“Every other country where there's absolute chaos now, what is it? They're pluralistic without consensus. Look at almost every single country, from Syria, to Iraq, to Iran, Ukraine, no matter where it is. I just think it is totally counter to our tradition.” ThinkingLooksCountryMatterTraditionAbsolutesChaosIraqIranOther CountriesSyriaConsensusUkraine Author:Joe Biden
“We know that Donald Trump has shown a very troubling willingness to back up [Vladimir] Putin, to support Putin, whether it's saying that NATO wouldn't come to the rescue of allies if they were invaded, talking about removing sanctions from Russian officials after they were imposed by the United States and Europe together, because of Russia's aggressiveness in Crimea and Ukraine, his praise for Putin which is I think quite remarkable.” IfsThinkingKnowsStatesTogetherUnitedTalkingUnited StatesSupportTrumpEuropePraiseRussiaOfficialsRemarkableWillingnessAlliesRescuePutinUkraineSanctionsNatoAggressivenessCrimea Author:Hillary Clinton
“Donald Trump seems to be unconcerned about the Russian aggression in Ukraine. By doing this he tells them that they can go ahead and do what they are doing. That is dangerous.” SeemsDangerousTrumpAggressionUkraineUnconcerned Author:Paul Wolfowitz
“Ukraine is the closest country to us. We have always said that Ukraine is our sister country and it is true. It is not just a Slavic people, it is the closest people to Russia: we have similar languages, culture, common history, religion etc.” PeopleSaidCountryCultureLanguageCommonRussiaEtcClosestUkraineLanguage Culture 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
“Nothing matters for a drastic change in Ukraine more than political transformations.” MatterPoliticalTransformationUkraineDrasticNothing MattersDrastic Change 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
“There are complicated processes going on in society in the Crimea. There are problems of the Crimean Tatars, the Ukrainian population, the Russian population, the Slavic population in general, but this is Ukraine's domestic political problem.” ProblemPoliticalProcessPopulationComplicatedUkraineUkrainianCrimea Author:Vladimir Putin
“The West's sanctions are not aimed at helping Ukraine, but at geo-politically pushing Russia back. They are foolish and are merely harming both sides.” HelpingSidesWestFoolishRussiaPushingBoth SidesUkraineSanctions Author:Vladimir Putin
“I trust Angela Merkel, she is a very open person. She is also subject to certain constraints and limitations. But she is honestly trying to settle the crisis, also in the south-east of Ukraine. However, what the European Union is doing with those sanctions is nothing but a theatre of the absurd.” TryingPersonsCertainSubjectsCrisisUnionsSouthEastTheatreHonestlyAbsurdLimitationSettlingConstraintsUkraineSanctionsEuropean UnionAngela Author:Vladimir Putin
“Anything that is missing in the implementation of the Minsk Agreement is - without any exception - up to the Kiev central government of Ukraine. You cannot demand something of Moscow that, in fact, the rulers in Kiev have to deliver. The most important aspect is the constitutional reform, Point 11 of the Minsk Agreement.” ImportantFactsGovernmentMissingDemandAspectReformExceptionAgreementRulersUkraineMoscowImplementationCentral GovernmentKiev Author:Vladimir Putin
“The constitutional reform is supposed to give autonomy to eastern Ukraine and to be adopted by the end of 2015. This has not happened, and the year is over. That's not Russia's fault.” GivingYearsEndsHappenedFaultsRussiaReformEasternAdoptedAutonomyUkraine Author:Vladimir Putin
“First, the constitution [of Ukraine] has to be reformed. Only then can confidence building and border security follow.” FirstsSecurityBuildingConstitutionBordersUkraineConfidence BuildingBorder Security Author:Vladimir Putin
“The Chancellor [Angela Merkel] and the European partners would be well-advised to address the problems in eastern Ukraine more thoroughly. Maybe they have too many domestic problems of their own at the moment.” WellsMomentsProblemWould BePartnersAddressesEasternUkraineAngela Author:Vladimir Putin
“I think Hillary Clinton is more suspicious, clearly tougher on Russian policy in Ukraine, Georgia, Syria; more willing to support sanctions; not against negotiating with Putin, but I would say tougher and more skeptical. And Donald Trump has talked about revisiting policy towards Ukraine, revisiting policy about sanctions towards Russia, not as quick to criticize Putin for what he might be up to in Syria and propping up the regime there - so just seems to be more open to the possibilities of working out some kind of a - I guess you'd call a modus vivendi with Putin.” ThinkingKindSeemsMightSupportPolicyPossibilityWillingTrumpClintonWork OutRussiaCriticizeRegimesSyriaSuspiciousSkepticalPutinUkraineSanctionsGeorgiaNegotiating Author:Richard N. Haass
