Press Release, 17.11.2017

Presidential candidate Grigory Yavlinsky has become a guest of the federal television channel for the first time in a long time. In a live broadcast of the Russia-24 channel Yavlinsky spoke openly about inefficient economic and foreign policy and normalisation of relations with Ukraine and Europe, as well as low confidence of citizens in the state, the Russian establishment and the course of the presidential campaign.

According to Yavlinsky, in order to protect Russia’s national interests, it is necessary to pursue a policy of normalisation of relations with other countries, especially with neighbours, primarily with Ukraine, as well as Europe. To this end it is first of all necessary to declare that Russia renounces the policy of aggression and confrontation and plans to normalise relations with its neighbours.

Negotiations with Ukraine should be conducted by the Presidents of the two counties rather than their representatives, and Russia should abolish “the policy of limited sovereignty” in relations with Ukraine, he stressed.

He also said that as Russia has the longest borders with the most unpredictable regions of the world, the country should have a powerful army and intelligence services.

Yavlinsky also added that his proposals to reduce the expenditures on the army and the law enforcement refer, first of all, to the control how the funds are spent, how prices for equipment and maintenance of the army are formed. Grigory Yavlinsky’s The New Budget Policy is one of the sections of his presidential programme, proposes to cut budget expenditures for defense and police.

Answering the questions from the TV anchor Yabloko’s leader indicated low trust of the society in the state.

“Social tension lies in the fact that the confidence of citizens in the courts, law enforcement agencies, the state in general is very low. There is high confidence in one person, and the general confidence to the state is low,” Yavlinsky said.

This low confidence manifests itself “in very different ways,” and transfers into an open confrontation.

“For example, absolutely obvious confrontation has been taking place, say, between the intelligentsia and the state, for example, on the issues of [persecution] of theatre people, on the [case of theatre director] Kirill Serebrennikov,” Yavlinsky said.

“Well, who can believe that Kirill Serebrennikov is a thief? No one. Who can believe that, say, [Ukrainian film director imprisoned in Russia] Oleg Sentsov is a terrorist? No one believes this. Such policies of the state must be changed, ” Yavlinsky said.

“Anyone can be checked or audited,” Yavlinsky said, continuing the topic of reprisals against Kirill Serebrennikov and his theatre. “But, as you know, not all people are summoned to court. We have such persons who are summoned to court, but they do not come”, Yavlinsky said referring to the case of Russia’s former Economic Minister Alexei Ulyukayev accused by Rosneft’s head Igor Sechin of exorting a bribe, however, Sechin refused to appear before court. “They say, “I am on a business trip”. So we have different people, with different possibilities,” Grigory Yavlinsky noted ironically.

According to Yavlinsky, it is also necessary to change the policies towards NGOs labelled “foreign agents” and refrain from censorship in the media.

Speaking about the presidential campaign, Grigory Yavlinsky noted that everyone should have the right to offer an alternative programme for the development of the state, however, was skeptical about participation in the presidential elections of those who had not engage in politics before.

Answering the question about why he had earlier compared Ksenia Sobchak’s nomination as a candidate in the campaign with a failed campaign by oligrach Mikhail Prokhorov in 2012 who suddenly dropped his campaign, Yavlinsky said that “the prospects for those who have never participated in politics in our country but would like to run in the presidential campaign are not very promising. A person starts the campaign, then drops it all and leaves, but people have already given votes for this persons.”

“I said this so that to prevent such a development. But everyone who considers it necessary to present some other programme has the right to do that,” he added.

Answering another question from the anchor about his difference from candidate Ksenia Sobchak, Yavlinsky noted that it “did not occur to him” to compare himself with Sobchak. “She is a candidate “against all” [as she puts it], and I am a candidate “for all”. I am an opponent of Vladimir Putin, not to Ksenia Sobchak. That’s it,” he said.