“Congressman [Mike] Pompeo said he believes the intelligence agencies' claims that Russia hacked the US election.” BelieveSaidClaimsElectionRussiaAgencyMikeCongressmanHackedIntelligence Agencies Author:James Mattis
“I saw the relation with Russia as necessary to the U.S., for the interests of the U.S. We worked very closely with them on the Sochi Olympics. We were working closely with them on the Iranian nuclear deal.” InterestDealsSawsRelationNuclearRussiaOlympicsIranianSochi Author:Michael T. Flynn
“We have a problem with radical Islamism and I actually think that we could work together with Russia against this enemy. They have a worse problem than America does.” ThinkingDoeProblemTogetherAmericaEnemyRussiaRadicalWorking Together Author:Michael T. Flynn
“Russia ought to get Iran to back out of the proxy wars they are involved in.” WarOughtInvolvedRussiaIranProxy Author:Michael T. Flynn
“I think all three of those men [James Mattis, Mike Pompeo and Rex Tillerson] that you just mentioned, depending on what deal was struck with Russia, depending on what terms the deal would have and what incremental steps we would have to take and measurements that we would have to take with potentially Russia in a deal, some of those positions could change, and some of President-elect Donald Trump's positions could change depending on what deal could be struck.” ThinkingMenThreePresidentTermDealsStepsPositionTrumpRussiaMikeMeasurement Author:John Lewis
“In the United States national security interests to have a working relationship with Russia.” StatesInterestUnitedUnited StatesSecurityRussiaNational Security Author:Katrina vanden Heuvel
“I agree that we need a working relationship with Russia to deescalate a nuclear arms race, to resolve the crisis in Syria.” NeedsRaceArmsCrisisAgreeNuclearRussiaResolveSyriaArms RaceNuclear ArmsNuclear Arms Race Author:Katrina vanden Heuvel
“I am concerned that Donald Trump walks into the White House a walking conflict of interest in violation of the emoluments clause of the constitution, and the Stock Act. It is important to investigate whether there are financial levers, not just Russia - China, the Emirates. Because he will never make America great again - I don't believe he ever will, but he will not do so if he's beholden to.” IfsBelieveImportantAmericaHouseInterestWhiteWalksTrumpWalkingConflictConcernedConstitutionDon't BelieveFinancialChinaRussiaWhite HouseViolationClausesLeversConflict Of InterestEmirates Author:Katrina vanden Heuvel
“If I remember, Russia, 20 or 30 years ago, you'd get shot trying to leave. Today, Russian tourists are all over the world. You have Russian oligarchs with big yachts all over the world.” IfsWorldTryingYearsBigsTodayRememberShotsYears AgoRussiaTouristsYacht Author:Michael Bloomberg
“You know, Russia today is, what, 200 million people? In land mass, it's probably 50 times the size [of Japan], in natural resources a hundred times the size! Russia's not doing all that badly. The public there - not everybody - but they have things that the West offered, [that] were only available in the West a long time ago.” PeopleKnowsLongTodayNaturalMillionsLandMassLong TimeHundredResourcesWestSizeAvailableRussiaJapanLong Time AgoNatural Resources Author:Michael Bloomberg
“I think the point that we all agree upon is that we have to engage with Russia.” ThinkingAgreeRussiaAgree Upon Author:Samantha Power
“Ever since I've been here [in Russia], my life has been consumed with work that's actually fulfilling and satisfying.” Has BeensRussiaSatisfyingFulfillingConsumed Author:Edward Snowden
“My government revoked my passport intentionally to leave me exiled. If they really wanted to capture me, they would've allowed me to travel to Latin America, because the CIA can operate with impunity down there. They did not want that; they chose to keep me in Russia.” IfsWantGovernmentWantedAmericaRussiaLatinCaptureLeaving MeCiaLatin AmericaPassportsImpunity Author:Edward Snowden
“Russia recently passed a law - I think a terrible law - which says you have to store all of the data from Russian citizens on Russian soil just to prevent other countries from playing the same kind of legal games we're playing in this Microsoft case.” ThinkingKindCountryLawGamesCasesCitizensTerribleStoresRussiaDataSoilOther CountriesMicrosoft Author:Edward Snowden
