Latest / The Fourcast / Russian ambassador to the UK on Trump Putin talks and Ukraine’s future

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Russian ambassador to the UK on Trump Putin talks and Ukraine’s future · The Fourcast

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Hello, and welcome to a special edition of The Forecast.
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I'm talking to you from the residents of the Russian
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ambassador in London because he's about to give us an
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interview on the day that Trump and Putin are also speaking
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about the war in Ukraine. There's much to speak of.
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We can't talk about the details of the negotiation, obviously,
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because that's going on somewhere else.
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But we're going to try and talk about principles and what Russia
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wants to get out of this. Ambassador, thank you for
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joining us. Can you explain why Russia
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didn't accept the offer of a ceasefire straight away with a
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view towards peace talks? What was wrong with just saying
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OK? Just saying, OK, what does it
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mean? Do you believe that it will be
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immediate truce along 2000 kilometres of our frontier?
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This is not possible. Definitely every ceasefire,
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every truce should be well prepared.
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Otherwise it will be pretty soon it will be derailed by this or
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that side because of certain provocation, because casualties
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and so on. So this is not a possibility
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just say, let us say right like that and here is the truth.
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We so we did accepted it, but it should be carefully prepared and
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otherwise it will not work what we need.
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In fact, it is overall very serious agreement which has
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security guarantees, security guarantees not only for Ukraine
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but also for Russia. It should be fundamental
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guarantees which will prevent any possibility of resume, of,
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of war, of hostilities, of whatever it is, and it should
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establish in Europe a regional security system.
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President Trump last night said he was very close to a
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cease-fire and a peace deal. Do you share his confidence?
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I cannot speak myself for President Trump at all.
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And actually I cannot say that I'm fully aware of the contacts
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and talks which have place and they did.
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In fact, it is between the security councillors on both
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sides in Washington and and Russia.
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And plus Mr. Witkoff was in Moscow ahead and prolonged
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conversation more than three hours with President Putin.
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So I believe that a lot of details, as I understand, has
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been discussed in these conversations.
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Yes. I mean, how close do you think
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it is? I have no idea.
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Because to listen to Washington, they would say, well, we're,
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we're, we're very near a deal and they want to deal quickly.
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I have no idea. That depends if what we are
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talking about. If we are talking about a
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certain framework, about principles of a future treaty, I
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do believe it should be a treaty.
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It is just not a memorandum or something like that.
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Initially, when I have a lot of experience, say in negotiation
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process, let us be caucuses or other side.
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Initially you establish certain principles, then a framework is
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coming in framework treaty. Then upon this framework and
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principles you start to elaborate a articles of the text
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of the treaty. Or it might be not one paper,
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but several papers with annexes. That's not how Donald Trump
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works, though, is. It No, he doesn't.
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Work in frameworks and principles.
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I'm not a businessman, I am professional diplomat.
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But actually I, if you will look into some very serious deals in
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business, it should be as well carefully prepared with legal
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participation and they do it, working out every detail of it
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until it will be done. So he said last night again that
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you're talking about land and energy and dividing up assets.
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No, yes, I heard about that. But it's it is not like like it
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works for us. Most important is the
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elimination of ground reasons or the How do you sell the most
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important origins of the conflict and there are at least
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two of them. One is that Ukraine should be
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neutral and non nuclear state as it is state in it initial
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version of the constitution and Declaration of Independence of
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91. And 2nd is that of course the
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right of minorities in Ukraine should be fully re established.
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It mean so-called dinozzification.
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Right. Does Ukraine then get to be a
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sovereign country? Ukraine is a sovereign country
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and it well. A sovereign country gets to
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decide on its alliances and its memberships and it's neutrality
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or otherwise. You know that we have started a
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conversation with Americans in Ariad on a very interesting
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note. They have said that initially is
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of course the most important is the principle of protection of
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national interest. But they do realise that other
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countries has their own national interest and security interest
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as well and they should took they have to be taken into
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account. They have also said that of
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course interests of Russia and the United States are different,
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but they can coincide and overlapped letters 50%,
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something like that. We have to work.
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They have said to us when they're overlapping, we should
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promote this interest for the benefit of two countries.
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And when they are disagree, where we disagree most important
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is not to go to bring these disagreements into
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confrontation. But.
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You see the? Philosophical approach.
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It's not real sovereignty if you don't get.
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We talk about Ukraine. No, no, no, no, no.
