MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Russia does not need dictators, but it needs equitable principles of organizing the state and society, Russian President Vladimir Putin told US journalist Charlie Rose in an interview with CBS and PBS.
"Russia, as well as any other country, does not need dictators, but it needs equitable principles of organizing the state and society: just, effective, flexibly responding to changes inside and outside the country - that is what Russia needs," the president said.
The president did not commented on the quotations from Joseph Stalin that many people said Russia needs a strong, authoritative figure, saying that he did not remember such quotes.
"Look, there is parliamentary democracy in most European countries, there is parliamentary democracy in Japan, there is parliamentary democracy in many countries, but in the United States, for some reason, the State is organized differently, there is quite a stringent presidential republic," Putin said. "Each country has its own particular features, its own traditions that find their reflection today and will find it in future."
"There are such traditions in Russia but it is not a question of a strong figure, although a strong figure is needed in power, it is a question of what is implied by this term," the president said. "It is one thing if it is a person with dictatorial tendencies. But if it is a fair leader, who acts within the law and in the interests of a vast majority of society, who acts coherently and is guided by principles, it is a completely different matter."
According to Vladimir Putin, Russia needs ‘fair leader’ more than just people ‘with dictatorial tendencies’.
Talking about some people, calling Vladimir Putin "a tsar", the president recalled a Russian proverb "hard words break no bones".
"It is not what your supporters, friends or your political adversaries call you that matters. What is important is what you think you must do in the interests of the country, which put you in such position, such post as the Head of the Russian State," Putin said.