Putin challenger: I’m ready for a fight

­Presidential hopeful Mikhail Prokhorov shared with RT his hopes for being elected into Russia’s highest office, and what he has in store for the country, should he win. RT: Mr. Prokhorov, hello and thank you for your time. M.P. : Always glad to oblige. RT: Do you really think you can be the next president? M.P.: I always aim high, and whenever I launch a project I’m always in it to win it....

Libyan arms flood ‘nightmare’ for Africa

­The arms black market has been flooded with weapons from war-torn Libya, says Russia’s special envoy to Africa Mikhail Margelov, citing concerns voiced to him by local authorities. “I recently visited Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania and Morocco, and for these four countries what is happening in the desert is a real nightmare. One of the tribal leaders said to me, what happened in Libya undermined the...

‘With the collapse of the USSR Russia lost more than during the Second World War’

­Former Russian Prime Minister Evgeny Primakov was one of a handful of people watching history unfold from inside the corridors of power in Moscow as the Soviet Union unravelled two decades ago. RT has met with the politician. Here is his sober and impartial account of what happened. RT: Do you perhaps recall saying once that you do not understand what stopped the President of the USSR, Mikhail...

‘EU governance system to spread across whole planet’

With the sun setting on US global hegemony, the European model of governance is set to be adopted across the planet in a matter of a century, argues the founder and president of the French Institute of International Relations, Thierry de Montbrial. ­De Montbrial shared his vision that “100-200 years from now, the EU will extend to the whole planet” – because, he believes, it is the next form of...

‘Iran cannot be scared out of having nukes’

Nothing can stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, but the country does not have them yet, and has probably stopped trying to make them, Hans Blix, former Head of International Atomic Energy Agency (1981  – 1997), told RT. Threats by hawks in Israel and the US will not succeed in scaring the Iranians from their present course, Blix argued. “I am somehow doubtful that one can scare...

There’s still hope for Afghanistan – Russian envoy

­Despite fears that the planned withdrawal of US troops will plunge Afghanistan into chaos, there are still two years left in which to help Kabul buck the doomy predictions, says Russia’s special envoy to the country, Zamir Kabulov. The recent conference on Afghanistan in Bonn demonstrated the solidarity of the international community with the Afghan people and government. What was also evident...

Olympic enemies: Betting and obesity

The London Games will be the last ones with Jacques Rogge as president of the International Olympic Committee. RT talked to the Belgian official about the challenges his successor will face and the prospects for the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. Rogge says the biggest long-term problem world sports face in general is the trend for young people to become less sporty with every year. “There is...

‘Greece & EU: Either saved or collapsed together’

­Greek MP Simos Kedikoglou predicts his country's economic collapse within weeks, even days, if it doesn’t receive another tranche that finance ministers of eurozone countries have agreed to release. But the fall of Athens will have a domino effect – tugging away the rest of Europe. The Greek politician has sharply criticized the recent country’s government and the newly appointed prime minister...

‘Israeli attack on Iran would harm US interests’ – former Russian PM

If Israel attacks Iran, then Tehran will move straight into Iraq, rendering the US oil bonuses and all the lives lost in two Persian Gulf wars meaningless, believes veteran Russian diplomat Evgeny Primakov. Also a former prime minister, Primakov discussed with RT what lessons must be learnt from military campaigns in Iraq and Libya. RT: Mr. Primakov, thank you very much for coming here. A lot...

'Gaddafi couldn't kill more people than NATO did' – Syrian deputy FM

Even if Gaddafi had lived for another 100 years, he could not have killed even a fraction of the number obliterated by NATO during its intervention in Libya, claims Syria’s deputy Foreign Minister, Faisal al-Mikdad, in an exclusive interview with RT. ­The top Syrian diplomat recalled that NATO’s aggression against Libya was carried out under the guise of restoring human rights and protecting...