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I'm speaking that Ukraine is not only on the Western side, it is
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not alone. It is our neighbor and every
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country should take into account, into account interests
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of the neighboring countries. So Ukraine, if it would like to
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continue its normal peaceful existence and look, it should
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take into account our interests and be friendly, be friendly,
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not be our hostile to us. So.
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So this is not really going to be a free country, is it?
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That's the truth. Why?
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If that is funny, it is a free country live normally in free
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world. They do not wage war with each
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other, they do not try France and Germany.
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France and Germany has long ago agreed that they do not hate
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each other and they live peacefully in spite of very long
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history of contradiction. France and Britain decided to
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live in peace absolutely, after very long history of hostilities
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to each other. Why we cannot live with Ukraine
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normally but. Would would you say Britain and
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Russia are friends? Not at the moment at all Britain
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is conducting. So you don't have to be friends,
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you know, do you? No, let me let me finish if
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you're asking my questions to answer this question, OK, The
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policy of United Kingdom also Russia is hostile at the moment.
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Let us say, I would choose the word adversarial, but it is even
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hostile because they are saying that we need to to continue
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sanction Russia, to reinforce Ukraine in order to put a
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strategic defeat on Russia. What else we need to crash
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Russian economy. It has been said yesterday by
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Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
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So how we can treat this? It is of course, very
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adversarial, very adversarial policy by United Kingdom towards
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those Russia. So let's come back to what you
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think is acceptable in terms of the future of Ukraine.
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Can Ukraine have an army? Well, every country has an army,
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with the exception of whatever it is.
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It's pontific. But Vatican, Vatican probably
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does not have one. It is.
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But does Russia believe the Ukrainian army should be
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limited? Yes we do, Yes we do, Yes we do.
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And we have had a prolonged negotiations with Ukraine in
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April 2222 where limits on Ukrainian army has been fixed.
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I do not know I can, I do not preclude what's going on, what
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will be the outcome of the current negotiations.
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But I have seen the draft but. That is still a condition.
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I have seen the draft, I do not know I, I let let put it, it is,
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I do not convene negotiations here and negotiations it, it is
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belongs to the future. We are now talking about the
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truth about cessation of fire. But As for the limitation of
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Ukrainian army, it is I, I I do think it is obvious because
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Ukrainian army before the conflict consisted of 250
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people. It was the biggest biggest army
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in Europe, even twice bigger as Polish has an army with the same
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comparable population. It's been speculated that
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America may recognise Crimea as Russian in advance of the rest
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of the peace negotiations. Is that the kind of step you
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wish to see first? Sort of take that out of the
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negotiation effectively. I have read the speculation, as
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you have said this morning, of course, in the newspapers.
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If I do not know whether it is true or not, but of course, if
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it will, if this step will be done, it will be a great
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achievement, of course, for, for, for peace and normalization
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of the whole situation in Europe.
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Because it is fact of life that Crimea is Russian.
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It has a referendum has been conducted. 2 million of
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population of Crimea. They are Russians.
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They do not live in Ukraine. They live, they would like to
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live in Russia. The referendum was questioned,
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we should say, by. The no, no, no, no, no, don't,
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don't even mention to it. It is referendum is not
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questionable. It is it has been done in
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accordance with every standard of it.
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A lot of a lot of observers has come to Crimea during a
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referendum and it well, if someone do not recognise what we
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can do, well, I mean the. The United Nations expressed
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concern about it, but, you know, I presume there would be another
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one in the future. But the, the, the point of
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taking Crimea out of the discussion would be that it then
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focuses on the territory that Russia now holds.
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And, and your foreign minister has said there's no question of
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giving anything up. Is that, is that still the the
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position that there's no question of Russia withdrawing
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from any territory? That why should we?
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Why should we? We have liberated a lot of
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territories. I do not speak about percentage.
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Of course we understand that population living on it is has
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also a certain desire, a desire, a certain, but of course a
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desire to to live with Russia because we provide, it is
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natural. We provide much better
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conditions than Ukraine in terms of infrastructure building a lot
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of housing and all of that. And we are restoring this lands
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right now. It is visible but.
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You don't have everything you want, do you?
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So I mean, I suppose the question is, are there other
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bits of Ukraine that you also want at?
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The moment we speak and this is our official position that there
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are four regions that has been incorporated in our Constitution
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and that's the case plus Crimea, of course.
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And is that it in terms of? What you mean?
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Is there are there other bits of Ukraine that you want as part of
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this? Situation.
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I have never heard about anything.
