“I would like to assure you that there is no organization or any sort of repression against people who don’t agree with our actions, for example in Ukraine, Crimea, or any other external issue, no one from official government organs do this.” PeopleGovernmentActionIssuesExampleOrganizationAgreeOfficialsOrgansOur ActionsRepressionUkraineCrimea Author:Vladimir Putin
“The events in Crimea themselves have nothing to do with what happened in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and other regions. In my opinion, when the world becomes unipolar, or when someone tries to make it so, then this one pole has the illusion that all issues can be settled through power. And only when there is a balance of power does the desire to negotiate appears.” WorldTryingDoeDesireOpinionIssuesHappenedEventsBalanceIllusionIraqRegionsAfghanistanLibyaBalance Of PowerCrimea Author:Vladimir Putin
“In relations between the states ... the interests of the country should be correlated with the interests of other countries, and compromise is to be found when resolving the most complex issues.” ShouldCountryStatesFoundInterestIssuesRelationComplexesCompromiseOther Countries Author:Vladimir Putin
“Problems between countries always exist, especially between such big countries as Russia and the United States. There have always been some issues, but I don't think we should go to extremes.” ThinkingShouldCountryStatesProblemBigsUnitedUnited StatesIssuesExtremesRussia Author:Vladimir Putin
“We discussed this very important issue yesterday over a beer.” ImportantIssuesYesterdayBeerImportant Issues Author:Vladimir Putin
“I believe, I am pretty certain that virtually everyone speaking from the United Nations platform is going to talk about the fight, about the need to fight terrorism, and I cannot avoid this issue, either. This is quite understandable because it is a serious common threat to all of us; it is a common challenge to all of us.” NeedsBelieveCertainFightingI BelieveNationsChallengesUnitedCommonIssuesSeriousThreatTerrorismPlatformsUnited NationsI Am Pretty Author:Vladimir Putin
“No one except for al-Assad's army is fighting against ISIS or other terrorist organisations in Syria, no one else is fighting them on Syrian territory. Minor airstrikes, including those by the United States aircraft, do not resolve the issue in essence; in fact, they do not resolve it at all.” StatesFactsFightingUnitedUnited StatesIssuesEssenceArmyIncludingTerroristResolveAlsTerritoryMinorsSyriaIsisOrganisationAircraftAssad Author:Vladimir Putin
“The issues of political nature should be solved in any country, including in Syria, primarily by its people.” PeopleShouldCountryPoliticalIssuesIncludingSyria Author:Vladimir Putin
“I think that all countries of the region should join their efforts in the fight against a common threat - terrorism in general and ISIS in particular. It concerns Iran as well, it concerns Saudi Arabia (although the two countries do not get along very well, ISIS threatens both of them), it concerns Jordan, it concerns Turkey (in spite of certain problems regarding the Kurdish issue), and, in my opinion, everybody is interested in resolving the situation. Our task is to join these efforts to fight against a common enemy.” ThinkingShouldWellsTwoCountryProblemCertainFightingCommonEffortSituationOpinionEnemyIssuesParticularConcernTasksThreatTerrorismSpiteRegionsIranTurkeysIsisJordanArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudisTwo CountriesCommon EnemyKurdish Author:Vladimir Putin
“President Obama and I can meet, shake hands and discuss current issues, we - and I am personally - are always ready for such contacts.” I CanHandsPresidentIssuesReadyCurrentsContactShakesPresident Obama Author:Vladimir Putin
“I have called President Obama, and President Obama called me on various issues. This is part of our regular contacts, there is nothing unusual or extraordinary about it.” PresidentIssuesExtraordinaryVariousContactUnusualPresident Obama Author:Vladimir Putin
“Russia and the United States are the biggest nuclear powers, this leaves us with an extra special responsibility. By the way, we manage to deal with it and work together in certain fields, particularly in resolving the issue of the Iranian nuclear programme. We worked together and we achieved positive results on the whole.” WayStatesWholeTogetherCertainUnitedResultsDealsResponsibilityUnited StatesIssuesSpecialFieldsNuclearRussiaManageExtrasWorking TogetherIranianProgrammesNuclear PowerPositive Results Author:Vladimir Putin
“How long has it taken the democratic process to develop in the United States? Since it was founded. So, do you think that as regards democracy everything is settled now in America? If this were so, there would be no Ferguson issue, right? There would be no other issues of similar kind, there would be no police abuse. Our goal is to see all these issues and respond to them timely and properly. The same applies to Russia. We also have a lot of problems.” IfsThinkingKindLongStatesProblemWould BeAmericaProcessGoalUnitedUnited StatesDemocracyIssuesTakenAbusePoliceRegardDemocraticRussiaTimelyDemocratic ProcessFerguson Author:Vladimir Putin
