The Russian empire under czars and commissars has been hard to deal with for other countries.

The Gorbachev period is conceived as an abandonment of historic Russian positions. So this is the framework, in my view, in which Putin operates.

To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal

I do not stand on protocol. If you just call me Excellency, it will be okay.

While we should never give up our principles, we must also realize that we cannot maintain our principles unless we survive.

The attitude of the West and of Russia towards a crisis like Ukraine is diametrically different. The West is trying to establish the legality of any established border. For Russia, Ukraine is part of the Russian patrimony. A Russian state was created around Kiev about 1,200 years ago. Ukraine itself has been part of Russia for 500 years, and I would say most Russians consider it part of Russian patrimony. The ideal solution would be to have a Ukraine like Finland or Austria that can be a bridge between these two rather than an outpost.

Leaders must invoke an alchemy of great vision.