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Else because obviously the, the, the, the, the fear is that if
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you, if you, if you say Russia can hold on to everything it's
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taken, then why wouldn't you come back for more?
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Well, it, this is also a question of negotiation.
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Of course, it is just you have, you're asking me a hypothetical
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question and hypothetical answer.
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Well, there are lots of fears in the era that we are going to
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attack this and that there are a lot of threats that has been
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invented by British government or in the Parliament.
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They're seeing that Russian ship is going through the English
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Channel and this image, this is such a threat for.
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But it also might make sense. I mean, there might be a demand
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from Russia, you know, where people say, well, we've got all
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of that, why can't we have the rest?
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We can't because we are targeting to a very serious
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arrangement which will stop all aggressions, war and regional
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tensions and that's it. So if we will come to terms with
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Ukraine, it will be an outside arrangement as well for the
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regional security. Outside arrangement for the
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regional security will preclude any kind of, well, as I have
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said, differences, contradictions or controversies
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in it, like it existed in 90s, I will say in early 90s when we
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have come to since 75 when we have established Helsinki
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principles. So Decalogue then Paris
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declaration, we have come to normalization total between
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Soviet Union, then Russia and Western countries.
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We were living under certain principles and there was no
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tensions. I will say we have launched many
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partnership with the European Union, with NATO.
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I was in this partnership with Council of Europe, with member
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Soviet Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
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We have been member Soviet and actually that was a total
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normalization. However, unfortunately, Western
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countries under the leadership of the United States decided
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differently. They decided that they're going
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to enlarge NATO and and towards our borders and they to secure a
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security for just a group of states, ignoring interests of
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the others. This is what is important.
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But but So what? What that means is if you're not
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prepared to give anything up, then you get to keep, for
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example, the Zaparisha nuclear plant, which was the biggest
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nuclear plant in Ukraine. And indeed, last night President
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Trump said we're talking about energy and assets.
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So, so you you see the future as Russia holding on to that very
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important piece of energy infrastructure.
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Well, I have heard from the Americans.
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I have heard from the Americans that it will be a discussion
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about that. But I do not see the point
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because this plant is now is, is on our territory, basically.
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It is now controlled by the international agency, you know,
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for Atomic Energy. Mr. Grossi, his leader, has
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visited several times. It is under normal conditions
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and I do not know so. But does that mean Russia could
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turn the lights off in Ukraine? Turn lights.
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Well, Moscow has built up in Ukraine a lot of or power
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plants, nuclear power plants, they still have in possession.
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I do not know how many, but at least well, it is lesser than
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10, but more than five I guess or something like that.
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But there are lots of power plant.
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Besides they have a lot of hydro electric power plants.
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So Ukraine has a lot of capabilities.
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They just should be used and maintained properly.
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And under the previous governments in Ukraine, they
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were in a very poor conditions, very dangerous condition for
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Europe. Can I ask you then about the the
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Coalition of the willing? Yeah, sure.
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That's Keir Starmer and President Macron are assembling
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you. You've always said there's no
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question of international troops in Ukraine.
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Is that still a red line? Because there are apparently 30
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countries who want to take part in the security guarantees of
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Ukraine. It's very impressive, of course
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#30 countries, but what do they are going to provide?
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I'm not sure. Well, there are two sides of it.
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First is that, of course, for us, it is unacceptable that NATO
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troops will be stationed in Ukraine.
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It's a matter of principle. It is because they will be
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stationed over there. They will need to to construct
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the bases, route of supplies and so on.
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It is so. Why is it so unacceptable?
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It is because it it doesn't matter what kind of label will
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be on these troops, it is still being NATO troops and it was a
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is a position of principle. But you already have NATO troops
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on your border, so why is it different?
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In our borders, what do you mean?
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Well, no, no, of course NATO has in the recent two years
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seriously increased number of troops close to our borders.
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It's around two and a half, 2 1/2, twice and a half size.
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They have increased troops along our borders during a recent two
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or three years on Ukrainian soil.
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So it is, it doesn't matter for us whether it will be under
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European Union label or whatever it.
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Is why it's so important if we're.
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Talking about, let's, let's talk about the different.
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It's one is the condition for the negotiation, which I have
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emphasized. The other is let's imagine that
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they are over there without our consent.
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Yeah, What they're going to do if well, for instance, it will
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be we have let us have we have a truce, we have a ceasefire.
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If by some provocation this is a clashes will resume.
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What these troops are going to do, Tell me, are they going to
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sit idly then what's the sense of it?