“Addressing issues, including controversial ones, as well as domestic issues of the former Soviet Republics through the so-called coloured revolutions, through coups and unconstitutional means of toppling the current government. That is absolutely unacceptable.” WellsMeanGovernmentIssuesRevolutionIncludingCurrentsFormerRepublicSovietControversialCoupsUnconstitutional Author:Vladimir Putin
“I think that both Russia and other international actors, including those who are more actively engaged in the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis (that is the Federal Republic of Germany and France, the so-called Normandy Quartet, certainly, with close involvement of the United States, and we have intensified our dialogue on this issue), we should all be committed to the full and unconditional implementation of the agreements that were achieved in Minsk. The Minsk Agreements have to be implemented.” ThinkingShouldStatesActorsUnitedUnited StatesIssuesCrisisIncludingInternationalCommittedRussiaDialogueFranceEngagedGermanyAgreementResolutionRepublicUnconditionalInvolvementImplementationQuartetsUkrainianNormandy Author:Vladimir Putin
“Russia has long recognized the borders of today's Ukraine. By and large, we have completed our talks on the border. Now we have to deal with the demarcation, but this is a technical issue.” LongTodayDealsIssuesRussiaBordersUkraine Author:Vladimir Putin
“We do not trade territories although concluding a peace treaty with Japan is certainly a key issue and we would like to find a solution to this problem together with our Japanese friends.” ProblemTogetherIssuesKeysSolutionsTradeJapanTerritoryTreatiesConcludingPeace Treaties Author:Vladimir Putin
“Some years ago our Japanese counterparts asked us to resume the discussions of the issue and so we did meeting them halfway. Over the passed couple of years the contacts were practically frozen on the initiative of the Japanese side, not ours. At the same time, presently our partners have expressed their eagerness to resume discussions on this issue [the Kuril Islands].” YearsSidesIssuesCoupleYears AgoMeetingsPartnersContactDiscussionIslandsInitiativeFrozenHalfwayResumesCounterpartsEagerness Author:Vladimir Putin
“We handed over nothing, those territories [Tarabarov Island to China] were disputed and we have been negotiating this issue with the People's Republic of China, let me stress that, for 40 years, and finally managed to come to an agreement. One part of the territory was assigned to Russia, while another part - to the People's Republic of China.” PeopleYearsHas BeensIssuesLet MeStressChinaRussiaIslandsAgreementRepublicTerritoryNegotiating Author:Vladimir Putin
“However, there is a fundamental difference between the issue related to Japan's history and our negotiations with China. What is it all about? The Japanese issue resulted from World War II and is stipulated in the international instruments on the outcomes of World War II, while our discussions on border issues with our Chinese counterparts have nothing to do with World War II or any other military conflicts. This is the first, or rather, I should say, the second point.” WorldShouldFirstsWarDifferencesIssuesMilitaryConflictFundamentalsInstrumentsInternationalChinaChineseDiscussionBordersWar Of The WorldsOutcomesRelatedJapanWorld War IiWorld War INegotiationCounterparts Author:Vladimir Putin
“This issue is not economic but political. I hope that all market participants interested in maintaining stable and reasonable world energy prices will finally make the right decision.” WorldPoliticalEnergyDecisionIssuesEconomicReasonableStableMaintainingParticipantsRight DecisionMake The Right Decision Author:Vladimir Putin
“The G20 was established as a forum to discuss, first and foremost, world economic issues. If we load it with... Of course, politics affects economic processes, this is obvious, but if we bring some squabbles, or not squabbles, rather, some matters that are really important but relate purely to world politics, we will overload the G20 agenda and instead of addressing such issues as finance, structural economic reforms, tax evasion and so forth, we will engage in endless debates concerning the Syrian crisis or some other global challenges, of which there are many, or the Middle East problem.” IfsWorldFirstsImportantMatterProblemCoursesProcessChallengesIssuesEconomicMiddleTaxesCrisisObviousEastDebateEndlessFinanceReformRelateAgendasMiddle EastLoadForumsEvasionOverloadEconomic IssuesSquabblesWorld PoliticsEconomic ReformsTax Evasion Author:Vladimir Putin
“There are many issues in the global economy in general and in the western economy as well: population ageing, drop in labour productivity growth rates. This is obvious. The overall demographic situation is very complicated.” WellsGrowthSituationEconomyIssuesWesternRatePopulationObviousComplicatedProductivityLabourAgeingDemographicsGlobal Economy Author:Vladimir Putin
