Putin will not repeat Aleshin's mistake with "Financial Times"

President Vladimir Putin made it clear that some western journalists and politicians are bought buy the Russian oil company YUKOS.

According to Putin, this is why some European mass-media and diplomats asked very certain questions on the situation around YUKOS. At the press-conference in the end of a cold Russia-EU meeting, Vladimir Putin gave the following response to the question of a western journalist concerning the arrest of Khodorkovsky: "I will answer your question, even though it is not related to interactions between Russia and EU, I understand that you received an order which you have to serve it"

"People who in 5-6 years made billions of dollars will certainly spend millions, tens and hundreds millions to save themselves; we know where those money are spent to – which lawyers, publications, politicians too, to ask questions like that", underlined president.

Putin claimed that the State will be "consistent and rigid" in actions against corruption, despite of a wish of certain individuals to blackmail the State. "There is no perspective in blackmailing the government", said Russian president. He also said that the task of the State lies not in "teaching certain persons", but rather to fight against corruption, and it is in this context he sees the YUKOS case. He reminded that together with Khodorkovsky, several top-rank law-enforcement officials were arrested, and "one of the former Federal Ministers case is in the Court".

Putin also denied popular criticism of the YUKOS situation based on a claim about "complicated laws", saying that "even if the laws were complicated, they need to be followed, especially when crimes against individuals are being conducted, and especially - the murders". He reminded that in the group arrested during YUKOS investigations, some people are being accused in murders.

Aleksandr Magidovich