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Or they will intervene on, on they will intervene on the side
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of Ukraine. They will be in a great danger
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in, in this situation without have role of engagement, without
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have a having a mandate at all. So I, I, this is senseless idea,
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but you're talking about peace. Let me, let me please.
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You're talking about peace time and security in peace in peace.
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Time. No.
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In a peace scenario it should be consent of of two sides of the
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conflict. They are in the conflict zone.
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If we have a peace, then they can come only with consent of
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both sides and we, we do not give our consent for it.
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Why not, if we're talking about peace in which you don't believe
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NATO is going to? Invade Russia and for this you
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need to study the whole history the the history of international
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relations. You you never have a biased or
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one sided troops in a in other territory you can only have
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United Nations troops OC observer so you would.
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Accept. UN troops, Yeah, I.
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Don't think non nation countries.
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Well, if it will be something like that, that someone will
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have to control, to police, to monitor what is what is
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happening, if it will be a mandate by the United Nations,
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why not? Why not?
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Of course yes we do have a history of OC observers, but it
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was a poor history because they were one sided and biased
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unfortunately. But there is no question of
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British troops being involved in Ukraine at all.
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And here we are coming to your previous question, since UK has
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taken up a very hostile, I would say and belligerent attitude
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towards the Russia and all of that, I don't believe that we
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will be happy about that. Just explain then what is the
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difference again between having armies or troops from NATO
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members in Ukraine and troops in Finland, Sweden, Poland all on
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the edge of Russia? Why is there such an in
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principle difference? When it.
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Comes to Ukraine. Field, Sweden, Poland, at the
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moment they're members of NATO, members of NATO and NATO is
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developing a basis on its own territory since they are
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presumably are saying that they are defensive organization and
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this basis has been deployed in a sense of defence.
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Ukraine is not member of NATO, so it will be an outside
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deployment of NATO troops and of NATO bases and.
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It will be targeted against Russia, obviously.
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So that's the answer to your question.
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Of course we will be against it. What's the next step for you in
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terms of confidence building? You know, does Russia expect
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sanctions to be lifted? Well, we are under thousands of
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sanctions 10,000 as American sanctions.
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So of course we do not expect we have lived under sanctions for
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our entire life of Russian different sanctions, there was
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Jackson and Vining sections of them.
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That has been changed for the other sanctions.
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And all that said, we used to leave under sanctions and our
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economy is growing 4% a year differently from European
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economics. So.
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So that's not a crucial. It's this is not crucial, this
20:48
is not crucial. I think it is just if US would
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like to do business in Russia as I'm reading a Russian statements
20:54
about that, then of course the bulk of it should be lifted
20:58
initially starting with issues of money transfer and all of
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that because it is most impeding for development of business.
21:07
But let's let's see what's going to happen later on.
21:09
So, so where? Where do you see Russia in the
21:11
world if this can be solved? Do you want Russia back in the
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G? Eight.
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No, we do. You want to.
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We do not have international organization.
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No, we do not have an aspiration of being an G8 and we are part
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of international organization of a major one of the United
21:27
Nations of where we see and all others where you have 4 organize
21:32
international organization here in London.
21:34
We participate in all of them International Maritime
21:37
Organization call sugar, whatever it is, we are part of
21:41
it. So we continue to to.
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But you've been treated as a pariah by much of the world.
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It's it's a silly idea. It is.
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Well, I have seen this tendency has started around 10 years, 10
21:52
years, 10 years ago. It is not in the world.
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It is only in Western countries, in Europe.
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Well, that's much of the world. And this is So what?
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It is much of the world. Isn't it in western?
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It is about some 18% of 18I mean it is or 20% over the world.
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So don't, don't, don't even mention it to me.
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The what? In more general terms, that was
22:16
a silly idea because you're politicians and they stopped to
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talk to us some 10 years ago. They're talking about us all the
22:25
time, but among ourselves. So it, it has led to tension, it
22:30
has led to major misunderstanding.
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I remember I talked to to in in your parliament, it was late 21,
22:39
second December or something like that, or beginning to 22.
22:43
And it has caused serious interest in it.
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So that was a dialogue. But it is it very rare time now
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your parliament has prohibited me to, to go into it or to talk
22:53
to the parliament theories. So you, your politicians,
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unfortunately they do not have. They have a wrong perception of
23:00
Russia, wrong perception about real threats, because they're
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talking only to each other, not to us.
23:05
Yes. So do you want that to change?
