Everything would appear to indicate that the president has decided to hand over – in other words, close down – two bases. We do not need them anymore. The base in Cuba was there for 35 years, there was electronic radar exploration throughout the American hemisphere. Now it would seem that we do not need it, we are going to economize on resources. Are you convinced by the arguments advanced by the president and Kvashnin, head of the General Staff, that we no longer need these bases?

They do not convince me in any way, they are unsustainable, because really this is one of our electronic radar exploration bases that has existed for 37 years, since 1964. Of those 37 years, 28 were exploited by us free of charge. Only in 1992 did we begin to pay rental; first $90 million, then $160 million and then $200 million USD. And it is a fact that it is extremely necessary for us. We do not have any other observation point. We do not have any point on earth from which we can guarantee the collection of precise intelligence information. Throughout all those four decades it has been stated that the base was created to monitor the United States’ behavior, how it is fulfilling the strategic weapons reduction agreements, the ABM treaty. And suddenly we find ourselves facing the dilemma: either we were lying or we don’t need it anymore.

And is it necessary?

Yes, of course. Just 10 months ago, Putin was in Cuba, he visited the Electronic Radar Station with Fidel and never said a word about Russia preparing to liquidate that station. Moreover, he even made clear in writing that he wished to develop the station, to improve it in the interest of both countries. And suddenly, in a totally unexpected manner, although talks were taking place on the remuneration figure between the representatives involved, suddenly, the day before yesterday, October 16, two of Putin’s special representatives appeared before the government of Cuba and categorically demanded the public announcement of the cancellation of that agreement’s functions and the closure of the station. Naturally, the Cubans didn’t understand. Normal talks had taken place, during the course of which it was established that we should advise the Cubans a year in advance if we wished to rescind the agreement. And then, suddenly, the demand; that is to say, from a political perspective. The Cubans put it very well in their note. They say that everything would seem to indicate that someone had the desire to give Bush a present on the eve of the upcoming meeting between Putin and Bush in Shanghai.

And us, what presents are they going to give us? Today we talked of Russian national interests [in another part of the program], so, what presents have they given us recently?

That station has always been a thorn in the United States’ side. It has always demanded its closure and we have always maintained our positions.

Now, in northern Norway, they have...

They have always had bases in Norway, Turkey, and previously in Iran. They have stations of virtually every type, at least a few dozen...

And they aren’t closing them down?

Definitely not. The Ukrainians launched a missile against our TU-154 and the U.S. experts were the first to detect that it was shot down by a missile.

And we were the first to deny it.

We were the first to depart from our ideas. This electronic radar station is extremely necessary to us. But, clearly, there is a certain, very strong pro-U.S. group, party, lobby in our government, which has destroyed the president’s will and obliged him to come out with such statements. We cannot compensate for this in any other way. Kvashnin stated that we can construct radar stations and launch satellites, but he didn’t say how many years we would need to do so. This station is functioning and the world situation is such that we are talking of a war of civilizations. Hysteria is so high that we are talking of World War III. And closing down this base at this point, when the U.S. military is opening them in Uzbekistan, Tayikstan, sticking their nose into Abkhasia, today this behavior is totally incomprehensible. Everything would seem to indicate that once again the little Russian dog has laid down on its back and is raising its paws to the U.S. bloodhound. For me, that is very painful.

How is it possible to behave in such a way with an ally, with Cuba again, given that it can de deduced from the Cuban note that it was totally unexpected? How will they behave toward us? With Yeltsin they behaved in one way because he sold himself out, betrayed and gave in. And who can deny that we are continuing this policy?

The Americans have already realized that Russia is on the same track as Gorbachev and Yeltsin. We have always abandoned Cuba. When the missiles had to be removed in ’62, we didn’t ask Fidel. We arrived, took them away and didn’t ask anybody. When we withdrew the brigade that was there for a few decades, we likewise relegated them to the background. We never consulted them, we never thought about our allies. When we broke off economic relations, it was the same story. And now history is repeating itself. Russia is behaving incorrectly toward those countries that have been prepared to support relations as allies. This is lamentable for a state. Who would want to be our ally? It would be hard to find anybody.

You have said that that the president’s actions resemble the actions of Yeltsin and Gorbachev. That is something that makes me afraid. We know the direction that those two leaders’ foreign policy took us, without mentioning domestic policy.

It seemed to me, six months ago, that Russia had acquired a certain geopolitical stability. There were normal relations with China, with Europe as well, with the United States an equality at a distance and suddenly, in the course of the last few months, that has begun to completely break down. It seems that the state train is going off the rails. In recent months we have reneged on our friends in Pridnestrovie, in Abkhasia. We have put the brakes on unity with Belarus and, on the contrary, have bowed down before those countries who were always complex partners. The Americans are observing all the discriminatory measures. Whatever Bush says to Putin will be a lie, empty words. Believe me, as I have had the experience of having studied U.S. foreign policy and its leaders for 40 years.