Today, it is imperative to end this hysteria, to refute the rhetoric of the Cold War and to accept the obvious fact: Russia is an independent, active participant in international affairs. Like other countries, it has its own national interests that need to be taken into account and respected.

[Egon] Bahr even said: If Russia agreed to the NATO expansion, he would never come to Moscow again.

As for that footage, video footage showing the dead children allegedly killed in the chemical attack, it is horrible. The question is only who did it and what they did, and who is responsible for this. These pictures do not answer the questions I have just posed. There is an opinion that it's a compilation by these very rebels, who are connected with al-Qaida and who were always distinguished by exceptional brutality.

There are many other areas. And I am confident that each of them is of interest to both the people of the United States of America and the Russian people.

Political activities in Russia should be as transparent as possible. Financing political activities from abroad is something the state should keep an eye on.

Nobody should pin their hopes on a miracle.

Today, it is imperative to end this hysteria, to refute the rhetoric of the Cold War and to accept the obvious fact: Russia is an independent, active participant in international affairs. Like other countries, it has its own national interests that need to be taken into account and respected.