“Hillary Clinton's top priority when she became secretary of state was the Russian reset. The Russian reset. After the Russian reset, the Russians invaded Ukraine and took over Crimea.” StatesClintonPrioritiesSecretaryUkraineTop PrioritiesResetCrimea Author:Mike Pence
“America should really wonder about a President Trump, who had a campaign manager with ties to Putin, pro-putin elements in the Ukraine who had to be fired for that reason. They should wonder when Donald Trump is sitting down with Vladimir Putin, is it going to be America's bottom line, or is it going to be Donald Trump's bottom line he's going to be worried about with all of his business dealings. This would be solved if Donald Trump would release his tax returns as he's told the American public that he would do.” IfsShouldReasonWould BeAmericaPresidentLinesWonderReturnTrumpTaxesElementsSittingBottomCampaignsReleaseManagersWorriedTiesBottom LinePutinUkraineSitting DownDealingsTax Returns Author:Tim Kaine
“Hillary Clinton said her number one priority was a reset with Russia. That reset resulted in the invasion of Ukraine.” SaidNumbersClintonPrioritiesRussiaInvasionUkraineReset Author:Mike Pence
“I think Putin wants to recreate as much of the Soviet Union as he can through a variety of different means. He's invaded parts of Georgia, took Crimea, southeastern Ukraine, bases in other countries.” ThinkingWantMeanDifferentCountryBasesUnionsVarietySovietOther CountriesSoviet UnionPutinUkraineGeorgiaCrimea Author:David Petraeus
“The issues for journalism and journalists, we see obvious places where presentation is very different in a digital space from traditional print. If you go to a New York Times homepage, you cannot get to a story about the Ukraine without a click-off on a banner ad or a slide show. They're not alone in that - you think you're clicking on a video about a news event and you have a 30-second ad that you have to watch before you can get to it.” IfsThinkingDifferentStoriesShowsSpaceWatchesIssuesEventsNew YorkNewsObviousVideoTraditionalJournalismJournalistDigitalPrintAdsNot AloneSlidesPresentationUkraineNew York TimesClicksBanner Author:Norman Pearlstine
“President Bush Sr. and Secretary Baker, way back when, told Gorbachev, "We are not going to advance NATO into Eastern Europe. We're not going to - we're not going to advance NATO into East Germany, if you allow the unification of Germany." Where is that pledge? Where is the logic behind a military alliance, devised in the time of communism, before the Berlin Wall fell, now being in the Ukraine, in Poland, in Estonia, in Latvia and Lithuania? I don't understand.” IfsWayPresidentBehindsMilitaryWallEuropeLogicEastCommunismGermanySecretaryEasternPresident BushAlliancesPledgeUkraineBerlinBack WhenNatoPolandBakersEastern EuropeUnificationBerlin WallGorbachevEast GermanyEstoniaWay Back WhenLithuaniaLatvia Author:Rashid Khalidi
“Today, it is more important than ever to strengthen transatlantic relations. Only by co-operating closely can the EU and the US continue to make a difference when dealing with unprecedented challenges such as Daesh, the threats to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, climate change and migration.” ImportantTodayChallengesDifferencesIntegrityRelationThreatClimateClimate ChangeMaking A DifferenceSovereigntyUkraineUnprecedentedMigrationTerritorial Author:Donald Tusk
“I'm very pleased this military engagement together with a political road map that we developed, we were able to continue. We want to bring about a political solution there. We worked very closely together [with Barack Obama] on the issue of annexation of Crimea and Russia's attempt to actually conquer Ukraine and actually, they did so, conquer part of the territory. We tried to come to a peaceful settlement here on this.” WantAbleTogetherPoliticalIssuesMilitarySolutionsRussiaPeacefulConquerBarackMapsTerritoryEngagementUkraineSettlementRoad MapsCrimeaAnnexation Author:Angela Merkel
“I commended Angela [Merkel] for her leadership along with President Hollande in working to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. We continued to stand with the people of Ukraine and for the basic principle that nations have a right to determine their own destiny and we discussed the importance of maintaining sanctions until Russia fully complies with the Minsk Agreement.” PeopleNationsPresidentPrinciplesDestinyConflictImportanceDetermineRussiaAgreementResolveMaintainingUkraineSanctionsBasic PrinciplesAngela Author:Barack Obama
“On issues like Ukraine, on issues like Syria, we've had very significant differences [with Russia].” DifferencesIssuesSignificantRussiaSyriaUkraine Author:Barack Obama
“I would like to see Russia not invade Ukraine or put pressure on and threaten Baltic states. But we live in the real and existing world.” WorldRealStatesPressureRussiaUkraine Author:David Remnick
