Semyon Bagdasarov, Director of the Center for the Studies of the Middle East and Central Asia: The sale of military technologies is a crime against your own state. I'm surprised that, for a long time, we've been selling and are still selling the highest military technologies to a certain country, not just products but the technology as well. I don't want to name this country. We sincerely believe that tomorrow it'll bring us what? It will result in this country using these technologies against us. We aren't aware of how many of our technologies have been sold to the Chinese. To the eyeballs and beyond! Now, look what they're doing! They're not our allies in everything. What should we do? We shouldn't rely on these G7 Summits or anything. Of course, they're not allies. With all the sanctions, what kind of allies can there be? But it's also scary and dangerous to fall into China's arms. Our ally is someone who is helping us in a particular situation. What are our key super tasks? For the hundredth time, it's the post-Soviet states, Ukraine in particular. Is China among these states? It isn't.
China wanted to buy the Sich Plant. It's a famous plant in Ukraine that manufactured engines only for our helicopters and planes but it stopped the cooperation in 2014. Why? Because technologies are essential to make the army more capable. They don't give a damn about our interests. They want to invest in a state that is hostile to us, and they'll be updating engines which will be also used in Ukraine-made planes and helicopters. How is that for an ally? We don't need this! Since we're talking about Ukraine, you said the right thing, we need to be our own allies in the first place. Why? Because of what you are talking about. There are shootings in Donbass, our compatriots are dying. Now, it's our citizens who will be dying. They've become the citizens of the Russian Federation according to their decision to adopt our citizenship. And are we going to just keep watching? Some of our comrades are gonna go there the shake Volker's hand and so on. Disgrace! If just a single citizen of Russia dies, we must take particular tough measures. Otherwise, our authority on the international arena, both within these G7s of G20s and within Russia, will fall as it has never fallen before. Everyone should know that you can't harm our people or else we'll freaking destroy you!
But we haven't yet created a program that we have needed for a long time. It's been discussed many times. Where are sanctions? Nowhere! No sanctions, Mr. Zhirinovsky! You, as a veteran of both our internal and foreign politics, why don't you adopt a law? Why don't you propose a legislative initiative? To declare trading with Ukraine a crime against the state. It must be punishable by law.
- Yes.
- Raise this issue! Do it! Raise the issue of granting all the citizens of Ukraine, of the South-East of Ukraine, the right to become citizens of the Russian Federation. Then the fascist Ukrainian regime will collapse. But we don't do it! We're like, "Where are our allies? Oh, here's the G7 Summit! Oh, China! Now, they'll start giving us money. Tomorrow, they'll invest in Yuzhmash. Paradoxical as it seems, the Americans didn't allow the Ukrainians to do it. Why? Because it would mean that China will become stronger military-wise. They would get the Yuzhmash's engine. Not bad, huh? They manufactured engines for the most powerful Soviet rockets. It's not an ally. We've got a problem in Syria. Where are our allies? Name these allies! As for one of these allies, they say, "You need enemies when you have such friends". He was told, "Here's your dislocation area, don't go any further, brother!" "Of course, we won't".
What did the president say, 50%? Now, it's 90%! And who are they helping? Jabhat Al-Nusra? It's Al-Qaeda, the whole world declared them to be terrorists. The Turkistan Islamic Party, a branch of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan? Turkistan Islamic Movement? Where are the Chinese? How many times did the say? "Now, we'll send elite forces, Tigers! They'll be hunting these Uyghurs. They didn't! Did they send a single ship? They didn't! They say, "You'll figure it out yourselves!" Meanwhile, the Khmeimim Air Base is striking at our soldiers with the BM-21 Grad. Where did they get the ammunition? Let's call the things as they are. Where did they get the ammo? They got the ammo from our ally's territory, namely, Turkey, which upsets the situation in Syria. Where is this ammo manufactured? Not in Turkey, of course. No! I'll give you a particular example. The USA paid $500 million to buy ammunition and so on, so-called non-standard weaponry, meaning former Soviet... Where? I don't want to mention these post-Soviet states. Because they happily sell them there! But there are two leaders there. It's Bulgaria, God forbid, which is an absolute leader in everything, and Ukraine! Our MFA summoned the ambassadors of Bulgaria and Ukraine. They said, "Do you think we're idiots? Why are you selling ammunition to this American company? It is all documented. I want to prepare material for your magazine. Misha asked me, and I'll prepare that for you. With the list of the countries with the amount of the ammunition, which planes, how they supply ammunition via this company.
