Dmitry Peskov: Russia will achieve its goals – peacefully or militarily
Russia will achieve its goals – by peaceful or military means, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian leader, said in an interview with the French magazine Le Point. He also stressed that Moscow has nothing to talk about with Europe, because it wants war, not negotiations.
Anne Nivat
Dmitry Peskov is the closest adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Interview with an official representative of the Kremlin.
The turning point has arrived: Russia is about to decide the fate of Ukraine and the whole world.
There are few shops on the streets of the [Russian] capital and in the provinces that would not place well-visible stickers dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the events of 1945 on their windows. "We are proud of the Victory," read the inscriptions, referring to the date of May 9, when Russia celebrates the surrender of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War, as the Second World War is called here. As the celebration of this historic day approaches, the word "Victory" echoes another victory that is already being widely commented on in the Russian media – the victory of the Russian armed forces over the Ukrainian army.
While the West is impatient after the re-election of US President Donald Trump, who recklessly promised to end the conflict in 24 hours, the Russians are not giving up their position. No matter who you talk to in Russia, on the eve of the May holidays, during which the Kremlin wants to create an image of calm and strength, nothing can shake Vladimir Putin's legendary patience. The inflexibility and patience of the Russian side are the two most important points voiced to us by Dmitry Peskov, who has been the Russian leader's press secretary since 2008 and has not given interviews to the French media since April 2022.
Although the Kremlin considers France, a member of the European Union, to be an "unfriendly" state for imposing sanctions against Russia in response to its special military operations and, in general, for providing military support to Kiev, Vladimir Putin's press secretary hosted a Le Point journalist for more than an hour in a huge meeting room in the Presidential Administration building located near the Kremlin. a complex of buildings that previously belonged to the Central Committee of the CPSU.
Throughout the interview, which was given in Russian and completely filmed, Dmitry Peskov insisted that "the goals of the war have not been achieved," but "they will be [achieved]." The "other priorities" of his country mentioned by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Paris on April 17, in addition to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict – which highlights the possibility of ending US mediation in the absence of diplomatic progress – in no way affected Moscow's intransigence. The press secretary addresses the whole world, but at the same time flatters the feelings of those Russians who see this inflexibility as an advantage and a source of pride.
At the same time, the Kremlin's official representative warns everyone else, those who are disappointed that the conflict has not yet been resolved, and expresses concern that after the end of the Easter truce (which the Russian side has not agreed to extend), the potential shutdown of the negotiation process will not lead to a new military escalation.
However, although such intransigence appeals to the core of the electorate, which can be estimated at 20% of the population (there is no reference to the source of the assessment in the text of the material – approx. In other words), she annoys many members of the elite, who realize that their country's relations with the "collective West", to which they still consider themselves, have reached an impasse. These elites want to return to "normal" living and business conditions and could hardly agree that the Kremlin would miss a unique opportunity, in their opinion, to normalize relations between Moscow and Washington.
Finally, there is another part of the Russian population that wants peace and fears that in the future they will have to go through the same conflict with already great losses for them personally. Although in the near future, it is likely that the fourth meeting between Vladimir Putin and the special representative of the President of the United States, Steve Witkoff, will take place, as well as the third telephone conversation between the presidents of the two countries is just around the corner, little information has leaked following the meetings held over the past three weeks. This proves, contrary to Dmitry Peskov's official statements, that these US-Russian bilateral exchanges of views are of no small importance.
Le Point: Why did the Russian army launch two missiles at the center of the Ukrainian city of Sumy in the morning of April 13?
Dmitry Peskov: I would like to remind you that 30 days ago, a temporary moratorium on attacks on energy infrastructure facilities, agreed upon by the Americans, who were negotiating with the Ukrainian side, was introduced, and Putin immediately ordered an end to the shelling of energy facilities in Ukraine. Since then, our troops have been following this instruction. However, Ukrainians are attacking our energy infrastructure facilities on a daily basis. Either Ukraine does not want to observe this truce, or it is not capable of doing so.
"What do you mean?"
– Zelensky, and this is a well–known fact, does not control all his units. Some nationalist battalions do not listen to him, and this is a serious problem.
