American politicians have openly said that the sanctions are aimed at bringing about regime change in Russia. That's aggressive enough.

For the next decades, Europe will not be a model that is attractive to Russia.

I am of the opinion that we shouldn't turn away from Europe. We have to find ways to revitalize our relations.

Russian politics was focused for too long on fixing past mistakes - fixing the mistakes made in the 1990s.

We want to prevent further destabilization in the world. And we want the status of being a great power: We unfortunately cannot relinquish that. In the last 300 years, this status has become a part of our genetic makeup. We want to be the heart of greater Eurasia, a region of peace and cooperation. The subcontinent of Europe will also belong to this Eurasia.

In Putin's world, and in mine, it is inconceivable that women be harassed and raped in public.

The German chancellor said that our president lives in a different world. I believe he lives in a very real world.