Vladimir Putin

Not everyone likes the stable, gradual rise of our country. There are some who are using the democratic ideology to interfere in our internal affairs.

Putin attacks 'foreign meddlers' 26 April 2007, 2007

People are always teaching us democracy but the people who teach us democracy don't want to learn it themselves.

MUNICH, February 10, 2007., 2007

He raped 10 women. I never expected it from him. He surprised all of us.

NewsRu (19 Oct 2006), 2006

Russia does not want confrontation of any kind. And we will not take part in any kind of "holy alliance".

Kremlin RU (10 May 2006), 2006

We have spoken on many occasions of the need to achieve high economic growth as an absolute priority for our country. The annual address for 2003 set for the first time the goal of doubling gross domestic product within a decade.

Annual Address to the Federal Assembly, (May 2006), 2006

Russia must realise its full potential in high-tech sectors such as modern energy technology, transport and communications, space and aircraft building.

Annual Address to the Federal Assembly, (10 May 2006), 2006

I see that not everyone in the West has understood that the Soviet Union has disappeared from the political map of the world and that a new country has emerged with new humanist and ideological principles at the foundation of its existence.

interview with TF-1 Television Channel (France), taken on July 12, 2006, 2006

But if the U.S. were to leave and abandon Iraq without establishing the grounds for a united and sovereign country, that would definitely be a second mistake.

After saying the US shouldn't have gone into Iraq in the first place, 2005

It's extremely dangerous trying to resolve political problems outside the framework of the law — first the ‘Rose Revolution', then they'll think up something like blue. [word play here: "rose" having the colloquial sense of "lesbian" in modern Russian, and "blue" meaning "gay"]

On the "" in Ukraine and the "" in Georgia, News conference, (23 December 2004)., 2004

The democratic choice Russian people made in the early 90's is final.

Interview in Brazil for space talks, (22 November 2004)., 2004

Two weeks later they still have not been found. The question is, where is Saddam Hussein? Where are those weapons of mass destruction, if they were ever in existence? Is Saddam Hussein in a bunker sitting on cases containing weapons of mass destruction, preparing to blow the whole place up?

In a Press conference, regarding the weapon of mass destruction of Iraq. (May 1, 2003), 2003

Russia does not have in its possession any trustworthy data that supports the existence of nuclear weapons or any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and we have not received any such information from our partners as yet.

News conference with then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, October 2002., 2002

If you are determined to become a complete Islamic radical and are ready to undergo circumcision, then I invite you to Moscow. We are multi-confessional. We have experts in this sphere as well. I will recommend to conduct the operation so that nothing on you will grow again.

Commenting to a journalist from Le Monde after a summit meeting with leaders from the European Union (11 November 2002), as cited in "Why Putin Boils Over: Chechnya Is His Personal War", The New York Times (13 November 2002)., 2002

Anyone who doesn't regret the passing of the Soviet Union has no heart, Anyone who wants it restored has no brains.

Putin Retains Soviet Discipline While Steering Toward Reform (20 February 2000), 2000

We will chase terrorists everywhere. If in an airport, then in the airport. So if we find them in the toilet, excuse me, we'll rub them out in the outhouse. And that's it, case closed.

Responding to a journalist's question when visiting Dagestan. (1999), 1999