“When the US government got word that I was planning to leave Russia to go to Latin America, they brought down the plane of the - the presidential plane, which had diplomatic protection, that had the Bolivian president on board. They closed the airspace in four different countries in Europe, I believe, which was extraordinary, unprecedented.” BelieveDifferentCountryGovernmentAmericaI BelievePresidentFourEuropeExtraordinaryProtectionPlanningRussiaPlanesPresidentialBoardsLatinLatin AmericaUnprecedentedDiplomaticDifferent Countries Author:Edward Snowden
“Maybe boutique media, maybe people who are reading papers and talking to academics and whatnot, maybe they understand, because they're high-information. But a lot of people are still unaware that I never intended to end up in Russia. They're not aware that journalists were live-tweeting pictures of my seat on the flight to Latin America I wasn't able to board because the US government revoked my passport.” PeopleStillsEndsGovernmentAbleAmericaReadingTalkingMediaInformationPaperRussiaFlightJournalistBoardsSeatsLatinPapersLatin AmericaPassports Author:Edward Snowden
“US administration does not want me to return. People forget how I ended up in Russia. They waited until I departed Hong Kong to cancel my passport in order to trap me in Russia, because it's the most effective attack they have against me, given the political climate in the United States.” PeopleWantDoeStatesPoliticalOrderGivenForgetUnitedUnited StatesReturnClimateRussiaAdministrationWant MeTrapsPassportsHong KongDeparted Author:Edward Snowden
“Let me just say you could end this violence within a very short period of time, have a complete ceasefire - which Iran could control, which Russia could control, which Syria could control, and which we and our coalition friends could control - if one man would merely make it known to the world that he doesn't have to be part of the long-term future; he'll help manage Syria out of this mess and then go off into the sunset, as most people do after a period of public life. If he were to do that, then you could stop the violence and quickly move to management.” PeopleIfsMenWorldLongEndsHelpingMovingTermKnownViolencePeriodsLet MeManagementRussiaManageMessLong TermSunsetIranOne ManSyriaPublic LifeCoalitionsCeasefire Author:John F. Kerry
“And if [Vladimir Putin] does fight ISIL alone, how does it work out for Russia to have sided with Assad, sided with Iran, sided with Hizballah, when they're trying to reach out to the rest of the Sunni world in the region? That's not a good equation for Russia.” IfsWorldTryingDoeFightingWork OutRussiaRegionsIranReach OutEquationsPutinAssadIsil Author:John F. Kerry
“If Russia is there [in Syria] alone fighting them [ISIL], guess what? Russia becomes the target and Russia starts seeing - who knows - MANPADs will find their way in there, airplanes will fall out of the sky. They will become vilified. They'll become the new magnet, together with Assad, for the jihadis.” IfsKnowsWayTogetherFallFightingSeeingSkyRussiaTargetAirplaneSyriaMagnetAssadIsil Author:John F. Kerry
“If [Bashar] Assad himself could save this whole process by saying, "I will engage in a managed transition where we all work together to stabilize the government, save the institutions of government, and turn on ISIL and preserve Syria." That could happen. It all depends on one man, and Russia and Iran should not be so stubborn here that they tie this whole thing up simply because of one person.” IfsMenShouldPersonsWholeGovernmentHappensTogetherTurnsProcessDependsInstitutionsRussiaPreservesTiesWorking TogetherIranOne ManTransitionSyriaStubbornTurn-onAssadIsil Author:John F. Kerry
“If Donald Trump dismantles the agreement [the "Iran nuclear deal"] won by President Barack Obama with President Hassan Rouhani and the Iranian government and people: If he dismantles that, and puts greater sanctions on Iran, then we are leading to another war; another war inspired by Israel, another war that will bring China into war, Russia into war, Europe into war. And the Western world, in this war, will be taken completely down, and a whole new world is on the horizon.” PeopleIfsWorldWarWholeGovernmentPresidentDealsTakenGreaterTrumpEuropeDown AndWesternInspiredIsraelChinaNuclearRussiaBarackAgreementIranHorizonNew WorldSanctionsIranianPresident Barack ObamaWestern WorldHassan Author:Louis Farrakhan
“I am warning my people, but I'm also warning Iran, and warning Saudi Arabia, and warning China and Russia and Europe. We are at the end of this world.” PeopleWorldEndsThis WorldEuropeChinaRussiaIranWarningArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudis Author:Louis Farrakhan
“Any suggestion that the most open and diverse society on the planet is likely to in any way resemble Russia requires a suspension of common sense that is pretty hard to deal with.” WayHardDealsCommonPlanetsRussiaCommon SenseDiverseSuggestionsSuspensionDiverse Society Author:Newt Gingrich
