YOSHKAR-OLA, April 25. /TASS/. Russia will never allow the loss of its own sovereignty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday at the forum of the All-Russia People’s Front.
"If we agreed and said yes [to other countries], we would be good for everyone. However, we would gradually lose our significance, and the next step after losing the significance, I think, would be the irreparable loss of our sovereignty and loss of future prospects," Putin said adding that "we will never allow that."
"Not many [countries] want such an independent, effective player that knows his own worth and is capable of stating them. They will try to bring him down a little, put him in his place," he noted.
"We do not ask anyone for anything, apart from what belongs to us. And we are ready to look for compromise," he stressed. "We understand that the world does not consist of only our interests, and others have their own interests," he added.
Putin said all partners should take into account each other’s interests in order to reach harmony in the world.
He added that he is used to informational attacks. In this regard, he reminded about similar attacks during the crisis in the North Caucasus. "There is nothing new for me here," he noted. "This is the reaction of our opponents - let’s call them that - to strengthening of the country," he concluded.
"Now [our opponents] will devise something [in terms of information attacks] by May 9," he said. "Then they will devise something for the State Duma elections and then - for the presidential [election]. It’s one hundred percent, as they say, there is no prize for guessing."
At the same time, speaking about the information space, the president noted the importance of the work of the community leaders and media that act independent from the state. He said the authorities would continue the provision of support to those who contribute to the country’s strengthening by this work.
"But the results of this work are much more effective and considerable if this work is carried out by independent agencies," the president said. He added, however, that the opponents, applying double standards, will call this work "Kremlin propaganda" all the same.