I certainly want to be involved in politics and help shape the transition. I am in contact with regime critics who had to leave for the West. One of them is Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former businessman, who had to endure 10 years in a prison camp.

The regime is in trouble economically and can no longer offer anything to its citizens. That's why [Vladimir] Putin has to pursue an aggressive foreign policy, so he can serve his people the fairy tale of Russian pride and regaining its strength as a major power.

I don't think that nature envisaged an insurmountable mechanism that would hinder any country from taking the path of democratic development.

Values-oriented foreign policy of the free world would be much better, supported by the self-awareness of being on the right side of history.

Chess is life in miniature. Chess is struggle, chess is battles

The only way to fail for me is just not to try.

Russia's inclination toward authoritarianism undoubtedly strengthened the leaders in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Kazakhstan, as they are afraid of normal democratic procedures.