“Please, accept the most sincere words of sympathy over the natural disaster that affected the United States . I know that hurricane Katrina that hit the US south-western coast led to casualties, left homeless dozens of thousands of US citizens and inflicted a strong damage to the economy of this region. I ask you to convey my condolences to the next of kin of those killed,.” KnowsStatesNextAsksLeftStrongNaturalUnitedAcceptingUnited StatesEconomyCitizensPleaseSouthWesternDisasterDamageRegionsAffectedSincereDozenHomelessCoastHurricanesCasualtiesKatrinaCondolencesNatural DisasterHurricane KatrinaWords Of SympathyMy Condolences Author:Vladimir Putin
“Russia can offer state-of-the-art technology, .. For example, we can help other countries launch space devices such as satellites.” ArtCountryStatesHelpingSpaceTechnologyExampleOffersHelping OthersRussiaDevicesOther CountriesSatellites Author:Vladimir Putin
“One must not allow oneself to skid down to isolationism and unbridled economic egoism. ... The second possible mistake would be excessive interference into the economic life of the country. And the absolute faith into the all-mightiness of the state.” CountryStatesWould BeMistakeResponsibilityHistoryPowerEconomicHonestyCapitalismEconomicsAbsolutesOneselfDebtSocialismTaxationEgoismInterferenceIsolationism Author:Vladimir Putin
“Our anti-crisis policy is aimed at supporting domestic demand, providing social guarantees for the population, and creating new jobs. Like many countries, we have reduced production taxes, leaving money in the economy. We have optimised state spending.” CountryStatesJobsSocialResponsibilityHistoryPowerSupportEconomySecurityHonestyPolicyCreationCitizensDemandTaxesEconomicsCrisisInvestingProductionsDebtSocialismInternalsExpensesOther CountriesSocial SecurityTaxationReducingNew JobInvesting Money Author:Vladimir Putin
“Everything must be organized in the most rational way. The state won't accept excessive prices.” WayStatesAcceptingRationalOrganized 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
“I often heard the same question: What place does Russia reserve for itself in the world; how does it see itself; what is its place? We are a peace-loving state and we want to cooperate with all of our neighbors and with all of our partners.” WorldWantDoeStatesHeardNeighborPartnersRussiaReserves Author:Vladimir Putin
“Crimea has always been and remains Russian, as well as Ukrainian, Crimean-Tatar, Greek (after all, there are Greeks living there) and German - and it will be home to all of those peoples. As for state affiliation, the people living in Crimea made their choice; it should be treated with respect, and Russia cannot do otherwise. I hope that our neighbouring and distant partners will ultimately treat this the same way, since in this case, the highest criteria used to establish the truth can only be the opinion of the people themselves.” PeopleWayShouldWellsMadeStatesHomeUsedChoicesOpinionCasesHighestTreatsRemainsPartnersRussiaTreatedGreekCriteriaUkrainianAffiliationCrimea 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
“Every head of state and government in the world is allowed to have his opinion and to voice it.” WorldStatesGovernmentVoiceOpinionHead Of State Author:Vladimir Putin
“Even if states sometimes have problems with each other, arts and sports should not suffer from that. Arts and sports are there to bring the people together - and not to divide them.” PeopleIfsShouldArtSometimesStatesProblemTogetherSufferingSportsDivides Author:Vladimir Putin
“The Soviet Union, and Russia as the successor state to the Soviet Union, is a founding member state of the United Nations and a permanent member of its Security Council.” StatesNationsUnitedSecurityMembersUnionsRussiaPermanentSovietSoviet UnionFoundingUnited NationsCouncilSuccessorsSecurity Council Author:Vladimir Putin
“Today, terrorism threatens a great number of states, a great number of people - hundreds of thousands, millions of people suffer from its criminal activity. And we all face the task of joining our efforts in the fight against this common evil.” PeopleStatesTodayFacesSufferingFightingEvilCommonNumbersEffortMillionsActivityTasksTerrorismCriminalsJoining Author:Vladimir Putin
“60 percent of Syria is controlled either by ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra or other terrorist organisations, organisations that have been recognised as terrorist by the United States, as well as other countries and the UN. It is them and not anyone else who have control over 60 percent of Syrian territory.” WellsHas BeensCountryStatesUnitedUnited StatesPercentTerroristAlsControlledTerritoryOther CountriesSyriaIsisOrganisation 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