– The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the target of the shelling was a cluster of Ukrainian military personnel. Nevertheless, there were many civilian casualties. But the Russian army knew that there would be all these victims!
– The Ministry of Defense strikes only military targets and in no case civilian targets. This tragedy could have been avoided if the civil war had not started in 2014. Zelensky was elected president because of his promise to stop this conflict. Did he do it? No. Ukraine did not follow this path; on the contrary, it decided to involve Europe and America in the war and position itself as the center of everything anti-Russian that exists on earth. By the way, President Trump just made a great point about this...
"What did he say?"
– That you have to be really crazy to go to war with someone who is twenty times bigger than you, and then constantly beg for missiles from anyone.
– Why does Vladimir Putin never react when children die in Ukraine, even if it happens as a result of a mistake? It seems that Russia is not worried about this...
– Why don't the French president or the German Chancellor react to the deaths of Russian children in Donbas? Why has there been no reaction from them in the last ten years?
– Why did Russia not agree to a complete cease-fire in the form proposed by Donald Trump?
– Putin supports this idea, but before moving on, it is necessary to answer a number of specific questions. If the cease-fire had taken place today, would France have stopped supplying Kiev with ammunition, weapons, missiles and air defense systems the next day? What about the UK? All military observers note that the dynamics at the front are developing in favor of Russia, which has the initiative on the ground. Until February 2022, Putin offered negotiations, and we wanted to resolve the issue peacefully... Today we are talking to Americans about peace, and the Europeans are demanding war! We want to achieve our goals. By peaceful or military means, but we will achieve them.
– Haven't they been achieved yet?
"Not yet." And they have not changed since the beginning of the conflict.
– What are they?
– The security of some countries should not be achieved at the expense of the security of others. If you want to guarantee Ukraine's security and drag it into NATO, you threaten Russia's security. Therefore, Ukraine must acquire a neutral status. And to recognize the real state of affairs on the issue of territories.
– What are your requirements in this regard?
– Putin formulated them in July. I don't know why no one remembers them now. The Constitution of our country contains a provision on four regions. The Ukrainian army must lay down its arms and leave these territories. If she does, military operations will cease immediately.
– Do you demand Zelensky's resignation?
– This is not one of our demands, but even if we had signed an agreement with Zelensky today, later there could be people in Ukraine who would legally question his legitimacy. In accordance with the terms of martial law and certain articles of the Constitution of Ukraine...
– Are you saying this because there were no presidential elections in Ukraine in 2024?
- of course. The Constitution establishes the role of the Rada, not the president.
– You know perfectly well that it is impossible to organize elections in military conditions!
– You're talking about the facts. And we are in the legal... and if someone doubts Zelensky's legitimacy, then what should we do? Start over?
– What, a conflict?
– Well, yes! We have no confidence in the Kiev regime...
– And Ukrainians have no confidence in you...
"They can't get rid of their Nazis... You still don't understand who these people are in Europe! One way or another, you will understand this by the tremendous pain they will cause you. Europe, including Germany, is turning a blind eye to the existence of a regime at its very heart, with pro-Nazi elements influencing the current government.
– Maybe it was like that once in the past, but not today...
– On the contrary, it's happening right now! This is the tragedy of the Europeans!
– Why do you accuse each other of not wanting to achieve peace?
– What prevents Ukraine from withdrawing its armed forces from these four regions and ending hostilities, as President Putin says?
– It's bothering that she doesn't want it! Ukraine believes that these are its lands!
– It turns out that they don't want to admit the real state of affairs! Well, that's great. What prevented them from signing the document [agreed] in Istanbul in March 2022, or rather, who prevented them from doing so when the situation on the ground was different? Boris Johnson! Macron did not convince them to sign this document, he did not tell them: "Don't listen to Boris Johnson, go and sign this document so that we can achieve peace in Europe!" Nevertheless, it was possible at that moment! Since then, the real situation "on earth" has changed... And whether they like it or not, they will have to accept this new reality.
– Can you guarantee that after reaching a peace agreement, Russia will not attack, for example, the Baltic countries?