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Do you want to change the? Perception, I think if, if
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they're going, if they will, they will have better
23:13
understanding if they will not only talk to each other or to
23:16
the French counterparts or American counterparts.
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Americans dared and in fact they change this policy.
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They decided that it is no good that they should talk to us,
23:27
should talk to Moscow, so to should talk to Putin to have the
23:31
negotiations. Though have they have come now
23:35
to the idea that the this trend is an impasse.
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It leads to not only to tension, but it leads to confrontation.
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However, UK pursue this line not to talk to us, but to go into
23:48
confrontation, to belligerently continue to supply Arabs, supply
23:55
money to Ukrainians, what they would like to do to destroy
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Ukraine totally. This is a possibility.
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What I mean is, is there a bigger international prize?
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I mean, it's it's not that long since the world was able to deal
24:07
with Russia on other big issues, other conflicts around the
24:11
world. You have influence the questions
24:14
of climate change, international finance, crime, you know, war in
24:20
Africa. Do do you see Russia being a a
24:25
trustworthy partner in these issues with with the West in the
24:29
future? Just look at the map.
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It's a big country, much bigger than Europe, perhaps not in
24:34
terms of population, but in terms of territory.
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We are in the East and in the West, and we have a lot of
24:40
influence in, in Middle East, in Africa, in Asia, in, in a lot of
24:46
parts of the world. It will be absolutely normal to
24:49
work together. And as initially, I have told
24:52
you about new American philosophy, which has not been
24:55
promoted by Democrats at all, but to which Republicans has
25:00
come that we should, in the overlapping areas, we should
25:04
work for the benefits of our role.
25:07
Are you surprised by how Donald Trump has changed the American
25:11
position so dramatically? I mean, it's left much of Europe
25:15
mystified. Well, I have read a phrase that
25:20
when we have, he has come to power for the first term.
25:22
He did not sufficiently prepare himself, as he has expressed it,
25:28
for the presidency. And it has been seen actually in
25:31
his deeds and his actions. Right now he's different, he is
25:36
prepared and he put a lot of people who thinks alike himself
25:42
to the import positions over there.
25:44
So now it is coherent. As we understand now it is a
25:47
coherent international policy or perhaps it is a lot I would say
25:54
causing certain uneasiness about Greenland, let us say about
25:59
Panama Channel or it is but on as on as it he faces Russia.
26:06
I do have he has a lot of understanding and not only
26:08
because a major change in his policy, but he knows the history
26:13
when he was for the first time the President here or he has
26:16
full position of information about how Ukrainian conflict
26:19
developed. Do you think he's?
26:20
A friend? Do you think he's a friend?
26:23
No, I I have no idea. Not mine at all.
26:25
Of course it's. What would Russia think about
26:28
America taking Greenland? We we have no opinion neither
26:32
about Greenland. You don't.
26:34
Object. You don't object.
26:35
We we have no opinion. It is between between US,
26:38
Denmark, European Union and Greenland itself.
26:41
I don't think there's a. Principle wrong.
26:43
No, I have never seen anything that it is up to the population
26:47
of Greenland to decide what they would like, what they would like
26:50
to do. Can I ask you what what if, if
26:54
there is peace, you, you took a lot of troops from North Korea.
26:59
What does North Korea get back? I'm not sure yes, I'm, I'm not
27:03
sure I, I do not know. Nobody has seen North Korean
27:06
soldiers. It is only is in the era that
27:08
they, they, they could present, be present over there or not
27:11
present. But I don't I, no, I, I, you
27:13
don't know whether they're there or you're denying that I do not
27:16
and I confirm no deny. I simply do not know.
27:19
But I'm, I read a lot of bloggers of those who are taking
27:22
part in the contact right now also in, in Kursk area and near
27:26
over there from the British sources, from other sources,
27:30
international sources, yeah, about North Korean, but nobody
27:33
has mentioned actually the about the nobody has mentioned the
27:37
role over there or any other place since nobody has seen
27:41
them. So I I simply do not know and.
27:44
And what about the situation with Iran at the moment?
27:46
What do you think Russia's role is in trying to improve the
27:51
situation between Iran and America, where Donald Trump has
27:55
asked Iran to enter into talks over its nuclear program and
27:58
Iran is reluctant? You know that the day before,
28:01
you know, Friday, actually we did have a trilateral meeting in
28:04
Beijing between Russia, China and Iran.