“We spent a fair amount of time on Ukraine. And I think there's a path that we discussed that we will follow up on in order to try to resolve some of the outstanding issues in order to fully implement Minsk.” ThinkingTryingOrderPathIssuesAmountFairsResolveOutstandingUkraineFollow Up Author:John F. Kerry
“There are exceptions of course, like for instance the Baltic States, which are members of the European Union, together with Ukraine and Moldova, as well. In those countries, the governments have been reformed as a result of elections.” WellsHas BeensCountryStatesGovernmentTogetherCoursesResultsMembersElectionUnionsInstanceExceptionUkraineEuropean Union Author:Garry Kasparov
“The international repercussions were shattering to some extent - there is no intention to repeat operations of such kind in the future.[Viktor] Yanukovych's electoral victory clearly demonstrated that there are no pro-Russian politicians in the Ukraine, just Ukrainian politicians.” KindVictoryPoliticianIntentionInternationalOperationsRepeatsUkraineRepercussionsShatteringUkrainian Author:Garry Kasparov
“You cannot compare any leaders in America to what Vladimir Putin has done. This is a man and a regime that has taken down a passenger plane in Ukraine, killing hundreds of people.” PeopleMenDoneAmericaLeaderTakenKillingComparePlanesRegimesPutinUkrainePassengers Author:Amy Klobuchar
“Unlike the former Soviet Union that respected the strength of West, Putin's Russia ignores talk of sanctions, claims land, and supports rebels in Ukraine with impunity.” SupportLandClaimsUnionsWestRussiaFormerRebelSovietSoviet UnionPutinUkraineSanctionsImpunity Author:Mike Pence
“Vladimir Putin is a human rights abuser, responsible for deaths in Ukraine, Georgia and Syria, not to mention curious murders of his political opponents and journalists.” HumansPoliticalRightsMurderResponsibleHuman RightsCuriousJournalistOpponentsSyriaPutinUkraineGeorgiaAbusersPolitical Opponents Author:Jake Tapper
“California, like anywhere else on Earth, should have the right to secede whether the United States likes it or not. The preferences of the other 49 states and Washington DC is not relevant. That was the position of the United States government on Yugoslavia and other places around the world but not on Ukraine. However, morality and the law as I understand it are that any people should have the right to leave, just as explained in the initial words of the US Declaration of Independence.” PeopleWorldShouldStatesGovernmentEarthLawUnitedUnited StatesPositionMoralityShould HaveIndependenceLikesAround The WorldCaliforniaRelevantDeclarationPreferenceInitialsUkraineDeclaration Of IndependenceState GovernmentUnited States GovernmentWashington DcYugoslavia Author:David Swanson
“I happen to think that as the Ukraine moves to the West, towards the E.U., eventually towards NATO, it will pave the way also for Russia moving towards the West. Because it will become a logical extension of the same process, and it will eliminate any imperial ambitions.” ThinkingWayHappensMovingProcessAmbitionWestRussiaLogicalExtensionsUkraineNato Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski
“Without Ukraine, Russia's imperial aspirations are essentially nostalgia, but it's not a real policy.” RealPolicyNostalgiaRussiaAspirationUkraine Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski
“Okay, NATO expanded to East Berlin and East Germany. Under [Bill] Clinton NATO expanded further, to the former Russian satellites. In 2008 NATO formally made an offer to Ukraine to join NATO. That's unbelievable. I mean, Ukraine is the geopolitical heartland of Russian concern, quite aside from historical connections, population and so on.” MeanMadeOffersConcernConnectionsOkayBillsHistoricalClintonPopulationEastFormerGermanyUnbelievableUkraineBerlinNatoSatellitesGeopoliticalEast GermanyEast Berlin Author:Noam Chomsky
“Right at the beginning of all of this [Ukraine to join NATO], serious senior statesmen, people like [George] Kennan for example and others warned that the expansion of NATO to the east is going to cause a disaster. I mean, it's like having the Warsaw Pact on the Mexican border. It's inconceivable. And others, senior people warned about this, but policymakers didn't care. Just go ahead.” PeopleMeanCareCausesExampleSeriousEastDisasterBordersExpansionSeniorMexicanUkraineStatesmenNatoPactWarsawMexican BorderWarsaw Pact Author:Noam Chomsky
“Russia committed an act of aggression in Ukraine, and that's the first time since 1945 a European country has seized the territory of another European country. That's serious business. They started a war with their neighbor. Their troops as well as the separatists funded and controlled by Russia are killing people just about every day.” PeopleFirstsWellsWarCountrySeriousFirst TimeKillingCommittedNeighborRussiaControlledTerritoryAggressionTroopsUkraineEuropean CountriesSerious Business Author:Daniel Fried
