WEBVTT

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And now about what awaits us in 2024.

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Are you going to be with us forever?

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If you want me to. Do you?

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Me personally?

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The question is, in what capacity?

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Well, this is what I am talking about.

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And in what capacity do you see yourself?

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I do not know, we will see.

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Well, let us think about it.

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I still have a lot of time.

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I cannot get a clear perspective from here.

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I think you can see more clearly from up there,

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from your high position. What do you see? What horizons open up?

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No, not at all. Do you know where you can see it? You can see it 

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in public sentiment, in the desires of the people.

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But the so-called elites are nervous, Mr Putin,

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due to this transfer. Some certainty is needed.

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I see. I understand it. The elites, yes, they might be nervous.

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Do you like it?

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No, I do not. It is a drawback. Such an imbalance is a real drawback.

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I realize this. However, the people are the primary source of power.

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And I am not trying to show off. It is very important for me too.

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It is very important for me to feel,

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to understand what people want. It is a matter of principle.

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So, if the people ask you to stay…

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Well, I will need to think about it.

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Another question is in what capacity.

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Well, and in what capacity?

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Right now, I have no answer.

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You are just not ready to talk about it.

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No, I am not. I still have four more years, and right now,

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I have no answer. But the most important thing is,

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let me repeat once again, and completely in honest,

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without trying to show off, the main issue,

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the matter of principle is the attitude of the vast majority 

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of citizens. It is a matter of trust, of course.

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You have already answered this question.

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Surely you did not think that it would all last this long?

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No. It never crossed my mind.

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I did not think that I would find myself here.

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It did not, and it could not occur to me.

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And what about dropping out of the race at some stage?

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Well, you know, I feel responsible for what is going on and how,

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and for what will happen in the future. It…

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Did you know in 2008 that you would be back in 2012?

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No, I did not. Well, there was such an option, but, of course,

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I did not know for sure.

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But as an option – there was such a possibility.

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As Maxim Galkin jokes: Putin is not a name, it is a post.

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As a person holding no office, he can joke as he likes.

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And his jokes are quite in demand.

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How do you react to the fact that they call you a Tsar?

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It is not true to fact. Maybe someone else can be called a Tsar.

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However, in my case, I do not reign,

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I work every day. A Tsar is one who just sits there,

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looks from above and says, ”They will do as I order“,

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while he himself would just try on a hat and look 

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at himself in the mirror. On the contrary, I work every day.

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What about your sources of information?

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People like me, irrespective of the country they live in,

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have more or less the same sources of information,

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and they are quite numerous.

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They include sociological studies,

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security services’ reports and the media,

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of course. A very important source is direct – this is very important –

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direct communication with the people.

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Remember, Muller used to say, ”Nobody can be trusted,

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but me.“ Whom do you trust?

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Me?

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Yes.

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You know, frankly speaking…

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Frankly would be best.

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Most of all I trust the sentiments of average people.

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When I communicate with people, when there is direct contact,

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even briefly, I think I feel the mood of the people.

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And that feeling has not become less keen, over the years,

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it is still with me, and that is very important for me indeed.

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I believe that our people are very sincere.

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Very sincere, sensitive and frank.

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You know, when a person meets a leader…

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Yes.

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Especially the President…

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Yes.

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Would one blurt out all personal problems to him? You have asked me how 

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am I at the beginning. Well, it depends.

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And the same goes for the ordinary people, it depends. You see?

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Not everybody. Some blurt out their problems,

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some discuss things. Some talk about their misfortunes.

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But a problem of a certain person can be very indicative 

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of the problems faced by millions.

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Excuse me, but people mind what they say.

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Here I am, sitting and talking to you, but trying, for many reasons,

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to watch my mouth, as I do not want to let down my colleagues or to go 

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to sunny Magadan after this interview.

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There is a big difference between you and an average 

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citizen of the Russian Federation.

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What kind of difference?

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It relates to you, what Vladimir Lenin once said…

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I am going to learn something interesting about myself…

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He said about a group of revolutionaries that they were few 

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and terribly far from the people.

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Oh well…

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This is about people like you. No offence meant.

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An ordinary person does not worry about any obligations 

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that he might have to somebody.

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Ordinary people say what they think,

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and they think what they say.

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And they do not bother with how their superiors might react.

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They just speak their mind.

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And what they say might be of critical importance as they speak from 

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their heart, speak about what they like and what they do not.

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I highly value that, it is truly very important to me.