and political problems into problems of religious character; some countries find it very convenient.

Question: Do you see a connection between the terrorist attacks in America and the latest actions by Chechen militants?

Vladimir Putin: It is possible. As a rule, terrorists coordinate their actions. And secondly, as we have often repeated, their activities and financing as a rule are coordinated from a single centre.

Instructions on flying Boeing planes were recently found in a hideout of Arab mercenaries in Chechnya. We have already passed on this information to our American partners. It does not mean that these were the very people who carried out the terrorist acts in the United States. But it indicates which centres study such methods of terror and can use them. The US became the first victim of such a method.

Question: You are a vehement opponent of the American anti-missile defence systems. Have the recent events in New York changed your approach in any way? It is conceivable that a terrorist state somewhere is working to build missiles.

Vladimir Putin: We have already said that the American anti-missile defence system is no protection against such things. I have repeatedly said that terrorist attacks can be launched not only from the air. Other weapons of mass destruction can be used: chemical and bacteriological weapons. And besides, the American NMD is a protection only against ballistic missiles, but not against other missiles. What worries us is not the American plans of changing something in the agreements on anti-missile defence, we are worried about the possibility of the whole system of agreements, the entire architecture of international security collapsing. This is the main issue. We do not rule out that current agreements may be replaced with others. But other agreements first need to be worked out, and a vacuum should not be allowed to appear.

Today we comply with the agreements reached with President Bush on holding consultations, and that gives us hope that we will achieve the necessary agreements in the future.

Question: Mr Putin, can you see the creation of a joint anti-terrorist unit in the light of the existing terrorist threat?

Vladimir Putin: I think that is a possibility. It is a goal we should all strive for, and not only in the fight against terror, but in creating a safer world for everyone.

Question: The last question. You will come to Germany next week. What important message do you want to bring to the Germans?

Vladimir Putin: Germany is one of our leading partners. I know that for a variety of reasons Germany is one of the centres of a united Europe. The Chancellor has managed to build up relations and the foreign policy in such a way that Germany has become an attractive country in Europe even for small states. I know this for sure from my personal talks with European leaders. And I want this visit to strengthen our bilateral relations, chart new coursers of development and thus contribute to a new Europe in which Russia has gained its due place even though it is anything but a small country.