Last Thursday as tens of thousands of protesters on Prospekt Rustaveli were chanting "Misha, Go!", Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was explaining to Newsweek's Anna Nemtsova that the opposition in Georgia had no chance and that he had never personally insulted Vladimir Putin.
Q.: Today is a hard day for you. Does the opposition have a chance?
A.: Everything is going peacefully, as I had expected. I can't count the number of times they tried to topple me, so this is not a new situation for us. During the course of reform we have sacked about 250,000 people, many of them have failed to find a place for themselves in the market economy and have been calling for my resignation for several years. Only a few years ago Georgia was a criminal country. In Tbilisi alone we had to jail 8,000 people: their relatives and friends are protesting in the streets today as representatives of various opposition parties. Speaking about opposition leaders who were my allies yesterday, I see neither charisma nor a coherent political programme in Mr Alasania. Nino Burdzhanadze has even less chance. Some may find it disappointing, but I can assure you that there will be no presidential elections in Georgia until 2013.
Q.: What are the most unpleasant elements of the opposition criticism directed against you?
A.: There is nothing new in the opposition's claims, I hear their arguments every day on two opposition TV channels. What did disturb me was the reaction of the West: everyone was waiting with bated breath until April 9. The French delegation postponed its visit, two major Turkish and Arab companies put off the signing of contracts due on April 12. Do we put off our visits to Paris or Strasbourg if mass protests are taking place there? It is sad that many had indeed expected chaos in Georgia.
Q.: What sort of relationship do you have with the US Administration?
A.: I am on excellent terms with the US Secretary of State, Ms Clinton. I have talked with President Obama over the phone several times, but we have not yet met. Of course John McCain was the closest of all to us, he is almost a Georgian. We look forward to his visit in a week's time.
Q.: The opposition accuses you of violating the Georgian Constitution by shelling Tskhinval on August 7. Is that so?
A.: Everything was according to the law: we called a Parliament session and Parliament made the decision. If we had failed to react to the growing aggressive actions on the side of South Ossetia the people would have thrown us out of power in August.
Q.: Your opponents accuse you of spoiling the relations with Russia by insulting Vladimir Putin.
A.: When the Russian side said it wanted to open a cultural centre in Georgia, I suggested that they buy the embassy building and adjoining grounds for 9 million dollars. Russia thought it was too much. Several years ago we discussed with Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov the opening of a Russian military school in Georgia and even the purchase of Russian arms. But it never went further than conversation. I asked Russian officials whether it would be a problem for them if NATO set up its base on our territory. They said they did not care if several old aircraft were based here. As for my relationship with Mr Putin I swear to you that I have never said anything insulting about him. All this is gossip. (In a conversation with Newsweek Mikhail Saakashvili swore repeatedly that he has never - publicly or in private - called Putin by the name Lilliputin).
Q.: Do you think President Medvedev would like to unleash a new war against Georgia?
A.: I think that after his meeting with President Obama President Medvedev is not interested in such a scenario. Mr Obama made no bones about describing the August events as Russia's "invasion" of Georgian territory. Having said that, I am sure the Russian leadership would be happy to see me quit my post. In our policy with regard to protests we will behave as if there are no problems with Russia. And conversely, our policy towards Russia will assume that there are no protests.