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De Gaulle’s grandson says Putin wants peace, unlike Western leaders

"I believe in the wisdom of the Russian soul," Pierre de Gaulle said

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Pierre de Gaulle, the grandson of General Charles de Gaulle, the founder of the Fifth French Republic, said Russian President Vladimir Putin is not driven by money and wants peace, unlike Western leaders.

"I believe in the wisdom of the Russian soul, I believe in the wisdom of your president, who wants peace. Unlike Western leaders who depend on coin, your president is a man of freedom, fully dedicated to the protection of his people and Russian civilization," he said as at the first Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize ceremony at the Bolshoi Theater.

De Gaulle also quoted Fyodor Dostoevsky's statement, "If there is no God, everything is permitted."

"This thesis illustrates the moral and ethical failure of the modern-day West," de Gaulle's grandson said. "Our duty is to find the meaning and value of our lives through God. Faith is deeply rooted in the Russian soul, and no one can take it away. It is an eternal weapon."

About the award

Members of the Russian Historical Society, the Russian Military Historical Society and the Russian Peace Foundation established the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize Foundation in 2022. The prize is named after the Russian writer that is celebrated as one of the world’s greatest novelists and acclaimed humanist, and a symbol of Russian culture.

It is awarded for activities aimed at promoting peace and international cooperation, engaging the general international community in the struggle for world peace, and achieving charitable, cultural and educational goals, including promoting a positive perception of Russia in the world.

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