Review of interview with a ex-friend of Putin

Insider sensational and scandalous interview given by the disgraced
billionaire Pugachev, a former close friend of Putin from 1996 to
2008. The interview was given to the well-known Ukrainian
journalist Dmitry Gordon in Russian. The interview lasted 5.5
hours. The interview is no English translation. This is a summary
of facts that I thought were important.
For you to understand who the billionaire Pugachev is, you should
watch the 2003 film "Spinning Boris". In fact, the first part of the
interview is a story about how Pugachev, frightened by the possible
revenge of the communists, helped elect Yeltsin for a second term
in 1996. Then Yeltsin's rating was only 3%. Although this is a
comedy film, as Pugachev assures in an interview, everything was
so. Also, Pugachev said that the West gave $6 billion for Yeltsin's
elections. To temporarily pay off the arrears of pensions and wages
in Russia. And for mitigate social collaps.
He has known Putin for a long time. Since the days when Putin was
an assistant to the governor of St. Petersburg, Mr. Sobchak. He dealt
with commercial issues in the city administration, and also had
friendly ties with the most notorious crime bosses in the city.
In 1997, the Control and Auditing Department of St. Petersburg
opened a criminal case No. 144128 on this matter. It was about fraud
and embezzlement of billions of public funds. The head of the
investigation, Vasily Kabachinov, after the start of this case, died
under strange circumstances. In 1999, he burned down in a bathhouse
in his country house. Pavel Borodin, the head of the administration,
invited Putin to work in the Kremlin. Because Putin, while working
in St. Petersburg, helped the husband of Borodin's daughter to avoid
arrest. He hit of man his car while intoxicated. Putin helped solve
the problem with the police. For this merit, Putin got to work in the
Kremlin.
Pugachev assures that from 1996 to 2008 he lived next to Putin.
And closely communicated with him, his family and often drank
alcohol with him. The idea of making Putin president belongs to
the billionaire Pugachev.
The fact is that after 1996, criminal cases were opened against the
Yeltsin family. Patriotic forces (the mayor of Moscow, the head of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) were eager for power. They wanted
to shoot the oligarchs, punish the Yeltsin family for destroying the
country. The instrument in this war was the Prosecutor General of the
Russian Federation Skuratov. According to Pugachev, Putin did not
want to publish dirt on him in the media. And he tried to show the
videotape with the orgy of the attorney general not publicly. But the
idea did not work out. Then Putin gave a secret order to show a porn
videotape with compromising evidence on federal state television. 
Due to the scandal, the attorney general was forced to resign. By 1999,
it became clear that Yeltsin was growing decrepit due to the fact that,
according to the information of the first president of Ukraine,
Kravchuk, he was being slowly poisened. Pugachev and the oligarchs
were worried that patriotic forces were rushing to power again.
Yeltsin's family and their people wanted to flee the country. Putin
himself wanted to flee to Spain. Since he was only a figurehead in
the political game inside the Kremlin. He hoped to earn money so
that he would never live in a cramped communal apartment again and
will going to abroad. The situation in Russia was such that the entire
Kremlin mafia sat on suitcases.
Against the background of this situation, the search for successors
to replace Yeltsin began. The President of Russia, being in a serious
state of health, tried to find a young and at the same time reliable
person. They chose between Nemtsov, Ivanov, Stepashin, Kirieenko
and Putin. None of the Yeltsin family liked Putin. Because he was
not clear. Moreover, he had connections with criminals and the USSR
State Security Committee. Although, in fact, he did not do anything
important there. But he always kept his promises to higher people.
And while working as the head of a museum or archive of the KGB
in the GDR, he was poor by Kremlin standards. All his achievements
in life are associated with friends and criminal deals.
In fact, Pugachev chose Putin because he was nothing. He was too
weak and weak-willed person. Which, according to the billionaire,
he always went with the flow. It was precisely because of his lack of
will that Putin was elected Yeltsin's successor. He was called, mister
"YES", as well as "our boy", "this clown". Because Putin never made
any decisions. And he always agreed with everything. In this regard,
even the billionaire Pugachev himself could not understand the logic
of Putin's actions. Although he assumes that Putin did not want to
make any decisions so as not to be responsible for the consequences.