“Russia will not take part in any field operations on the territory of Syria or in other states; at least, we do not plan it for now. But we are thinking of how to intensify our work both with President al-Assad and our partners in other countries.” ThinkingCountryStatesPresidentPlansFieldsPartnersRussiaOperationsAlsTerritoryOther CountriesSyriaAssad Author:Vladimir Putin
“It was at a certain stage (you might have forgotten, haven't you?) that the United States actively collaborated with Saddam when he was at war with Iran: weapons were supplied, diplomatic and political support was provided and so on. Then the US fell out with him for some reason and decided to do away with him.” WarStatesReasonMightPoliticalCertainUnitedUnited StatesSupportStageHavensWeaponsDecidedForgottenIranSaddamDiplomatic Author:Vladimir Putin
“When Saddam Hussein was eliminated, the Iraqi statehood and thousands of people from the former Baath party were also eliminated. Thousands of Iraqi servicemen, who were part of the state's Sunni elite, found themselves thrown out into the street. No one gave a thought about them, and today they end up in the ISIS army.” PeopleEndsStatesTodayFoundPartyStreetsArmyFormerThrownElitesSaddamHusseinIsisServicemen Author:Vladimir Putin
“I do not think I am entitled to assess the President of the United States. This is up to the American people.” PeopleThinkingStatesPresidentUnitedUnited StatesEntitled Author:Vladimir Putin
“The point is that in any country, including the United States, may be in the United States even more often than in any other country, foreign policy is used for internal political struggle.” MayCountryStatesPoliticalUsedUnitedUnited StatesStrugglePolicyIncludingInternalsForeign PolicyOther CountriesPolitical Struggle 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
“The thing is, however strange it may seem, that the interests of the United States and of the Russian Federation do coincide sometimes.” MaySometimesStatesSeemsInterestUnitedUnited StatesStrangeFederation 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
“Russia, as well as any other country, does not need dictators, but it needs equitable principles of organizing the state and society: just, effective, flexibly responding to changes inside and outside the country - that is what Russia needs.” NeedsWellsDoeCountryStatesPrinciplesRussiaDictatorOther CountriesRespondingEquitableInside And Outside Author:Vladimir Putin
“Look, there is parliamentary democracy in most European countries, there is parliamentary democracy in Japan, there is parliamentary democracy in many countries, but in the United States, for some reason, the State is organized differently, there is quite a stringent presidential republic.” LooksCountryStatesReasonUnitedUnited StatesDemocracyPresidentialOrganizedJapanRepublicEuropean CountriesParliamentaryParliamentary Democracy Author:Vladimir Putin
“It is not what your supporters, friends or your political adversaries call you that matters. What is important is what you think you must do in the interests of the country, which put you in such position, such post as the Head of the Russian State.” ThinkingImportantCountryMatterStatesPoliticalInterestPositionPostsSupporterAdversaries Author:Vladimir Putin
“I believe it is right when not only me, but also my colleagues - the prime minister, ministers, deputies of the State Duma - when they, like today, for example, participate in two marathons, when they visit football matches, when they themselves take part in sport competitions. That is how, inter alia, millions of people start feeling interest in and love for fitness and sports. I believe it is extremely important.” PeopleBelieveTwoImportantStatesFeelingsTodayI BelieveSportsInterestMillionsExampleFootballAnd LoveCompetitionMinistersPrimeColleaguesPrime MinisterMarathonDeputiesSports CompetitionFootball Match Author:Vladimir Putin
“It is well known that homosexuality is a criminal offense in the United States, in four US states. If it is good or bad, we know the decision of the Constitutional Court, but this problem has not been dealt with yet, it is still being addressed by the legislation of the United States. This is not the case in Russia.” IfsKnowsWellsStillsStatesProblemDecisionUnitedKnownCasesUnited StatesFourCourtCriminalsRussiaOffenseHomosexualityLegislationWell Known Author:Vladimir Putin