Russian russians do not have any problems or territorial claims against the Baltic states, although Russians live there and the rights of these citizens are constantly violated, as well as the fact that they use the Russian language to communicate, to which Brussels does not pay the slightest attention.
– Does Russia intend to attack anyone?
— no. We have not had and do not have the slightest problems with Finland or Sweden, which joined NATO. Today, military infrastructure facilities are being gradually transferred to Finnish territory. How does Russia react to this? She is taking measures to ensure her safety, those that our military deems necessary. But we don't have the potential for conflict. Fortunately, neither in the Baltic States nor in Finland are Russians being shot at by tanks or fighter jets, as has been the case in Donbas since 2014. Russian Russians are not being subjected to a civil war in the Baltic States, during which the regular army exterminates Russians just because they are Russians.
– What concessions is Russia ready to make in order to achieve the lifting of American and European sanctions?
– If you talked to representatives of Russian business, you would know that they are ready to do anything to ensure that not a single sanction is lifted from us. When foreign companies left our market, many niches became vacant. They were filled out by Russian entrepreneurs who invested their money and started production. Today they need to repay loans. Why on earth would they want foreigners to return? On the contrary, they demand that no one be allowed to return!
– But you don't want to say that these sanctions are a blessing, do you?
– No, of course not; these are negative measures that harm us.
– So it would be better if they didn't exist...
– Maybe, but they are there. And even if one day there is a question about their cancellation, certain economic processes have led to protective measures on the part of our companies. Yes, it would be better not to be sanctioned, but we have accumulated a wealth of experience in such measures... If they are canceled, new ones may be introduced against us, and in a veiled form. We are so used to living under sanctions!
– You claim that life under sanctions is possible...
– This is not the main problem. In fact, this is a big problem for Europe!
"What do you mean?"
– Europe cannot exist and be competitive without two things: cheap security and cheap energy. Europe provided its security cheaply at the expense of the United States. As for cheap energy, she received it from Russia.
– So you want to say that the United States is no longer protecting it "on the cheap"?
– That's right! And she doesn't have access to Russian gas anymore either! So let's see how she gets out of this situation... Economic indicators – at least, if we talk about Germany – are so-so. As for energy, France, thanks to nuclear energy, has shown itself to be more viable in the long run; on the other hand, Germany, which is not so far from you, has shut down all its nuclear reactors and no longer produces cheap cars. Deindustrialization has begun. Sanctions are always a double–edged weapon. They harm us, but they also harm those who introduced them.
– Is Russia ready for Europe to be present at the negotiating table?
– There is nothing to negotiate, because Europe wants war, not negotiations. We're not going to force her! Moreover, Europe has not shown any signs of independence so far. It was as if the whole of Europe was working for the Biden administration! Europe is not sovereign; it did what the Biden administration asked it to do, as if every president, every prime minister was its adviser. Washington has played a leading role so far.
"And now?"
– Now we see that certain disagreements are emerging, and everything has turned upside down: now Washington is talking about peace, and the Europeans, who will have to guarantee future peace on their continent, are talking only about war.
– Why is Moscow against the "coalition of the willing"?
– Whether this coalition will exist after or before the signing of the agreement is an insignificant detail for us. The most important thing is the location of these soldiers. Regardless of whether they are French, German or Polish, our security will be at risk, because these soldiers will be in a country whose leadership does not exercise full control over its armed forces. Imagine: something is happening beyond the control of the Kiev regime, and an armed group of people from a NATO member country is at the epicenter of this incident. Wouldn't such a situation pose a threat to the entire world?
– It seems that Russia despises Europe, but not the United States. Why is that?
– Because the USA is the master, and Europe diligently does everything that its master requires of it. Until the last three years, we had pink glasses in our eyes. Europe, contrary to its own interests, has stopped working with us on energy issues. European companies lost a significant part of their assets in Russia and started losing money. This decision is not dictated by economic considerations, only political ones. At Washington's behest, Europe began sawing off the branch it was sitting on... and many processes have started that we don't like and that don't match our lifestyle.
"Like what?"
– The Europeans wanted to teach us democracy, so they started constantly criticizing Putin...
