Putin says not afraid of global responsibility

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not afraid of great responsibility to the world as a leader of one of the most influential countries in the world, along with China and the US, he stated during a plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club on Thursday.

"If you’ve taken a task on, some job, then you need to understand what it involves beforehand," Putin said, noting that he is not afraid of the responsibility for the fate of the world as president. "You cannot think about saving yourself," he said about the role of a head of state. "It is a very important thing, especially for the people who bear the responsibility for their countrymen, for millions of compatriots," Putin stressed.

The president added that fear is a natural component of the self-preservation instinct. "Because fear is the other side of the self-preservation instinct, natural for every human, for every biological object," he stated, pointing out that a head of state cannot be afraid of his own fate.

"Right now, it is my choice. I think it is like this for everyone, for all my colleagues it is the same: everyone is worried. But if you have decided something for yourself, if you have made a choice, you have to act without looking back at the negative consequences you personally may have. You have to think about the positive consequences for those you are doing it for," the president explained.