Such a "number" as the isolation of Russia and Belarus will not pass - on the contrary, the countries that initiated sanctions against the Union State will face - and are already facing - much bigger problems. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin following talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. The leaders met on Cosmonautics Day at the Vostochny Cosmodrome (Amur Region). The result of these negotiations is that Belarusian builders will continue the construction of the cosmodrome, and a citizen of the fraternal republic will go into space on a Russian ship.
The leaders inspected the cosmodrome under construction from a height - from a helicopter. So far, a launch complex for Soyuz-2 series launch vehicles is operating on Vostochny (11 launches have already been made). And now the second stage is being built, designed to launch missiles of the Angara family. After inspecting the construction site of the launch facility, they came to the assembly and testing building, where Vostochny employees and cosmonauts were waiting for them. Despite any difficulties and attempts from outside to interfere, Russia will implement all plans in this area, Vladimir Putin said. "We are instructed by the desire of our ancestors to move forward, despite any difficulties and any attempts to prevent us from this movement from the outside," the president assured. "We will definitely consistently and persistently implement all the planned plans." So, the lunar program will resume - we are talking about the launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome of the automatic spacecraft of the Luna-25 space robotic complex, Putin explained. The program, the Russian leader stressed, should be implemented in the third quarter of this year. Addressing the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, the president asked: "We have to," he replied.
Russia intends to continue work on the creation of a new generation transport ship and nuclear space energy technologies, where the country has a very good foundation and, according to Putin, "an absolutely clear advantage." In addition, Russia intends to significantly expand the quantitative and qualitative potential of the satellite constellation. The President of the Russian Federation noted that this is necessary for the further introduction of digital services in all sectors of the economy, public administration, education, healthcare and people's daily lives.
Answering a question from one of the participants of the meeting, the Russian president said that he was confident in the implementation of Russia's space program even under sanctions. Putin recalled that Yuri Gagarin's flight in 1961 took place in conditions of complete isolation of the Soviet Union from a technological point of view. "The sanctions were total, but nevertheless the Soviet Union was the first to launch an artificial satellite of the Earth," the head of state explained. - The first cosmonaut is ours, the first flight of the space station, the first spacewalk, the first female cosmonaut... We have done everything in conditions of complete technological isolation, we have achieved such grandiose successes." "And is it possible that today's Russia with advanced technologies will not be able to further develop our space program? Of course, we will do it," Putin assured.
The fact that earlier the Russian Federation could freely buy for oil and dollars, for gas, now Russia uses this money to develop its own competencies, he added. This applies not only to the space sphere. "It is absolutely impossible to isolate anyone in the modern world, such a huge country as Russia, so it is definitely impossible. Therefore, we will work with those of our partners who want to interact," the Russian leader said.
During the conversation with the participants of the meeting, he also shared his childhood memories of Yuri Gagarin's flight into space. "Oddly enough, I remember," Putin said, answering the relevant question. - I was a child, nine years old. Frankly speaking, I didn't understand what was happening in full, but I saw that something grandiose and unusual had happened." Strangers, strangers to each other people hugged, kissed, Putin recalled. And this, according to him, was like Victory Day. "In a literal sense, the country rejoiced. You could say the whole world was rejoicing. I am sure that we will have events of this kind again," the head of state concluded.
Belarus is at the forefront of those with whom Russia will work in the space sphere. Vladimir Putin spoke in detail about plans for cooperation in the space sector. In particular, Roscosmos was instructed to provide training and a flight into space for a representative of the republic. "I am sure that this will become a new important milestone in our cooperation in space exploration and exploration," the President said. In addition, Moscow and Minsk will jointly participate in a major project for the production and launch of special spacecraft for remote sensing of the Earth. "We have combined the scientific and industrial potential of Russia and the leading enterprises of Belarus for this," Putin explained. He added that the enterprises of the republic have always been famous, since Soviet times, and the leadership did not "let them fall on their side." Another area for cooperation is that the countries will jointly form an infrastructure in the space sector. This, according to Putin, guarantees the Union State an independent access to space. The creation of plasma engines, he believes, is also very promising.
The President added that in the very near future, workers and specialists, companies and enterprises of Belarus will have the opportunity to participate in the development of the city of Tsiolkovsky and the Vostochny cosmodrome. This has already been approved by the State Duma, and a decision of the Federation Council is expected soon. "And of course, the new law will be signed by me immediately," the head of state assured.