“We see that leaders in Western Europe [there are some debates of course, we also see that and analyse it all] stick to, I cannot say right or wrong ones, it always depends on someone's view, but I think, very pragmatic approaches in addressing economic issues.” ThinkingCoursesViewsLeaderIssuesEconomicDependsApproachEuropeSticksWesternDebatePragmaticWestern EuropeEconomic Issues Author:Vladimir Putin
“This is also evident in Europe, not the dependence on oil and gas, but the fact that structural reforms are long overdue, and I think that the leading economies are very pragmatic and efficient in addressing the issues facing the European economy. That is why we keep approximately 40 percent of our gold and foreign currency reserves in euros.” ThinkingLongFactsEconomyIssuesPercentEuropeGoldOilReformGasEfficientCurrencyReservesDependenceEvidentPragmaticEuroOverdueOil And Gas Author:Vladimir Putin
“The stability of the rate is the main issue and the Central Bank manages to ensure it one way or another. This was finally achieved after the Central Bank switched to a floating national currency exchange rate.” WayIssuesRateManageOne WayStabilityCurrencyFloatingCentral Banks Author:Vladimir Putin
“All issues - purchasing and selling of currency - are related to the regulation of the national currency market. However, it is still difficult to say what will be the reaction of the Central Bank and if it would lead to increasing the gold and foreign currency reserves.” IfsStillsDifficultIssuesGoldReactionsSellingRelatedRegulationCurrencyReservesCentral BanksPurchasing Author:Vladimir Putin
“What are we seeking to achieve? We are seeking to optimize budget spending. I believe that even in such uneasy times we employ a very pragmatic approach towards economic and social issues. We do address major social problems and deliver on our promises to our people.” PeopleBelieveProblemI BelieveSocialIssuesEconomicAchievePromiseApproachMajorsSeekingSpendingBudgetsAddressesSocial IssuesPragmaticUneasySocial Problems Author:Vladimir Putin
“If the United Kingdom considers it necessary to start a dialogue on certain issues, we are ready for that, we are not going to pout or sulk. We take quite a pragmatic approach towards cooperation with our partners and we believe that it would be beneficial for both our countries.” IfsBelieveCountryWould BeCertainUnitedIssuesReadyApproachPartnersKingdomsDialogueOur CountryCooperationBeneficialPragmaticUnited Kingdom Author:Vladimir Putin
“The absence of a peace treaty [with Japan] is an anachronism we inherited from the past and it must be removed. However, how to do this is a complicated issue.” PastIssuesComplicatedAbsenceJapanTreatiesAnachronismPeace Treaties Author:Vladimir Putin
“Everything that we [with Shindzo Abe] are talking about has come to us as a result of the events of 70 years ago. In some way or other, during these 70 years we have been involved in some kind of dialogue on the issue, and that includes the conclusion of a peace treaty.” WayYearsKindHas BeensResultsTalkingIssuesEventsInvolvedYears AgoDialogueConclusionTreatiesAbePeace Treaties Author:Vladimir Putin
“Yet our interests, the interests of the Russian Federation, include the normalisation of relations with Japan, which is not at the bottom of the agenda. The whole range of what will be proposed for a solution, the entire range of matters related to the normalisation of our relations and what that would bring after normalisation, this is the whole range of issues to be discussed and decided, and those decisions should be of a practical nature.” ShouldMatterWholeInterestDecisionIssuesSolutionsDecidedRelationBottomPracticalsRangeRelatedJapanAgendasFederation Author:Vladimir Putin
“Our agreements on creating the conditions for preparing a peace treaty [with Japan] should be rooted in this trust. This may be achieved, for example, by large-scale economic activities that will also cover the Kuril Islands. It may be achieved by solving purely humanitarian issues, for instance, unhindered visa-free travel by former residents of the Southern Kuril Islands to where they used to live: visiting cemeteries, native places and so on.” ShouldMayUsedIssuesEconomicConditionsExampleActivityCreatingHumanitarianScalesInstanceFormerIslandsNativeJapanAgreementSouthernRootedPreparingVisitingTreatiesCemeteryResidentsVisaLarge ScalePeace TreatiesNative Place Author:Vladimir Putin
“This is the large range of issues we have to discuss [with Shinzō Abe] and make a decision on each one of them. Look, after the resumption of the negotiating process in 2000, we did not refuse to consistently work toward signing this peace treaty.” LooksProcessDecisionIssuesRefuseRangeConsistentlyTreatiesSigningNegotiatingAbePeace TreatiesResumption Author:Vladimir Putin