“Russia is modernizing its nuclear systems. They're moving toward more effective tactical nuclear systems. They're moving toward delivery systems designed to evade anti-ballistic missile defenses. The Russians are investing, by the way, in robotic weapons, including a potential robotic tank. Their investment in new technology, I suspect, outweighs all of the European defense research and development spending combined.” WayMovingTechnologyDevelopmentWeaponsResearchInvestmentIncludingInvestingSpendingDefenseNuclearRussiaSuspectsTanksMissilesDeliveryNew TechnologyRoboticsResearch And DevelopmentTacticalMissile Defense Author:Newt Gingrich
“I expect that Trump believes we do not have an obligation to have a Cold War with Russia, but that he is very cautious.” BelieveWarColdTrumpRussiaObligationCold WarCautious Author:Newt Gingrich
“I think an increasing number of Republicans are perplexed and actually nervous about Donald Trump and Russia, nervous in the sense that he is gratuitously giving Democrats the national security advantage, that they're standing up for the country.” ThinkingGivingCountryNumbersSecurityTrumpRepublicanAdvantageStandingDemocratRussiaNervousNational SecurityPerplexed Author:Mark Shields
“The stated objective and the mission of Vladimir Putin's Russia is to destabilize the North Atlantic Alliance.” MissionsRussiaObjectivesPutinAlliances Author:Mark Shields
“We repeal sanctions, it tells Russia, go ahead and interfere in our elections and do bad things; it tells China, it tells Iran. That would be terrible.” Would BeTerribleElectionChinaRussiaIranBad ThingsInterfereSanctions Author:Charles Schumer
“When you have airplanes with precision weapons, striking hospitals in Aleppo and slaughtering innocent men, women and children, you're committing a war crime. So we need more sanctions against Russia. We should not relax them.” MenNeedsShouldChildrenWarCrimeWeaponsRussiaInnocentRelaxHospitalsAirplaneMen WomenSanctionsPrecisionWar CrimesInnocent Man Author:John McCain
“If [Western] relations with Russia are to be friendly, they must be open and sincere, otherwise there can be no friendship at all. That means one should be able to speak openly about everything at meetings and conferences. It shouldn't be that we can't discuss the killing of journalists in Russia, or the suppression of human rights, or all the warning signs surfacing in Russia because of oil and gas or other economic reasons. It's a big problem, but it's the same in Western relations with Arab states.” IfsShouldHumansMeanStatesReasonProblemBigsAbleSpeakRightsEconomicRelationMeetingsWesternKillingHuman RightsOilRussiaJournalistGasFriendlySincereWarningConferencesSuppressionBig ProblemsOil And GasWarning Signs Author:Vaclav Havel
“Despite the economic disaster that is Russia, there are still air shows taking place in the country.” StillsCountryShowsAirEconomicDisasterRussiaDespite Author:Paul Virilio
“Look at the US, look at Russia. Both of these countries are immense geographical territories. But, nowadays, immense territories amount to nothing!” LooksCountryAmountRussiaTerritoryImmense Author:Paul Virilio
“Russia's inclination toward authoritarianism undoubtedly strengthened the leaders in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Kazakhstan, as they are afraid of normal democratic procedures.” LeaderNormalDemocraticRussiaInclinationProceduresAuthoritarianismArmeniaAzerbaijan Author:Garry Kasparov
“As for the eastern part of the former Soviet Union, the picture is rather uniform. Authoritarian structures prevail to differing extents. But we can still determine certain regularities, and the role of Russia is not to be underestimated. It is clear that we would have the same situation in Tajikistan and, let's say, Uzbekistan without the direct influence of Russia.” StillsCertainSituationRolesClearInfluenceDirectStructureUnionsDetermineRussiaFormerSovietUniformsSoviet UnionEasternUnderestimatedRegularityUzbekistan Author:Garry Kasparov
“[Vladimir] Putin's Russia is only indirectly concerned with the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a means of maintaining its sphere of influence. I doubt that Russia will meddle. Moreover, I'm quite sure that Ilham Aliyev won't decide to carry out any serious action - it's not in his interest. He's learned his lesson very well - threaten to take action but never act on such words.” WellsMeanActionInterestDoubtInfluenceSeriousLessonsConflictConcernedRussiaSpheresMaintainingPutinArmeniaSphere Of InfluenceAzerbaijan Author:Garry Kasparov
