Full transcript: NBCNews' interview with Russian President Putin.
KEIR SIMMONS: Mr. President, it's been a long time since you sat down with an American television network. Almost three years, I think. Thank you for your time. There's a lot to discuss. I hope we have time to get to — all of the issues. But I want to begin— with— some news from the U.S.— just today. In the U.S. it's reported that Russia is preparing, perhaps within months, to supply Iran with an advanced satellite system, enabling Tehran to track military targets.
We have certain programs which — concern conventional weapons, if it gets that far. However, we haven't even gone to that stage yet. We don't even have any kind of real cooperation even in the conventional weapons area. So if — if anybody is — inventing something regarding — modern space-based technology, this is just — plain fiction. This is just — fake news. At the very least, I don't know anything about this kind of thing.
This is a separate subject, a very high-tech subject. We don't rule out— cooperation with many world nations in space. But — probably everybody knows very well our position in terms that we are categorically against space militarization all together. The fact that President Biden has been meeting up with his allies, there is nothing unusual about it. There's nothing unusual about a G7 meeting. We know what G7 is. I have been there on numerous occasions. I know what the values are in that forum.
Clearly everything is decided by consensus. However, there is just one opinion that is correct. Whereas the other opinions are not quite that right — putting it — in careful terms. Well, there we go. Allies are getting together. What's — so unusual about it? VLADIMIR PUTIN: No. We have a bilateral relationship that has — deteriorated to what is the lowest point in — recent years. However, there are matters that — need a certain amount of — comparing notes and — identification and determination of mutual positions, so that matters that are of mutual interest can be dealt with in an efficient and effective way in the interests of both the United States and Russia.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: We know what matters and what problems Americans want to discuss with us, we understand these questions, matters, and problems. We're prepared for this joint work. We have — certain, if not differences, than different understandings of what pace — at what pace and in what directions we need to be moving.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Well, he says one thing. I say another thing. But maybe at some point — in certain ways our rhetoric varies and is different. But if you ask my opinion now, I am telling you what it is. The most important value in international affairs is predictability and stability. The answer is odd. The answer is,"I don't know." Well, if you don't know what will happen next, why change what there is? It could be a second Libya or another Afghanistan. Do we want this? No. Let us — sit down together, talk, look for compromise solutions that are acceptable for all the parties. That is how stability is achieved. It cannot be achieved by imposing one particular point of view, the"correct" point of view, whereby all the other ones are incorrect.
He has been doing it for a great deal of years and I have already said that and that is an obvious fact. Just think of the number of years he spent in the Senate, and how many years he was involved in the matters of international politics and disarmament, virtually at the expert level. KEIR SIMMONS: Yeah. You're a religious man. President Biden is saying he told you to your face,"You don't have a soul." VLADIMIR PUTIN: — something wrong with my memory.VLADIMIR PUTIN: Well, he probably has a good memory. I— I— I — I do not rule this out, but I don't remember this. In personal encounters, people try to act appropriately. I do not remember any inappropriate elements of behavior on the part of my counterparts.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: I think that, of course, this movement was — used by one of the political forces domestically in the course of election — campaigns. But there is — th — th — there are some grounds for it. Let's remember Colin Powell who was State- secretary, was in charge — of — the Pentagon. Election security officials said Russia tried to interfere with the 2020 Election. Cybersecurity researchers said government hackers targeted COVID vaccine researchers, hacking for COVID vaccines. In April the Treasury Department said the SolarWinds attack was the world's worst with n— including not— the targets including nine federal agencies. And just before your summit, Microsoft says it's discovered another attack with targets including organizations that have criticized you— Mr.
And— once they do that, they will realize that Russia has nothing to do with it. Then— there's the cyber attack against a meat processing plant. Next time they will say there was an attack against some Easter eggs. It's becoming farcical, like an ongoing farcical thing, never-ending farcical thing. You said"plenty of evidence," but you haven't cited any proof. But th— again, this is— this— this is an empty conversation, a pointless conversation.