This is why we need to be our own allies. In this situation, we are screwed. In Syria alone, we're in the toughest situation. We can't create a system for political reconciliation in this state because there are so many countries involved, it makes you dizzy. And we say, "Iran is our ally". What, guys?
- And Trump dumped another one on us. He said, "Go fight in Afganistan now".
- I was going to mention it when you interrupted me.
- That was my point.
- Don't throw wood into the fire.
- He is throwing. He says, "When we withdraw, there will be Islamic states left: Russia, Turkey, Iran, and so on..." Well, unlike Iran…
- India and Pakistan should fight there too.
- But we have no border with Afganistan. There is no 2,500 km border (1,500 miles), as it was in the USSR. Other states border it. Why don't they care? Tajikistan has the longest border there: 1433 km (890 miles). I've traveled along it. Why don't they care? They say, "We'll cooperate with China." Do you know where China is now conducting Tajik army training? In Gorno-Badakhshan. They have already got inside. They say, "Russia, are you OK with us smuggling drugs to your territory from here?" This is not our border. If we're going to get involved anywhere, we need to think twenty times, "Why do we need that?" and to set strict conditions.
Just a few more words. We got involved in Syria, I'm all for it. But we could have made any deal with the Iranians, as we have saved the Iranian Shia Crescent. We could've said, "Give us Hamedan for our strategic Air Force". The would have, these Persians had no other choice. "Give us two piers in Bandar Abbas, give us a 10-15% discount on oil". We didn't demand anything. And now what? Hell of allies, excuse me, they are! That's why we're our own allies. In a particular situation, anyone who is with us can be our ally. It's not someone who we consider to be our ally.
- So, you propose to be pragmatic country-wise?
- Of course, as we live in such times. As for Donald Trump, note how bold and confident he is in everything regarding the trade wars. He's doing a great job! It's hard to deny him being a patriot of his country. But note what a coward he is, apart from a few of his speeches, when it comes to a possible military conflict. He got his tail down in front of North Korea. They chickened out of attacking Venezuela, and I won't even mention Iran, being diplomatic. It means that it's time for decisive actions. I mean, it's time for Russia to act the way we did in 2014, when we got Crimea back to Russia. Unfortunately, we didn't have the heart to do the same with the South-East at that time. To act the same way we did in 2015, regarding the Syrian problem. After that, we kinda faded, Mr. Zhirinovsky, we faded! We covered ourselves in some apologetic stuff, and it's even unclear who we apologize to. It's time for decisive actions in the same directions, without fear for any military conflicts, for any nuclear conflicts. That's right, they have children, they're thriving, they're afraid of this conflict themselves. A trade war is one thing, and real war is something different. That's why we need to live through 2020 and 2021 the way we did in 2014 and 2015. Firstly.
Secondly, we mustn’t underestimate the situation that our enemy, the US, is unfolding with the support of certain actors, misfits, as I called them. These misfits are transgressing the laws of the Russian Federation in the anti-state direction. Against any logic, they are being supported very often by mighty media with an official license that is powered by a state-owned monopoly. Even in 1917 or in August 1991, such negligence was unthinkable. Where are we going? That's where we need to sort the mess out, Mr. Zhirinovsky. If we don't, it's no use talking about the G7 Summit, about China, about God knows what. We have to act decisively, as never before, supporting the law enforcement agencies that stand behind it and take up this responsibility.
