“If Putin and those around him had been smart enough to go in a different direction... The country was ready. The conditions were extremely favorable - with oil prices as high as they were, it was possible to do anything. It was possible to solidify democracy. After the Yeltsin years people began to think that democracy is a disaster, that democracy equals misery. Putin got a lucky break - and he used it the KGB way. He turned out to be a wily KGB man, not a wise statesman.” PeopleThinkingMenDifferentCountryEnoughBreakDemocracyWiseLuckySmartMiseryDisaster Author:Vladimir Voinovich
“Russia may soon get another chance to move closer to the West, to make a step - I do believe the first step toward democracy was made in the 1990s, and perhaps the next step can happen now. If this happens, the West needs to see it in time and support it in an intelligent way.” BelieveMovingChanceSupportDemocracyIntelligent Author:Vladimir Voinovich