But we have proposed to do this work together. Let's agree on the principles of mut— mutual work. Let's find out what we can do together. Let's agree on how we will structure counter-efforts against the process that is— gathering momentum. VLADIMIR PUTIN: You know, as far as a war, NATO— and I'd— I'd like to draw your attention to that. N— NATO has officially stated that it considers cyberspace a battlefield, an area of— military action—VLADIMIR PUTIN: —it conduc— it conducts—KEIR SIMMONS: —fighting on that battlefield. Correct?VLADIMIR PUTIN: That is not correct. Really. If we wanted to do that, NATO said that it considers cyberspace an area of— combat. And— it prepares and even conducts exercises.
KEIR SIMMONS: If you were in America, what would you fear might happen next? The lights being switched off the way they were in western Ukraine in 2015? What's— what's bad about it? I don't even understand. I'm not— I'm not asking you. I'm not trying to put you on the spot. But— for me as— as an ordinary citizen, it would not be clear and understandable. Why is it that your government refuses to— to do it?
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Who says that I feel threatened by opposition or we are threatened by opposition? Who told you— who told you that—VLADIMIR PUTIN: —that I am scared by opposition?KEIR SIMMONS: A Ru— excuse me. I'm sorry. A Russian court has just outlawed organizations connected to Mr. Navalny. Literally every non-systematic opposition figure is facing criminal charges. In journalism— Meduza and VTimes have been hit with"foreign agent" labels— and face collapse. Mr.
The prosecutor says,"Come a l— few feet closer, and you'll go to jail." Is that normal? Is that democracy in the modern world? But— that is an actual practice in some of the states. We don't have anything like that . When I talk about these laws about noninterference or attempts at interference, what do I mean as applied to Russia?
And they completely ignored the requirements of the law. The court went on and— passed— and turned the conviction into real jail time. Thousands and thousands of people ignore— requirements of the law, and they have nothing to do with political activities, in Russia every year and they go to jail.
We are partners. And in some areas, we are rivals or competitors. As far as harsh rhetoric, I think that— this is an expression of overall U.S. culture. Of course in Hollywood, because we mentioned Hollywood at the beginning of our conversation, there are some— deep things— in— Hollywood— macho— which can be treated as— cinematographic art but more often than not it’ s macho behavior that is part of— U.S.- political culture where it's considered normal.
KEIR SIMMONS: Th— let me give you some names. Ann— Anna Anna Politkovskaya, shot dead. Alexander Litvinenko, poisoned by polonium. Sergei Magnitsky, allegedly beaten and died in prison. Boris Nemtsov, shot moments from the Kremlin, moments from here. Mikhail Lesin— died of— blunt trauma in Washington, D.C. Are all of these a coincidence, Mr. President?
However—just piling everything together is— meaningless— inappropriate, and baseless. If— one sees it as a line of attack, then very well. Let me listen to it— one more time. But I repeat it— I— I'd like to repeat that I have heard it— many times. But this doesn't baffle me. I know which direction to move in to secure the interests of the Russian state.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Not that I approve of it. Not that I condemn it. But, well, it happened. I said recently in one of the conversations— with a European— colleague— the version of Mr. Lukashenko who told me about it was that— information had been given to them that there was an was an explosive device— on board the plane. They informed—VLADIMIR PUTIN: —the pilot without forcing the pilot to land. And the pilot made a decision to land in Minsk. That is all.
KEIR SIMMONS: —recalling it. But is a completely different example, Mr. President. We are talking about a commercial flight. Shouldn't people be able to take a commercial flight across Europe without fear of being shot down like in the case of MH-17 or forced down so that a dictator can arrest a journalist?
KEIR SIMMONS: In the case of neighboring Ukraine— earlier this year, the European Union said you had more than 100,000— troops on the Ukrainian border. Was that an attempt to get Washington's attention? VLADIMIR PUTIN: Some— some defense. Some defense. During the USSR era, Gorbachev, who is still— thank God, with us— got a promise— a verbal promise— that— there would be no NATO expansion to the east. Where is that—KEIR SIMMONS: Where is that written down? Where is that promise written down?
KEIR SIMMONS: Will you commit now not to send any further Russian troops into Ukrainian sovereign territory? KEIR SIMMONS: Moving on— the Biden administration has said that in your— at your summit they will bring up— the case of two U.S. prisoners in Russia— Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed. They are two former— Marines. Trevor Reed— is— suffering from— COVID in prison. Why don't you release them ahead of the summit? Wouldn't that show goodwill?
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