“At no time in the past, now or in the future has or will Russia take any part in actions aimed at overthrowing the legitimate government. I'm talking about something else right now - when someone does this, the outcome is very negative. Libya's state is disintegrated, Iraq's territory is flooded with terrorists, it looks like the scenario will be the same for Syria, and you know what the situation is in Afghanistan.” KnowsLooksDoeStatesGovernmentActionPastTalkingSituationRight NowNegativeIraqTerroristRussiaOutcomesTerritoryAfghanistanSyriaScenariosLibyaLegitimate Government Author:Vladimir Putin
“What happened in Ukraine? The coup d'état in Ukraine has led to a civil war, because, yes, let's say, many Ukrainians no longer trusted President Yanukovych. However, they should have legitimately come to the polls and voted for another head of state instead of staging a coup d'état. And after the coup d'état took place, someone supported it, someone was satisfied with it, while others were not. And those who did not like it were treated from the position of force. And that led to a civil war.” ShouldWarStatesForcePresidentHappenedPositionShould HaveSatisfiedTreatedCivil WarTrustedPollsUkraineCoupsHead Of StateStaging 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
“25 million of Russian people suddenly turned out to be outside the borders of the Russian Federation. They used to live in one state; the Soviet Union has traditionally been called Russia, the Soviet Russia, and it was the great Russia. Then the Soviet Union suddenly fell apart, in fact, overnight, and it turned out that in the former Soviet Union republics there were 25 million Russians. They used to live in one country and suddenly found themselves abroad. Can you imagine how many problems came out?” PeopleCountryStatesFactsProblemUsedFoundMillionsImagineUnionsRussiaFormerBordersRepublicSovietSoviet UnionSoviet RussiaFederation Author:Vladimir Putin
“When people communicate freely, when labour force, goods, services and funds move freely as well, when there are no state dividing lines and when we have common legal regulation, for example, in the social sphere - all that is good enough, people should feel free.” PeopleFeelsShouldWellsStatesEnoughMovingForceSocialLinesCommonExampleCommunicateLabourFundGoodsGood EnoughSpheresRegulationDividing Author:Vladimir Putin
“The Baltic republics have invented something totally new. Do you know what? They use the word 'non-citizens' for people who have been living for decades in the territory of Baltic states and have been deprived of a number of political rights. They cannot participate in the election campaigns; they have limited political and social rights. Everybody keeps quiet about it, as if this is the way it should be. Of course, this cannot but cause a certain reaction.” PeopleIfsKnowsWayShouldHas BeensStatesUsePoliticalCertainCoursesSocialCausesNumbersRightsCitizensQuietElectionDecadesCampaignsReactionsDo You KnowRepublicTerritoryDeprivedPolitical Rights Author:Vladimir Putin
“I assume that our colleagues from both the United States and the European Union will proceed from current humanitarian law and ensure political freedoms and rights of all people, including those who are living in the territory of Baltic states after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.” PeopleStatesLawPoliticalUnitedUnited StatesRightsAssumingUnionsIncludingCurrentsHumanitarianTerritorySovietColleaguesSoviet UnionEuropean UnionPolitical FreedomDisintegrationHumanitarian Law Author:Vladimir Putin
“Nowadays, there are plans to separate the Baltic states from the common power system of the former Soviet Union and to integrate them into the European system. What does it mean for us in practice? In practice, it means that a number of zones will emerge between several regions of the Russian Federation, where we will have no power transmission lines, since previously we used to have a loop transition through the Baltic countries.” MeanDoeCountryStatesUsedLinesCommonNumbersPracticePlansUnionsFormerZoneRegionsTransitionSovietSoviet UnionIntegratingLoopsTransmissionFederation Author:Vladimir Putin
“Russia should be an effective and competitive state with a sustainable economy, developed social and political system flexible to changes domestically and globally.” ShouldStatesPoliticalSocialEconomyRussiaFlexiblePolitical Systems Author:Vladimir Putin
