Here is the transcript in English:
Press-Conference
of A. Pushkov
PUSHKOV:
We think that those people who took part in making those decisions
did not have the moral right to make them. The Georgian delegation
should rather explain how Georgia killed 147 people in Tskhinval in
August 2008 by the orders of Saakashvilli -- which you all saw on
your television screens. Tskhinval was bombed by “reactive”
(rocket?) systems. 147 people died during this operation. What did
we hear today from the Georgian delegates? That this did not happen.
They bear responsibility for those killings.
Let
us call things by their names. They will judge us for Crimea joining
Russia which happened completely without the bloodshed and in
accordance with the opinions and wishes of the people of Crimea.
Georgia wanted to return to itself those territories on which she
practiced genocide in 1991-1992 in an aggressive military way.
There were people killed and this was acknowledged in OSCE(?) report
which was prepared by Mr. ?. And everyone knows this.
And
so...
...
[ INTERRUPTION IN LIVE STREAM ] ...
...with
the result that their representatives -- including those who advanced
amendments about our exclusion -- with the result of aggression
against Iraq in 2003. Somehow I did not notice that those 20
governments who supported that aggression in one or another way, and
which was declared illegal world-wide -- this is known -- were
sanctioned here. Somehow we did not see this. The parliamentary
assembly on this crime closes its eyes, even though in Iraq, as a
result of that occupation and aggression, died some several thousand
people -- this is known. But no sanctions are implemented against
those comrades.
I
think that one should think about those governments who regularly in
the past 20 years violated international law -- bombing Belgrade,
bombing Libya, occupying Iraq -- do not have any moral right to make
any decisions about the Russian delegation. And we completely
disagree with this.
We
also want to tell you that I think this very tense crisis between
Russian and the Parliamentary Assembly of Europe (PACE) is tied to
several things. Firstly, we see here the triumph of double
standards. What we heard yesterday from the Ukrainian delegation is
just comical -- it causes uproarious(?) laughter. Ukraine has no
problems except danger from Russia. Go to Ukraine. See how that
country lives. See what is happening in the east, west, and south --
look at Kiev and what the revolutionaries have turned it into. Talk
to the families of those who were killed -- not only on Maidan but
those of the Party of Regions. How right-wing extremists came to
their headquarters and killed two people just like that. One an
engineer and one a soldier -- who had no affiliation with the Party.
Talk to them. Talk to the representative of the Southern Ukraine’s
Communists, who was subjected to torture. They placed needles under
his fingernails and beat him. This is all known. Talk to
Simonyanka(?) who yesterday, or the day before yesterday, was beaten
at the podium of the Rada by the representatives of Svoboda.
And
what do we see here? We see an amendment to condemn Svoboda and
“Right Sector” for racism, for ultra-nationalist views, for
anti-Semitism, which the European Parliament called for in December
2012 -- this did not originate from us. We see that this amendment
does not get the support of even a third of the delegates. 51 or 52
people voted for this amendment. What can we discuss here? Can we
discuss any unified standards of European Assembly? We are talking
about the full and hideous triumph of double standards.
We
also see that the supremacy of law does not concern this Assembly.
The Ukrainian government was overthrown. This is very obvious. This
is being discussed by the foremost lawyers not only in Russia, but
also in Europe. We know very well that the Constitution was
violated. How come when we discuss Crimea, our Ukrainian colleagues
refer to the Constitution? How come when we try to discuss how they
overthrew the President, how they took un-Constitutional decisions,
there is no discussion? The Constitution holds sway in one case, but
not the other. So what are we discussing here? And if someone here
took it upon themselves, beside the Euro Left faction in the
Parliamentary Assembly -- the Euro Left faction was the only one who
raised the question about the legality of what happened February 22nd
in the Ukraine. At the very least, a decision should have been taken
to look into this matter and then conduct discussions to understand
whether those actions were or were not Constitutional. No! We are
told ahead of time everything was Constitutional. Who decided this?
The
Ukrainian Constitution describes how the President may be removed
from power. A special commission is set up to investigate the
reasons for impeachment. Then, a hearing in Constitutional Court
about this question. And following, a vote for impeachment in the
Rada. This is the Constitutional procedure for impeaching a
President in the Ukraine. If everything happened in this manner, I
can assure you, Russia would not have protested at all. Instead of
this, what happened? The Constitutional Court was disbanded. Five
people were ejected from the Constitutional Court including the head
judge -- notwithstanding their immunity. And people are trying to
convince us this new power is legal and lawful?
The
most unpleasant thing in this story is that the Parliamentary
Assembly has betrayed its own principles. The majority in PACE have
betrayed the principles of right, the supremacy of human rights, and
the supremacy of law. The majority in PACE have taken care of the
political interests’ of those governments who want the geopolitical
assimilation of the Ukraine. I am very sad to say this because PACE
was supposed to be an organization above politics. It was supposed
to be an organization creating precise standards in that or another
sphere(?) Russia is to blame...
UNKNOWN
MAN: Sorry to stop you Mister. This
is a press-conference not a political statement.
PUSHKOV:
Who is saying this?
UKNOWN
MAN: Me over here.
PUSHKOV:
Where?
UNKOWN
MAN: Here.
PUSHKOV:
If you are not happy with my statement, [ unintelligible ]...
UNKOWN
MAN: It has nothing to do with your
st...
PUSHKOV:
If you are not happy with my statement, please leave.
