Russia is a mafia state today, and Putin is its top godfather.

Back in the days of the Soviet Union, the countries of Eastern Europe, being under the control of the USSR, would call their states "people's republics." The sham that is currently going on in the states of the former Soviet Union is due to the fact that the politicians in power are eager to polish up their image abroad.

From Ukraine to Syria, he [Vladimir Putin] is behaving like the world's new general and celebrating victories, while the American president sits on the sidelines and Europe sleeps. The West's behavior toward Putin is political and moral capitulation.

Rhetoric matters, but at the end of the day policy matters more.

Chess helps you to concentrate, improve your logic. It teaches you to play by the rules and take responsibility for your actions, how to problem solve in an uncertain environment.

We've been saying Putin is a dictator for years who doesn't care about the law.

Without a goal [maneuvering is] aimless. You might be a master tactician, but you'll have no sense of strategy.