SOCHI - Forum Valdai. Viktor Limonchikov, a pensioner from Belgorod who was mentioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Valdai Club plenary session, said on 9 November that he does not consider himself a celebrity.
Putin mentioned him during the debate, telling how during the election campaign in March this year he saw a TV report with Limonchikov travelling to a polling station during a Ukrainian drone strike. Asked by a journalist whether he was afraid, the pensioner replied, "I am a Russian person".
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Limonchikov admitted that he was pleased that the Russian president mentioned him, although he does not consider himself a celebrity. He said that Putin's words had sparked pride among the pensioner's relatives and acquaintances.
"They found out in Sverdlovsk, in Ekaterinburg. They were watching this programme and my wife's friend called her. Putin remembered my words again yesterday... Satisfied and happy," the man confided.
He recalled that the President had mentioned it after the election results were announced. Limonchikov also added that he had voted for Putin, who he said was "a reliable person you can rely on to do everything for Russia".
The President also touched on the topic of Russian-Chinese relations. According to Putin, cooperation between the two countries is one of the most important factors of international stability. Relations between Russia and the People's Republic of China are at an unprecedentedly high level and are based on mutual trust, which is lacking in relations with other countries, especially Western states," he said.
Putin stressed that bilateral cooperation is developing in the energy sector - oil, gas and atomic energy; this increases China's energy security.
At Valdai, the president also congratulated Trump on his victory, spoke of the AFU's huge losses and presented options for resolving the conflict
Earlier, on 7 November, at the Valdai Club plenary session, Putin declared that the Russian Federation is going its own way and will not turn away from it, but is ready for integration. He added that he would not want Russia to go back to the path it was on until 2022 because they tried to subordinate it then.
TASS / photo: kremlin.ru and ria novosti / gnews.cz-jav
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