Vladislav Surkov, one of the most influential Kremlin strategists, the man often referred to as the „creator” of Vladimir Putin, talks about his vision of the world.
It is the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine that one of Russia’s most mysterious figures speaks openly, and his statements are almost frightening.
He says that Russia is everywhere, and at the end of the interview given to the publication L’Express, he states: "The system I have created is 99.9% what I imagined. I still don't know how to manage that remaining 0.1%..."
The Man Behind the Kremlin Breaks the Silence
Vladislav Surkov, probably the most mysterious figure in Russia, has remained silent in the three years since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. However, journalists from L’Express have discovered that the man who "made" Vladimir Putin, the one who inspired novelist Giuliano da Empoli to write The Kremlin's Wizard, has much to say about Russia and the man who leads it.
No one knows what Surkov is doing today and he has avoided answering this question. Giving a voice to the Kremlin's wizard means, in a way, entering Vladimir Putin's mind, writes L’Express.
Vladislav Sourkov: "The Russian World Has No Borders"
L’Express: "There are decades where nothing happens, and weeks where decades happen," Lenin is said to have said... Is this the case in today's Europe?"
Vladislav Sourkov: Yes, in recent weeks, the United States has unleashed a verbal storm over Europe. But for now, we only see provocation and empty words. The essential is yet to come. Washington is breaking out of stagnation.
There needs to be a period of perestroika [reconstruction], glasnost [transparency], and a new way of thinking. Soviet perestroika led to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. Will NATO and the European Union collapse following an American perestroika? Time will tell. The decision is yours.
L'Express: Have Russia's objectives in Ukraine changed since February 24, 2022?"
Vladislav Sourkov: Its strategic objectives have not changed, but its tactical objectives have adapted as the strategy has been implemented.
L'Express: You said, "For Russia, permanent expansion is not just another idea, but the existential condition of our historical existence." In your view, what are Russia's borders?"
Vladislav Sourkov: We have built an official ideology based on the concept of the "Russian world," which already existed in philosophical circles. The Russian world has no borders. The Russian world is wherever there is Russian influence, in one form or another: cultural, informational, military, economic, ideological, or humanitarian...
In other words, everywhere. The degree of our influence varies greatly from one region to another, but it is never zero. So, we will expand in all directions, as far as God wills and as far as our forces allow. The important thing is not to be carried away and not to take on too much territory.
"Even as We Speak, European Arms, Some French, Are Used Against My Country"
L'Express: This interpretation leaves little room for the will of the peoples. What happens if they do not want to be part of this "Russian world"? Can they be forcibly associated? And, above all, why?
Vladislav Sourkov: I do not see any denial of the will of the peoples in my previous response. Europe is the one that has ignored the will of the Ukrainian people, supporting two coups in Kiev.
In 2014, for example, more than half of Ukrainians spoke Russian daily, both at work and at home.
Less than half supported integration into the European Union, and even fewer wanted to join NATO.
Against the will of the Ukrainian people, or at least the majority of them, the West is trying to force Ukraine's submission, without anyone understanding why.
Even as we speak, European arms, some of them French, are being used against my country to support the puppet regime in Kiev, which is not based on the majority of the Ukrainian people, but on its anti-Russian and pro-Western minority.
This is the result of the West's attempts to colonize Ukraine by force.
"Trump is Closer to Putin Than Macron"
L'Express: You invented "Putinism." Has Trump adapted this model for the United States?
Vladislav Sourkov: When Trump was first elected, some of the most serious American media published articles claiming that his teams used my propaganda methods and some of my political ideas.
I don't know if it's true, half-true, or post-truth. At that time, the President of the United States publicly stated, and I quote: "The future belongs not to globalists, but to patriots"; "The free world must embrace its national roots, which are irreplaceable"; "If you want democracy, stick to your sovereignty."
Essentially, these are the principles of sovereign democracy, as I formulated them in the early 2000s and which have become the conceptual basis of Putinism.
Coincidence? Who knows? Ideologically speaking, Trump is closer to Putin than Macron.
L'Express: Can Trump's America become an ally of Russia?
Vladislav Sourkov: Trump doesn't strike me as the kind of man who wants allies.
"Period"
L'Express: You have invented a system of "monarchic archetype democracy." Isn't it vulnerable, as it depends on one man?
There is no ideal political system; each model has its vulnerabilities. Our model, like all others, has its own risks and mechanisms of self-destruction. It is simply the most efficient model for our country.
It took me ten years to build it, and look at it: it works. We need a leader. Period.
L'Express: Does this mean that your political activity has ended? Have you created everything you wanted to create?
As I said, the system I have created is 99.9% what I imagined. I still don't know how to manage that remaining 0.1%...