‘USA is a great nation, but leave us alone!’ 11 quotes that show how Vladimir Putin sees world
Populist, pragmatist, authoritarian, cunning tactician – years after he rose to the top of Russian politics Western observers still wonder about Vladimir Putin’s true motivations. In fact, behind the Kremlin’s decision-making is a set of consistently expressed beliefs. On the United States “The USA is a great power. Probably the only superpower in existence today. We accept that and we are ready to work together with them.
On allegations of Russia’s foreign meddling “There is constant US propaganda, and direct funding of US NGOs… Is that not interference, which continues year in, year out? Take a globe, spin it, and randomly put your finger on any spot – I can guarantee that there are American interests and meddling there. Direct Line with Vladimir Putin, June 2017 On Europe “Does it benefit European states to simply service Washington’s foreign and even domestic policy aims? I am not sure. Is this the purpose of serious politics, and is this the role countries take on if they desire to call themselves great powers?” Russia Calling! Investment Forum, October 2016 On Catalonia’s independence crisis “At one time, the EU welcomed the collapse of a whole range of states in Europe, not bothering to hide their glee. Why did they need to so thoughtlessly – for the sake of short-term interests and to please ‘Big Brother’ in Washington – unconditionally support the secession of Kosovo, provoking similar processes on the continent and beyond?” Valdai Discussion Club, October 2017
On NATO “There is no more Soviet Union, no Eastern Bloc. In my view, NATO needs an external enemy to justify its existence, so there is a constant search for one, and provocations to create adversaries where there are none. Oliver Stone interview, June 2017 On the Middle East “There has been an attempt to reformat the region, to impose an outside model on it, either through regime change, or outright use of force. Instead of fighting extremism, instead of imitating such a fight, some of our peers want chaos to become a permanent state of affairs.” Valdai Discussion Club, October 2017 On North Korea “Of course we condemn North Korea’s nuclear tests and comply with all UN Security Council resolutions without exception. Valdai Discussion Club, October 2017
On the toppling of Viktor Yanukovich in Ukraine “What happened in Kiev is an armed and unconstitutional seizure of power – a coup. No one is arguing with that. Media briefing in Novo Ogarevo, March 2014 On the government in Kiev “The interests of the Russian and the Ukrainian peoples are the same. What isn’t the same is the aims of the Ukrainian government and elites. Hamburg G20 Summit, June 2017
On Russia’s political system “Monarchy was a legacy passed down from the Empire to Soviet times, even though the plaque on the building changed. Only at the beginning of the 1990s, events came to pass which laid the foundation for a new stage of Russian development. Oliver Stone interview, June 2017 On Russia’s role in the world “Russia is a country with a thousand-year history and has almost always enjoyed the privilege of a sovereign foreign policy. Munich speech, February 2007 Source URL |