“As regards humanitarian issues and how to handle them, that was the Prime Minister's [Shinzō Abe] initiative. He brought the matter up at our last meeting in Lima and asked me straightforwardly whether we would agree to let Japanese citizens travel on a visa-free basis, resolve the issue in such a way as to enable them to visit the South Kurils, visit their native areas. I said at once that it was quite possible.” WaySaidMatterLastsIssuesCitizensAreasBasesRegardAgreeMeetingsSouthHumanitarianHandleMinistersNativeResolvePrimeInitiativePrime MinisterVisaAbe Author:Vladimir Putin
“There is progress in the sense that the Prime Minister [Shinzō Abe] has proposed, outlined, as it were, directions for movement toward a peace treaty and the resolution of issues related to territorial problems. Now, what did he propose? He proposed promoting an environment of trust and cooperation. I believe it is even hard to imagine that it can be any different, that we can agree to sign the documents that we are talking about without trusting each other or without cooperation. That is simply impossible even to imagine.” BelieveDifferentHardProblemI BelieveTalkingIssuesEnvironmentImagineProgressImpossibleMovementAgreeMinistersRelatedResolutionPrimeCooperationImagine ThatDocumentsPrime MinisterPromotingProposeTreatiesTerritorialAbeWithout TrustPeace TreatiesTrusting Each Other Author:Vladimir Putin
“The Prime Minister [Shinzō Abe] also highlighted the need to address general humanitarian issues. We already mentioned one of these issues: visa-free travel by Japanese citizens to the South Kuril Islands.” NeedsIssuesCitizensSouthHumanitarianMinistersIslandsAddressesPrimePrime MinisterVisaAbe Author:Vladimir Putin
“We conducted talks on border issues with our friends in the People's Republic of China for 40 years. There were also issues related to specific territories.” PeopleYearsIssuesChinaBordersRelatedRepublicTerritory Author:Vladimir Putin
“Now we are talking about concluding a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Council, recently established in the post-Soviet space, and China. A similar agreement was concluded a short time ago with Vietnam. Then, we will coordinate, at least we are ready to do this, the Chinese concept of the Silk Road Economic Belt with our newly-created regional organisation. So, do you understand how diverse, multi-faceted and deep Russian-Chinese ties have become over the last couple of decades? And we resolved the border issue.” LastsSpaceTalkingIssuesEconomicReadyCoupleConceptsTradeChinaDecadesPostsChineseBordersTiesAgreementVietnamSovietDiverseCouncilBeltsOrganisationSilkShort TimeFree TradeCoordinatesTrade AgreementsConcludingSilk Road Author:Vladimir Putin
“Here is an example: while resolving current issues, our American colleagues made a proposal on the Syrian settlement but then suddenly declared at the UN that they were not going to discuss anything with us. It is necessary to understand what people want in one department versus another department of the United States. Do they have a common position? And this happened many times on very many areas of our cooperation.” PeopleWantMadeStatesUnitedCommonUnited StatesIssuesHappenedExamplePositionAreasCurrentsDepartmentCooperationColleaguesVersusProposalSettlement Author:Vladimir Putin
“There are also fundamental issues related to what the current leader, President [Barack] Obama, said. I am referring to his idea about American exceptionalism. I am skeptical about this idea.” SaidIdeasPresidentLeaderIssuesFundamentalsCurrentsBarackRelatedSkepticalPresident Barack ObamaReferringExceptionalismAmerican Exceptionalism Author:Vladimir Putin
“The level of our political trust [with China] is also very high. We have similar positions on major international issues or even, as diplomats say, our views are identical. We often have shared positions on key issues of the modern international agenda.” PoliticalLevelsViewsIssuesModernPositionKeysMajorsInternationalChinaAgendasIdenticalDiplomats Author:Vladimir Putin
“This work is either useless or harmful, because there is nothing good about populism. If you wanted to hear my opinion on this issue, that is what I think.” IfsThinkingWantedOpinionIssuesUselessPopulism Author:Vladimir Putin
“In accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the issues of foreign policy and defense are fully in the hands of the president.” HandsPresidentIssuesPolicyConstitutionDefenseForeign PolicyFederation Author:Vladimir Putin
“President Obama hasn't been elected by the American people in order to be pleasant to Russia. And your humble servant hasn't been elected by the people of Russia to be pleasant to someone either. We work, we argue about some issues. We are human. Sometimes one of us gets vexed. But I would like to repeat once again that global mutual interests form a good basis for finding a joint solution to our problems.” PeopleHumansSometimesProblemFormOrderPresidentInterestIssuesGayFindingsSolutionsBasesHumbleArguingRussiaServantPleasantRepeatsMutualPresident ObamaSyriaJointsGay RightsMutual Interest Author:Vladimir Putin