PUSHKOV:
The Parliamentary Assembly of Europe (PACE) ...
...[
PUSHKOV WAVES HAND ]...
PUSHKOV:
Don’t put obstacles to what you say.
UNKOWN
MAN: [ unintelligible ]
PUSHKOV:
And so, the Parliamentary Assembly of Europe (PACE) betrayed those
principles it was supposed to defend. I should say, not all members
did that. Those representatives who took a nuanced, well-thought out
position; those who voted against the decision to...Russia...
...[
DISTURBANCE IN THE AUDIENCE ]...
GERMAN
JOURNALIST: Could you speak in
English? Could you speak in English, please? We would like to
understand what you are saying. Please.
...[
PUSHKOV WAVES HAND; MORE DISTURBANCE IN THE AUDIENCE ]...
GERMAN
JOURNALIST: Please...can you speak in
English?
PUSHKOV:
Those people who voted for well though-out decision to leave an
opportunity for Russia to work in the European Assembly -- they, I
think, deserve all possible support. Those who voted to have the
Russian delegation stripped of most of its powers made a conscious
decision. The continued presence of the Russian delegation in PACE
no longer makes sense, and I want this to be understood. If the
majority in PACE believe they hold the keys to history in their
hands, they are mistaken. Decisions are not only made here. We also
are making a decision about whether we should remain in this
assembly. Our presence here is of our own free will -- our presence
in the European Assembly is of our own free will -- but we may change
our minds. Thank you.
GERMAN
JOURNALIST: Could you speak in
English? Please? We would like to understand you. My name is Petra
Klingbar(?) from the German Press Agency.
...[
PUSHKOV AND FELLOW DELEGATES CONFER ]...
GERMAN
JOURNALIST: Could you speak in
English, please? So we could understand you. Thank you.
PACE
RUSSIAN DELEGATE: I would like to say
a few words. We here...
GEORGIAN
JOURNALIST: Can I ask a question?
Please, can I ask a question? This is Georgian Television.
PACE
RUSSIAN DELEGATE: Later, later.
Perhaps there will be a question time.
We
here represent the large country of Russia. Everything we have heard
here for the past two days, is upsetting for all of our country.
That is first. Second, I would like to say that not one amendment we
have tried to put forward was accepted. I even think that if I put
forward an amendment that the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea, it
would also not be accepted. The responsibility of the work of my
colleagues...
GEORGIAN
JOURNALIST: Don’t you think that
perhaps Russia is mistaken and that it deserves these sanctions?
PACE
RUSSIAN DELEGATE: Please let me
finish. It seems to me, I am here...
GEORGIAN
JOURNALIST: What, do you think the
whole world is mistaken?
ANOTHER
PACE RUSSIAN DELEGATE: Mr. Potyomka(?)
is older than you, please let him finish.
GEORGIAN
JOURNALIST: If I could ask a question?
This is a press-conference.
PUSHKOV:
Excuse me. If there will be further disturbances from the audience,
we will finish this press-conference and leave. You can stay behind
with your opinions and questions.
GERMAN
JOURNALIST: There is no translation.
We would like to understand what you are saying.
...[
PUSHKOV SHRUGS ]...
GERMAN
JOURNALIST: But you speak very good
English.
-------
What is so important in the word of Pushkov?
First, this is the first time that a high ranking Russian diplomat who clearly "had it" decides to "hold up a mirror" so to speak to the EU officials and show them how ugly their faces are. Gone is the pretense of civility and friendship - Pushkov is calling the PACE delegates unprincipled hypocrites and liars whose lack of basic decency is total.
Second, Pushkov also tells the western corporate press to go to hell, well, not quite in these terms, but that is the substance of his reply when the press corps first tries to shut him up and then leaves the room.
In other words what Pushkov does is show his absolute contempt for the *cheap prostitutes* (there is no other way to put it) who would execute any order of their bosses, repeat any lie, deny any fact, no matter how obvious.
Of course, Pushkov does not use Mrs Nuland's colorful expression, but the message is the same. So now both the USA and Russia have expressed their total contempt for the EU. God knows the latter really had it coming.
In conclusion I will say that Alexei Pushkov is really a "big shot" in Russia and not just he hold the powerful position of head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia's lower house of parliament but also because he has his own weekly analytical program on the Russian TV called "post-scriptum" which is watched by a lot of people. He is a very smart man, impeccably educated, well-read and well-traveled. And he is a real diplomat, a man of a level of professionalism and expertise as Sergei Lavrov. All this is to say that his word carries a lot of weight, especially in the circles of power around the Kremlin.
Speaking of Lavrov, he also spoke for a full hour on Russian TV in the show "Sunday evening with Vladimir Soloviev" (a very well-known journalist) and his message was the same one: the EU has gone mad, and if they are dead set on a confrontation with us, we are quite ready.
As for Putin, he has had a public meeting with representatives of his Russian Popular Front movement and he is preparing for a lengthy TV "townhall meeting" on TV. All the signs are that his message will be the same one.
On March 1 of this year I warned that Russia was ready for war. It now appears that this war will not be hot (thank God for that!), but "cold" and primarily economic. I think that the PACE vote and the Russian reaction to it mark the beginning of active hostilities.
It shall be interesting to see what the EU muster in terms of "firepower" other than hot air and how much staying power all these EU prostitutes really have.
The Saker
