Russian Television Airs Film on Putin's 15-Year Stay in Power
Moscow, April 27, AZERTAC
Russian Rossiya-1 TV channel aired a documentary titled "The President" dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Vladimir Putin's accession to the presidency on April 26, according to Sputniknews.
The documentary is based on an interview by Russian TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov with Putin and focuses on landmark events in Russia's modern history over the past 15 years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a documentary that the leaders of foreign states had told him that in the 2000s they had believed that Russia would stop existing in its borders after the situation in the North Caucasus had intensified.
"Someone there [in the US], especially intelligence agencies of the Western countries, apparently thought that if someone acted in order to destabilize the main geopolitical rival, as we now understand they considered Russia, this move was for the good. It turned out that it was wrong."
Putin said that after the collapse of the Soviet Union Russia hoped that the West would treat the country differently, however, "there are also geopolitical interests that are not connected to any ideology."
"Our partners should have taken into account that a country like Russia has and cannot afford not to have its geopolitical interests, and that it was necessary to try to find balance and look for mutually acceptable solutions while treating each other with respect."
The Russian leader expressed gratitude to the Russian Armed Forces for their contribution to the fight against terrorism in North Caucasus in the beginning of the 2000s.
Putin who has been serving as Russia's President for about 11 years said that a person does not have a normal everyday life if he is a head of a state.
He noted that "this is a small loss compared to what the fate and the people give those who are in my place, this is to make a maximal contribution, to do all that depends on me or on those who have the same job for the country and its people."
Putin said that he can imagine his life after the end of his presidency. Putin also noted that the demographic situation in Russia has improved significantly since the times he had come to power.
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