Interfax: Loss of ‘sovereignty’ unacceptable price for quality of life – Putin

(Interfax – MOSCOW, October 2, 2013) Loss of national “sovereignty” is not an acceptable price for higher quality of life in Russia, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

“It’s impossible for Russia to swap sovereignty for better quality of life, because if we lose our sovereignty, we will lose the country,” Putin said at a meeting of the Council on Culture, a presidential advisory body.

“Russia cannot exist without sovereignty, it will simply fall to pieces. If it falls to pieces there will be a string of extremely serious consequences – the degradation of the entire territory, the social sphere and the people who live in those territories,” he said.