North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited an aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Photo: REUTERS
On Friday, September 15, a Komsomolskaya Pravda journalist invited the official representative of the Kremlin to discuss the topic of the DPRK leader’s visit to the Khabarovsk Territory.
… – Dmitry Sergeevich, Mikhail Degtyarev, who, together with Denis Manturov, is currently receiving Comrade Kim Jong-un in Khabarovsk, recalled that Kim Jong-un’s father, the former leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong-il, visited this plane. plant that bears the name. Gagarin in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in August 2002. And in July 2000, President Putin visited Pyongyang and I had the opportunity to cover him then. Taking into account that Lavrov will travel in October and, perhaps, Vladimir Vladimirovich will fly to Pyongyang again this year… Can we say today that contacts between the leaders of the two countries are no longer a sensation, but a tradition?
– Can. There is no sensation,” Peskov said. – We have said more than once that North Korea is our closest neighbor.
And naturally, we are interested in building and developing relationships with our closest neighbors, and doing so across the board.
“What is being done,” I continued. – I can’t help but ask this question. Everyone knows the hysteria that these events caused in the West. Is the president aware of such terrible statements? And how does the Kremlin, and Vladimir Putin in particular, feel about the nervous reaction to Comrade Kim Jong-un’s visit to us?
– Alexander, apparently you still do not know the president’s answers to the questions asked at the beginning of the conversation with Lukashenko. Now you can take a look at it. The President answered precisely this question.
– Thank you so much. I’ll read it right now.
BY THE WAY
What Putin and Lukashenko told journalists
Ask:
… – About Kim Jong-un’s visit. The Western reaction is dominated by the assessment that the visit causes tension in the region. They say that the Russian side almost asked to send Korean volunteers to participate in the Northern Military District. What can you say about this?
Putin:
– I want to say that this is complete nonsense. A couple of days ago I said that we already have our men, our warriors signed contracts with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (in number – AG) 270 thousand, but this data was already outdated. This morning they reported: 300 thousand contracts were signed by people who, I want to emphasize again, are ready to sacrifice their lives in the interests of their Fatherland, defending the interests of Russia.
Yes, we paid some money and of course it is higher, much higher, than the national average, but is it possible to cover the threat of death or serious injury with some money? Of course not. And, above all, our men who enter into these contracts are guided by the highest patriotic considerations. Even this in itself inspires respect. This is the first one.
Secondly, in terms of provoking something, aggravating the situation, creating threats for anyone. We do not create threats to anyone. The greatest threats created in the world today are created by the current ruling elites. And, by the way, they talk about it themselves. Several years ago, the former Minister of Defense [США]In my opinion, Mr. Gates said that the greatest threat to the United States itself comes from the territory where the Capitol, in my opinion, or the White House is located. They talk about it themselves, but they look for a threat on the side.
Therefore, I want to emphasize once again, this is complete nonsense: Korea is our neighbor and we must, one way or another, build good-neighborly relations with our neighbors. Yes, there are certain characteristics associated with the Korean Peninsula. We discussed this, we discussed it openly, we never violated anything and in this case we are not going to violate anything. But, of course, we will look for opportunities to develop relations between Russia and North Korea.
Lukashenko:
– They, the Westerners, Vladimir Vladimirovich, must first calculate for themselves how many have already sent their mercenaries there, how many are fighting there. There are dark-skinned Americans, yellow-skinned Americans, and white Americans, all of whom fight on the side of the Ukrainians. Why blame Russia for inviting someone there? So maybe they should do it.
And secondly, this is a dangerous statement on your part, because they are asleep and see their regular military units there, already formed in Poland, near the border, you also talked about this. Military units have been formed ready to enter Ukraine. You have to look yourself in the eye and look for a log there, and not blame others.
Putin:
– I absolutely agree, completely.
By the way, we detected foreign mercenaries and instructors both on the battlefield and in the units where training takes place. In my opinion, yesterday or the day before yesterday someone was captured again.
We do not have such a need to invite outsiders to combat operations. Furthermore, I want to emphasize it again: 300 thousand people signed contracts and came as volunteers. And what’s more: the units being formed are equipped with modern weapons and equipment, some are already 85-90 percent equipped.
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