“Unfortunately, in Russia this "Asian mentality,"still comes to the fore. But at the same time, it is obvious that there is a certain orientation toward the West. In the end, this is a fragile balancing act between the Asian manner of governance and high living standards that are guaranteed through Western technology.” StillsEndsCertainTechnologyStandardsWestWesternObviousRussiaFragileMentalityGovernanceAsianOrientationBalancing Act Author:Garry Kasparov
“The downfall of democratic institutions in Russia doesn't add to the self-confidence of either [Vladimir] Putin or his friends, as the loss of power could lead to repercussions in Russian society.” SelfLossInstitutionsAddDemocraticSelf ConfidenceRussiaPutinDownfallRepercussions Author:Garry Kasparov
“This traditionally happens in Russia and in every other undemocratic country as well - the quest for a scapegoat won't be long, either. The easiest way to find a scapegoat is to ascribe that role to former governments.” WayWellsLongCountryGovernmentHappensRolesRussiaFormerQuestsScapegoat Author:Garry Kasparov
“Quite frankly, I have to admit that with regard to the enormous financial assets and funds of Russian leaders in Western banks and on stock markets, the chances for the West to exert influence on Russia are quite low. I doubt that Western leaders are willing to exert pressure. I would not exclude an intervention in case of a crisis.” ChanceLeaderCasesDoubtInfluenceWillingLowsPressureRegardCrisisWestWesternFinancialRussiaEnormousFundAssetsIntervention Author:Garry Kasparov
“But we must not forget the effort undertaken by the ruling elite in Russia to manipulate Western politicians, businessmen as well as journalists. That's why [Vladimir] Putin's "fifth column" is that powerful in the West.” WellsForgetPowerfulEffortPoliticianWestWesternRussiaJournalistElitesBusinessmanRulingFifthManipulatePutinColumns Author:Garry Kasparov
“In my opinion, this vicious circle will be broken by history itself. Because sticking to the current form of governance, which is to say guaranteeing the survival of [Vladimir] Putin's regime, will necessarily lead to the demise of Russia within its present borders.” FormOpinionBrokenSurvivalCurrentsCirclesRussiaBordersRegimesViciousGovernancePutinDemiseVicious Circles Author:Garry Kasparov
“The Far East and Eastern Siberia are already developing according to a Chinese scenario, the full scope of which will be revealed in the near future. In the next 10 to 15 years, a lot of Russian territories will become at least de facto Chinese. This will change the situation in Russia fundamentally.” YearsNextSituationEastRussiaDevelopingChineseTerritoryEasternScopeScenariosSiberia Author:Garry Kasparov
“I tried to come up with a definition of this new paradigm in six articles entitled "Russia after Putin." I would consider Russia's integration into Europe the most important element of this strategy.” ImportantElementsSixEuropeStrategyDefinitionsCome UpRussiaArticlesEntitledIntegrationPutinParadigm Author:Garry Kasparov
“We don't have a choice. A united democratic Eurasian continent welded together by common economic interests is our only hope and contribution to stability in the world. If we fail, I fear that Russia in its present form is in for the most serious of upheavals - the outcome of which is extremely unpredictable.” IfsWorldTogetherFormChoicesInterestUnitedCommonFailingEconomicSeriousDemocraticRussiaOutcomesContributionStabilityContinentsUnpredictableUpheaval Author:Garry Kasparov
“We are living in a world where major states and large geopolitical projects have to prove their competitive edge. It is clear, as well, that with regard to the intensifying American-Chinese confrontation and the inert power of a united Europe, Russia has to make up its mind - because it is losing ground as an independent center of power.” WorldMindWellsStatesUnitedClearProveProjectsMajorsLosingEuropeRegardIndependentEdgesRussiaChineseConfrontationGeopolitical Author:Garry Kasparov
“This is the Republican Party who has run against Russia for 80 years and you know, (Trump) hasn't mentioned (Putin) except in a positive way.” KnowsWayYearsRunningPartyTrumpRepublicanRussiaRepublican PartyPutin Author:Randy Newman
“The idea that Russia felt emboldened and apparently fearless to go into our election and manipulate our own election process, whether successfully or not, is a sign that they are outside the norms of normal society.” IdeasFeltProcessNormalElectionRussiaFearlessNormManipulateElection Process Author:David Brooks