Vladimir Putin

From BillionQuotes

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (In Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин) (born 7 October 1952) has been the President of Russia since the year 2000.

1 Sourced
2 On terrorists
3 Attributed
4 External links

[edit]

Sourced

Надо исполнять закон всегда, а не только тогда, когда схватили за одно место.
- Translation: You must obey the law, always, not only when they grab you by your special place.
- Interview (4 November 2003)

Понятно, что надо больше платить, это самый простой вариант, не всегда возможный,(но простой) но способов решения проблемы много
- Translation: It is clear that we have to pay more, it is the simple option, not always affordable, ("but simple," said in actual recording) but the ways to solve the problem are many.
- On human capital flight, in address to Committee for Education, Science and Technology October 26, 2004.

The democratic choice Russian people made in the early 90's is final.
- Interview in Brazil for space talks (22 November 2004)

First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.
- In a nationally televised speech on April 25, 2005, as reported in San Diego Union Tribune

If you are a Christian, you are in danger. Even if you are an atheist, you are in danger, and if you decide to convert to Islam, this will not save you, either, because traditional Islam is inimical to the conditions and objectives set by them [the terrorists]. If you are prepared to become a most radical Islamist and are prepared to circumcise yourself, I invite you to come to Moscow. I will recommend having the operation done in such a way that nothing will grow for you there anymore.
- Putin snapping back at a reporter from Le Monde who asked a critical question about the conduct of the war in Chechnya, in November 2002. The quotation was rendered innocuous by his interpreter, but the original was recorded on audio and widely reprinted in Russia.

We were weak. And the weak are being beaten.
- After the tragedy of Beslan, Putin explained the failure of Russia's Security Services with this sentence.

The principle of appointing regional leaders is not a sign of a lack of democracy. For instance, India is called the largest world democracy. But their governors have always been appointed by the central government and nobody disputes that India is a democracy. In the United States, you first elect the electors and then they vote for the presidential candidates. In Russia, the president is elected through the direct vote of the whole population. That might be even more democratic. And you have other problems in your elections, Four years ago your presidential election was decided by the court. The judicial system was brought into it. But we're not going to poke our noses into your democratic system because that's up to the American people.
- In response to criticism from US journalist Mike Wallace that his plan to end the direct election of governors and simply appoint them ran counter to the spirit of democracy.

But if the U.S. were to leave and abandon Iraq without establishing the grounds for a united and sovereign country, that would definitely be a second mistake.
- After saying the US shouldn't have gone into Iraq in the first place.

Larry King: Let's get to the part that may not have been enjoyable. What can -- what happened? You tell me. What happened with the submarine?
Vladimir Putin: (through translator) It sunk.
- From Larry King Live

If we expel these spies, others will come in their place. Maybe bright ones will come and we'll beat ourselves up trying to find them. We'll think things over.
- When asked, if Russia will expel British diplomats involved in the Spy Rock affair.

[edit]

On terrorists

Мы будем преследовать террористов всюду. Если в туалете поймаем, то и в сортире их замочим.
- Translation: We'll follow terrorists everywhere. Should we catch them in a shithouse, we'll kill them in a shithouse.
- Press conference (24 September 1999). Often misquoted as "We will corner the bandits in the shithouse and wipe them out" (becoming a famous catch prase "мочить в сортире" in Russian).

Russia doesn't negotiate with terrorists. It destroys them.

These are cruel people, beasts in human disguise.
- About Chechen rebels during a press conference in The Hague while paying a state visit to the Netherlands (2 November, 2005)

Why don't you meet Osama bin Laden, invite him to Brussels or to the White House and engage in talks, ask him what he wants and give it to him so he leaves you in peace? You find it possible to set some limitations in your dealings with these bastards, so why should we talk to people who are child-killers? No one has a moral right to tell us to talk to childkillers.
- In response to US and EU leaders who have criticised Putin on taking a hardline in dealing with the Chechens

We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.

[edit]

Attributed

Ни водку, ни горилку, ни сало они нам бесплатно не дают!
- Translation: "Neither vodka, nor bacon, nor fat do they give us for free!"
- "Gas negotiations" with Ukraine (30 December, 2005)

[edit]