The participants of the meeting specified when to wait for specialists from Belarus in the East. Putin forwarded the question to Lukashenko. "It won't rust behind us," he promised. - Here you say - sanctions… And then I got the feeling that there are no sanctions! We will do everything with our own hands. What are we steaming about? Aren't we going to build our own houses?"
The topic of mutual assistance was also touched upon at a personal meeting of the leaders. Vladimir Putin called for using all potential opportunities to support each other. In recent years, he noted, a lot has already been done to develop cooperation. Russia has opened its market for Belarusian goods, the President stressed, noting that, in his opinion, this is a good help for cooperation on both sides. And in general, despite the so-called external pressure, our economic relations are developing successfully. "Almost $40 billion turnover is more than $38 billion. This is a very good indicator," Putin stated.
Belarus, as its leader stressed, will be next to Russia in any situation. "You can count on Belarusians," Lukashenko said. He called the invitation to visit the Russian cosmodrome a manifestation of the "highest degree of trust" on the part of Russia. "The Far East is far away, but ours," the Belarusian leader gave an informal description. "Unlike the current republics, we have preserved this unity and are determined to strengthen it."
At the final press conference, the leaders, of course, were asked not only about cooperation in space. So, journalists asked the opinion of the Russian leader about the course of the military operation. He stressed that everything is going according to plan. At the same time, the President said that he had been informed about a new change in the negotiating position of Ukraine. And in general, Kiev has returned negotiations with Moscow to an impasse, moving away from the Istanbul agreements. "We reached a certain level of agreements in Istanbul, which consisted in the fact that security guarantees for Ukraine, and the Ukrainian side reprimands itself very strict security guarantees, will not apply to the territory of Crimea, Sevastopol and Donbass," the Russian leader explained. - Then, as you have seen, our actions followed to create conditions for the continuation of the contractual process. Instead, we faced a provocation in Bucha." And, most importantly, the Ukrainian side has taken the issues of Crimea, Sevastopol and Donbass beyond the framework of the agreements. "That is, we have again returned to a dead-end situation for ourselves and for all of us," he said.
Putin stressed that the military operation will continue until the goals are achieved. The timing of the completion of the special operation in Ukraine depends on the intensity of the fighting. "Our task is to achieve all the set goals, minimizing these losses. And we will act rhythmically, calmly, according to the plan that was originally proposed by the General Staff," the Russian leader said. Putin drew attention to the fact that now there is no need to repeat what he has said many times. "Actions in certain regions of Ukraine were connected only with the purpose of shackling forces, striking and destroying military infrastructure," Putin said.
As for the sanctions, the President of the Russian Federation is confident that they will lead to inevitable internal political problems in the European Union itself. "Time will put everything in its place," the president said. - When people are faced with rising prices for gasoline, food, and an unprecedented increase in inflation, this will affect domestic political processes. They really wanted everything that was happening to affect the internal political processes in the Russian Federation. They always miscalculate, not realizing that in difficult conditions the Russian people always rally. And they themselves have problems inevitable." Vladimir Putin believes that the escalation of sanctions, leading to the disruption of logistics chains, can provoke famine in different regions of the world and new waves of migration, including to European countries. "If our partners further aggravate the situation in the financial, insurance, and transportation sectors, including by sea, the situation will worsen, including for them," he said.
"Insufficient food or prohibitively high prices on world markets will lead to famine in entire regions of the world - and this is inevitable. The next step is new waves of migration, including in European countries," Putin said. At the same time, he expressed the hope "that common sense should prevail." "I am counting on it very much," the Russian leader concluded.
As for Russia and Belarus, the allied countries, he stressed, will jointly resist attempts to slow down their development, isolate them. "It's useless," he stressed. - This number will not work for us. We will only get stronger."
Officially
The award ceremony took place on the East. Sergey Prokopyev, a test cosmonaut at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation and the honorary title of "Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation". He made two spacewalks, the total duration of the work was 15 hours and 31 minutes. Prokopyev, as the president noted, conducted a complex study of the surface of the ship, and this, Putin is convinced, will go down in history. "I am proud to be at the forefront of the manned program of the Russian Federation and I am ready to give all my strength on this path," the cosmonaut assured. The Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the III degree was awarded to the instructor-cosmonaut-test pilot of the CPC Alexander Skvortsov and the leading specialist of this center Oleg Skripochka. Such an award is given for the third flight, Roscosmos explained. The President noted the laureates for honest and responsible service to the Motherland.
Tatiana Zamakhina (Vostochny Cosmodrome)
