Putin: Heads of Big Companies No Longer Influence Politics in Russia

At the same time, the president noted that company executives are "fighting for their interests" The leaders of large Russian companies are not even trying to influence the country's governance nowadays, as it used to be in the 1990s, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured, interviewed by TASS for the “20 Questions to Vladimir Putin” project, the head of state said that he knew and knows all the “business captains,” he worked with everyone. "The point is not to get tough on someone, to make toe the line or chop something. This is not the point at all.  You know what? Not to allow run the country or influence political decisions," the president is sure. According to him, "both then and now everyone is looking for moves, lobbying their interests." "The difference in the ‘90s and now was that they ["business captains"] directly influenced decisions made by the state - both in matters of domestic politics, economic and even foreign. And in matters of security. Today’s companies’ leaders don’t use this privilege, " Putin said. The head of state noted that businessmen are no longer trying to influence the authorities’ policy. “They understood this is impossible, and they don’t even aim to,” he explained. At the same time, Putin noted, companies’ leaders are "fighting for their interests." As an example, he cited a discussion of oil and gas prices with partners in the Eurasian Economic Union. “Of course, they defend their position, that’s understandable. But they don’t try to influence from within, they just explain their position, they prove that they are right but this concerns a narrow segment of their practical interests. This is natural,” the president concluded.