28:08
And there are very strong signals that actually it is Iran
28:16
will not bow under pressure. Iran is a big country and very
28:21
serious country and it should, one should not push it very
28:25
hardly because they have a lot of capabilities in fact.
28:29
And it is much better to negotiate with Iran, to
28:31
negotiate it nuclear deal and not to involve other things into
28:36
that like US administration strike.
28:39
It's not about missiles, it is not about regional issues and
28:42
all of that. If we have a certain
28:44
negotiations with Iran about a nuclear deal, then we should
28:48
finalise it on the terms which will be acceptable both for the
28:54
Iran and those who are involved in the negotiations.
28:58
Can I just come back to the question of security guarantees,
29:00
which you mentioned at the beginning?
29:01
You said Russia will be prepared to accept international troops,
29:05
powers from the UN or the OSCE. I did not mention the OECOEC has
29:12
had observers on on this line. I don't know the Secretary
29:18
General of the OEC was last week in Moscow, but it is a premature
29:23
to discuss it in detail or seriously.
29:25
But since we do not have a Twitter right now.
29:27
Is that the sum total of the security guarantee that Ukraine
29:31
can expect? Well, the previous drafts with
29:36
Ukraine that we did negotiated in 2002, they did not contain
29:41
any mentioning of boots on the ground.
29:44
As your Prime Minister has has said the IT is sufficient that
29:49
it will be a treaty. We did have in the history a
29:52
lots of treaties without any kind of boots on the ground or
29:56
something like that. It is just worthy truth worthy,
29:59
I would trust, worthy think. And guarantors of course will be
30:05
other countries watching it or United Nation.
30:09
Of course there are things like that.
30:12
It is, it is. It's international practice of
30:15
international law. If we come to a peace, then what
30:19
will Russia's compromise have been?
30:22
Don't ask me about this. It's a funny question.
30:24
You never speak about compromises before you start
30:27
negotiations. Well, but Ukraine, Ukraine is
30:30
obviously being expected to give up territory.
30:33
Is there any compromise that Russia is prepared to enter
30:35
into? My friend, it's senseless to
30:39
discuss compromises before the start of negotiations.
30:42
Absolutely don't threat me to drive me into that.
30:46
It's it's. Right.
30:48
But you're not ruling out that there will be some.
30:50
It's just part of the process. It's an issue of negotiations,
30:52
of course, and. And finally, just just come back
30:56
to Trump. I mean, you say you don't know
30:58
whether he's a friend. A lot of people in Europe wonder
31:02
why he has come round to the Russian way of thinking so fast.
31:07
Have you had, you know, can you have an explanation for that?
31:10
I do have an explanation because it's a common sense leads
31:15
Americans now to talk to Russians.
31:18
But I don't see this common sense unfortunately in the most
31:21
of the European leaders who is except of one or two, they do
31:25
not, they're not guided by the common sense.
31:29
They are guided by a political necessity to to continue to
31:33
perform, to to make impressive gestures, to talk about
31:38
international politics instead of dealing with difficult
31:42
problems, internal problems that they're facing.
31:45
It's it's so violent a change. People wonder whether you've got
31:49
something on Trump. Does Russia have something on
31:52
Trump? What do you mean this?
31:57
We have gone through this 10 years ago already.
31:59
No, nothing has been. No, it's a prosecutor has been
32:02
assigned as I recall. Alternative has come to nothing
32:05
like most of the talks here. So he's just come round to
32:08
thinking your way of his own, of his own bad.
32:12
As I have said, he's a personality, he's a business
32:14
person, he has a lot of common sense and he don't understand
32:17
what is needed and what is not needed.
32:20
Are you, are you confident? Are you, are you, are you, are
32:23
you optimistic as we talked today?
32:26
No, in that sense I'm optimistic because everybody would like to
32:29
have peace in Europe as well as, but this peace should be strong,
32:35
reliable and long term. And what is your message to to
32:40
the Baltic states, to Moldova, to other people who are saying
32:43
we're looking at this with horror and thinking, well, they
32:46
could come after us next? We have a problem with Ukrainian
32:51
government because it's extremely nationalistic, It
32:55
oppresses it, wage war against. During now 10 years it waged war
33:02
against Donbas. It was prepared to launch if
33:06
there is a absolutely disastrous attack against Donbas.
33:10
And that is we tried to settle it by diplomatic efforts during
33:15
all this time. We did finish, unfortunately.
33:17
So it happened now, but it's a different situation.
33:22
Ambassador, thank you very much indeed.
33:24
Thank you for your good question.