Apart from the craving for a bogem life and tsarist luxury, Putin was
not interested in anything.
There is a famous book by former KGB agent Litvinenko, who was
killed by Putin's special services, entitled "The FSB is blowing up
Russia." Where the author claims that the explosions of houses in
Russia in 1999, which triggered the start of the 2nd war with
Chechnya, were staged by the people of the Yeltsin family. For create
from Putin an image of a fighter for the future of Russia. And also
show how much Putin is a "tough guy". Pugachev often mentions
that Putin did not want to be either prime minister and president.
He perceived these positions as temporary. And he always asked how
much money they would give him and when it would all end. Pugachev
personally taught Putin how the president should behave. What he can
and cannot. And that no one but him now makes any decisions. 
Moreover, Pugachev built Putin's first residence and presented him
with huge plots of land and real estate. Pugachev cites this episode to
explain why Putin became a tyrant and despot. One day he went to
a church feast. There were 50,000 Orthodox sectarians waiting for
Putin. Quote: "Imagine 50,000 people there and everyone is trying to
kiss my hands. And the police beat them brutally with trunceons, but
they still break and try to kiss my hands. These people do not need a
president, but a tsar (king)." From that moment on, Putin gradually
began to go crazy. In his understanding, the people do not exist. 
There are only specific people wihth specific interests. Putin believes
that if there are only sycophants around him, then all people are the
same. During his second presidential term, Putin began to actively
despise the West and democracy. He resented the meeting with
President Bush. Because President Bush has published all the
agreements between him and Putin. In the mafia sense, this is not
considered correct.
Pugachev assures that Putin believes in nothing but money. He does
not read books, almost does not work with papers. An infinite number
of sycophants from his entourage working with all the documents.
Essentially, Putin rules, but does not controled. He can only say
"Allow" or "Do not allow". At the same time, there is no guarantee
that other courtiers of Putin will not interfere with the execution of
what the president has allowed.
Putin is very petty, vengeful and greedy. Having received absolute
power, he took away the shipbuilding business from the billionaire
Pugachev. A total of 15 billion US dollars. Due to the fact that Putin
has new friends. Former colleagues in the St. Petersburg mafia. 
Billionaire Pugachev left Russia to avoid being arrested. At the same
time, he declares that they still communicate with Putin. However,
people from Putin's entourage opened a criminal case against
Pugachev, allegedly he stole 1 billion US dollars. In response,
Pugachev filed a $ 15 billion lawsuit against Russia. In response,
Putin, through his British agents and lawyers, corrupted Pugachev's
mistress. Putin's aides threatened young children. They said that if
Pugachev did not withdraw the claim, then his wife and children
would be left without money. But they allowed Pugachev's wife, who
lives in Britain, to use his personal money. In exchange for the
fact that through the children woman will put pressure on Pugachev
so that the billionaire withdraws the lawsuit against Russia.
Pugachev says that in Western Europe, almost all politicians are
Putin's prostitutes. He recalls an incident when British lords
offered him services for Putin. The British Supreme Court judge
took a leave of absence to defend the oligarch Abramovich in a
British court for 200 million dollars in royalties. Pugachev also
says that all the right / left opposition in France, the German "
Alternative for Germany" and other European parties are subsidized
by Putin. The money to bribe European politicians comes from
Russian oligarchs appointed by Putin. These are his former friends,
colleagues, as well as relatives and relatives of relatives. Therefore,
they are responsible only to Putin personally. They themselves do not
decide anything. Pugachev believes that Putin's main weapon against
the West and democracy is money. It was only thanks to corruption in
Europe itself that a war with Ukraine, Georgia and all other conflicts
became possible. Obviously, Putin does not need to obey the will of
political funds, because he himself has the resources to carry out
such policies as he wants. Namely, buy of all.
Putin has no moral and ethical guidelines and it is difficult for him
to understand people who give their lives for freedom and democracy.
Like Alexei Navalny and thousands of other victims of this regime.
Putin believes in connections and money. And he does not believe
in personal freedom and human rights. This is the general conclusion
of the entire interview.