“Only a developed society, for example, only a strong democratic system in modern conditions can create a climate in which any manifestation of terrorism is unacceptable and can also make the state itself stronger.” StatesStrongModernConditionsExampleStrongerDemocraticClimateTerrorismManifestation Author:Vladimir Putin
“Some countries have a parliamentary republic, some are presidential republics and some are still monarchies, but no one sees them as not being democratic. In some countries regional leaders are appointed from the centre and in others they are elected. In Russia, the president is elected through direct secret ballot, and in the United States, the president is elected through a system of electoral colleges.” StillsCountryStatesPresidentUnitedSecretLeaderUnited StatesCollegeDirectDemocraticRussiaPresidentialRepublicCentreMonarchyBallotsParliamentaryElectoral College Author:Vladimir Putin
“The basic principles of democracy should be observed whatever the country - principles such as civil liberties, a free market, a free press, the priority of the individual over mythical state interests, a state which serves the interests of ordinary people and defends their rights and interests. This is all easy to say but hard to make reality.” PeopleShouldCountryHardStatesRealityIndividualEasyInterestLibertyPrinciplesDemocracyRightsOrdinaryPressesPrioritiesFree MarketOrdinary PeopleCivil LibertiesBasic PrinciplesFree Press Author:Vladimir Putin
“One thing is clear, everyone, no matter what their professional or material status, no matter what their influence on various state structures, must obey the law.” MatterStatesLawClearOne ThingInfluenceMaterialsNo Matter WhatStructureVarious Author:Vladimir Putin
“The reputation of those countries which cater to the foreign policy interests of other states at the expense of their own national interests will go down regardless of how they explain their actions.” CountryStatesActionInterestPolicyReputationExpensesForeign PolicyNational Interests Author:Vladimir Putin
“I believe that a country, Russia in this case, which can defend the honour and dignity of its citizens, protect their lives, and fulfill its international legal commitments under the peacekeeping mandate, will not find itself in isolation, no matter what our partners in Europe or the United States may think, expressing their bloc mentality.” ThinkingBelieveMayCountryMatterStatesI BelieveUnitedCasesUnited StatesCitizensProtectCommitmentEuropeDignityNo Matter WhatInternationalPartnersRussiaIsolationHonourMentalityMandatesPeacekeeping Author:Vladimir Putin
“Europe and the United States are not the whole world.” WorldStatesWholeUnitedUnited StatesEuropeWhole World Author:Vladimir Putin
“How was Kosovo recognized? They forgot about the territorial integrity of a state, as well as UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which they had themselves adopted and supported. Why could it have been done there, but not in Abkhazia and South Ossetia? Why not?” WellsHas BeensStatesDoneSecurityIntegritySouthResolutionWhy NotAdoptedCouncilTerritorialSecurity CouncilKosovo Author:Vladimir Putin
“I have heard this a thousand times. Of course every state has the right to organize its security the way it deems appropriate. But the states that were already in NATO, the member states, could also have followed their own interests - and abstained from an expansion to the east.” WayStatesCoursesInterestHeardSecurityThousandMembersEastAppropriateOrganizeExpansionNato Author:Vladimir Putin
“Things are different in the international relations between states. In this respect, I am neither a friend, nor bride or groom [of the West].” DifferentStatesRelationWestInternationalBridesInternational Relations Author:Vladimir Putin
“For me, it [Crimea] is not borders and state territories that matter, but people's fortunes.” PeopleMatterStatesFortuneBordersTerritoryCrimea Author:Vladimir Putin
“We may have more control, but my point is that, strictly speaking, Rosneft is not a state company. I think that this is an obvious fact, as a foreign investor has a 19.7 percent stake in it.” ThinkingMayStatesFactsCompanyPercentObviousInvestorsStakes Author:Vladimir Putin
“However, given the fact that the State has a controlling stake in the company [Rosneft], it might not be the best course of action when one company under State control buys another one fully owned by the State. This is one point.” StatesFactsMightActionCoursesGivenCompanyBeing The BestStakes Author:Vladimir Putin