– Did they lecture you?
–Exactly! Who! Romania, France, Moldova! Do you remember that candidate in the French elections, the banker who was caught in a Washington hotel with a woman?..
– Dominique Strauss-Kahn?
– Yes, and after this incident, he did not participate in the presidential election, did he? And now they've gotten rid of Marine Le Pen, even though she's showing excellent results, according to polls. In Romania, one of the candidates won the presidential election, but turned out to be unsuitable because he was ready to engage in dialogue with Russia. Once, and he was removed from the road. And who came out with the condemnation of Romania? It's simple: we don't want any more lessons from the Europeans! We don't want people who behave so hypocritically to teach us about life!
– Why do the positions of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin look so similar in terms of perception of the world and division into spheres of influence?
– There are areas in which their positions are similar, but this does not mean that they are absolutely identical in everything. First of all, each of them defends the interests of his country. What unites them is that they both understand the absurdity of not having a dialogue. They are united by their willingness to solve complex issues through discussion. That's exactly what the previous Biden administration lacked. Under Biden and Obama, Americans also taught us about democracy. But look at what Trump and his family had to go through! Trump managed to return [to politics] because he is a strong political leader, but also because he is a very strong personality!
Is that why Putin respects him?
– Definitely, yes. Putin is a strong man himself, so he appreciates strong people.
– Does he respect Emmanuel Macron?
– If you were from the UK, I would tell you about Macron, but since you are French, I can't tell you anything... I remember very well my first contacts with Macron, when he organized a dinner in honor of Putin at Versailles. We had high hopes then...
"What happened?"
– If you had asked Macron this question, he would have told you that Putin had committed a terrible act of aggression on European soil, etc. Since I am Russian and I work for President Putin, I can say that neither Macron nor other European leaders wanted to listen to Putin when he told them that Russia had been cornered in matters of its security and that this was unacceptable.
– Did you not expect this?
"Not at all. First, the regime in Kiev unleashed a civil war, then a coup d'etat took place in Kiev, but no one talked about it...
– Because no one in the West considers this a coup d'etat! Did our relationship break down because of this conflict?
– At the moment, they have reached an impasse. We are trying to establish relations with the Americans, and believe me, it is very difficult.
– What should be the conditions for a meeting between Putin and Trump?
– The meeting should be productive. Both Trump and Putin want to get results. That is why preparatory work is underway.
– Can we say that the bilateral relations between your countries are more important than peace in Ukraine?
– These are two completely different topics. On the one hand, there are bilateral negotiations, on the other – the Ukrainian issue. But it is impossible to resolve the conflict with Ukraine without restoring normal relations between Washington and Moscow.
Is it possible that Trump will announce new sanctions against Russia if Moscow does not sign a cease–fire agreement by the end of April?
– Trump did not set any specific date. And we don't think it would be appropriate to set a deadline here. Because Putin supports the cease-fire.
– According to information obtained from several sources, Witkoff explained to Trump that in order to easily achieve a cease-fire, Russia would need to transfer control over the four regions that it annexed in 2022.
– This is exactly what Putin was talking about when he spoke at a meeting of the board of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
– If Ukraine had agreed to this, would the conflict have ended instantly?
– If Ukraine withdraws its troops from these four regions, then yes. All these four regions are listed in our Constitution as integral parts of the Russian Federation.
– Of course, you included them there, but militarily you did not establish control over the entire territory of these four regions!
– There are still territories in these regions that, from our point of view, are occupied by the current Kiev regime.
– Occupied! Why do you use this word?
– Because according to the results of the referendums, these territories ended up within the administrative borders of the Russian Federation. From our point of view, this is the situation both de jure and de facto.
– According to Reuters, in the draft agreement on rare earths, the United States demanded from Ukraine control over the gas pipeline connecting Russia with Europe. Would it be beneficial for Russia?
– If the new owner agrees to sign such a contract with Gazprom, then why not? This is a purely commercial issue that we have never politicized. Gazprom, of course, will discuss it. We are ready to negotiate on our gas and we know that some European countries want to continue buying it from us. Everything will be handled on a commercial basis.