“John Kerry tried to work with the Russians on Syria, and the man was honorable, because he was trying to do the right thing, and frankly, playing a very weak hand, a hand that was weak not because of him, okay. He did the best he could, but I will say this to his enormous credit: he never offered a dirty deal. You can have Ukraine if you only help us out on Syria. Never - he never did that.” IfsMenTryingHelpingHandsDealsHe ManWeakOkayCreditEnormousDirtyRight ThingSyriaHonorableUkraineJohn Kerry Author:Daniel Fried
“The Orange Revolution in Ukraine is a good example of how people, who are robbed of their right to vote, can protest and put an end to dictatorship.” PeopleEndsExampleRevolutionVoteProtestDictatorshipOrangeUkraineGood ExamplesRight To Vote Author:Benazir Bhutto
“That`s how you end up with a guy like Dan Fried, overseeing the U.S. sanctions against Russia for Russia did in Ukraine and Crimea.Russia hates those sanctions more than they love life. They hate those sanctions. So, of course, you need your toughest and most experienced guy running those sanctions.” NeedsEndsRunningGuyHateCoursesRussiaLove LifeUkraineSanctionsCrimeaOverseeing Author:Rachel Maddow
“There had been a proposed plank for the platform that said the Republican Party believed the United States should support Ukraine in any way that we could up to and including providing them weapons, so they could fight off Russian incursions into Ukraine.That was the proposed plank in the Republican Party platform. The [Donald] Trump folks didn`t care about anything else.” WayShouldSaidStatesCareFightingUnitedPartyUnited StatesSupportTrumpRepublicanWeaponsIncludingFolksPlatformsProvidingRepublican PartyUkraine Author:Rachel Maddow
“Part of what the [British] dossier says is this, quote, "The operation", meaning the effort to influence our election, "that has been conducted with the full knowledge and support of [Donald] Trump and senior members of his campaign team. In return, in return, the Trump team has agreed to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue."” Has BeensEffortSupportIssuesTeamInfluenceReturnTrumpMembersElectionBritishCampaignsOperationsSeniorInterventionUkraineSidelines Author:Rachel Maddow
“We do have evidence the [Donald] Trump campaign was working to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue.” IssuesTrumpEvidenceCampaignsInterventionUkraineSidelines Author:Rachel Maddow
“A Russian citizen who worked for the [Donald] Trump campaign manager in Ukraine, worked for Paul Manafort when Manafort was working in Ukraine, that Russian citizen visited the United States around the time of the Republican convention.” StatesUnitedUnited StatesTrumpCitizensRepublicanCampaignsManagersConventionsUkraine Author:Rachel Maddow
“I think, Russia is pushing against the West in general, not just the United States but the institutions of the West, the key governments in the West using a variety of tools, as well as military assault on Ukraine.” ThinkingWellsStatesGovernmentUnitedUnited StatesMilitaryKeysToolsInstitutionsWestRussiaVarietyPushingAssaultUkraine Author:Daniel Fried
“I talk with countries, whether it's the Arab states or in the Middle East, and they talk about how they're glad to see us fighting against Iran. I talk with different countries in reference to Syria, and we talk about how we can get the Iranian influence out. We're talking about North Korea and what we need to do and the pressure we need to put on China. They're happy that we're finally beating up on Russia for what they've done in the Ukraine.” NeedsDifferentCountryStatesDoneFightingTalkingInfluenceMiddlePressureChinaEastGladRussiaIranMiddle EastSyriaKoreaNorth KoreaUkraineIranianDifferent Countries Author:Nikki Haley
“We have for decades now, and I've dealt with the Russians for 35 years, we have from time to time been able to, even though we have different interests, to align them. That alignment has become more and more difficult under Putin. You see that in Ukraine, you see it in the Middle East. To an extent where he actually defines Russian success as thwarting the United States.” YearsDifferentStatesAbleDifficultInterestUnitedUnited StatesMiddleEastDecadesMiddle EastPutinUkraineAlignment Author:Ashton Carter
“The Russians are succeeding in continuing their dismemberment of Ukraine, they're succeeding in exerting enormous influence in the Middle East, which they never had before. They are succeeding - they have succeeded in interfering with our election, and we know that they continue that in the French elections and other elections. And so far they have paid a little or no penalty for all of this misbehavior.” KnowsLittlesInfluenceMiddleSucceedPaidElectionEastEnormousMiddle EastContinuingPenaltiesInterfereUkraine Author:John McCain
“I do not support Putin against Europe. This is a caricature. I support a federalist Ukraine. The EU poured fuel on the fire by proposing an economic partnership to a country known to look half to the East and half to the West.” LooksCountryHalfKnownSupportFireEconomicEuropeWestEastFuelPartnershipPutinUkraineCaricaturesFederalist Author:Marine Le Pen