Quotes About Putin

#1. In 2008, Putin's message was, 'We aren't like a Central Asian republic, we aren't going to build a personalistic regime, we will have institutions.' This is all abolished now. The very idea of a governing party and party career, as you have in China, that didn't work.

Ivan Krastev

#2. My impression is that Putin feels that he can basically manipulate the West to do what he ultimately wants to achieve, and that he feels he's gotten away with it so far, and that all he has to do is basically play the same game.

Leon Panetta

#3. In 2015, Vladimir Putin may witness his empire's death knell

Strobe Talbott

#4. I'm not going to wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Russia, or Mr. Putin.

Mitt Romney

#5. Vladimir Putin said the tanks that you see rolling through the streets are just part of the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

David Letterman

#6. Putin has reversed all the liberalizing reforms carried out by his predecessor.

Alexei Navalny

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

Garry Kasparov

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

Garry Kasparov

#9. But I also made it clear to (Vladimir Putin) that it's important to think beyond the old days of when we had the concept that if we blew each other up, the world would be safe.

George W. Bush

#10. Putin wants to reestablish Russian greatness, not as the Cold War, but in 19th century empire terms.

William J. Clinton

#11. When the Obama administration announced its 'reset' of relations with Russia in 2009, Americans never expected that it would include making Vladimir Putin the de facto U.S. ambassador to Syria in 2013.

John Barrasso

#12. Remember evil Russian dictator Vladimir Putin? He vanished for 10 days. He had disappeared and there were a lot of rumors. One rumor was he had disappeared because he had himself executed.

David Letterman

#13. You'd better believe that Putin sees that in Syria, Obama draws a red line and ignores the red line.

Ted Cruz

#14. Putin sought to keep Ukraine weak through corruption.

Joe Biden

#15. With Russia about to hold the Winter Games in Sochi, the country is open to pressure. American and world leaders must speak out against Mr. Putin's attacks and the violence they foster. The Olympic Committee must demand the retraction of these laws under threat of boycott.

Harvey Fierstein

#16. Russia's Vladimir Putin appeared in public for the first time after a mysterious 10-day absence. Putin said it took him that long to recover from the finale of 'The Bachelor.'

Conan O'Brien

#17. Stalin's policies pushed the world into the Cold War. Putin has the potential to be equally as dangerous.

Bob Ainsworth

#18. Vladimir Putin had once been known as Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Dracula. And that he had also, in fact, been Grigori Rasputin before the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Jeff Kirvin

#19. There are many facts showing that Putin's people enriched themselves by using power mechanisms so that's why for them losing power means losing their fortunes.

Garry Kasparov

#20. The minute Putin went into Crimea, what Obama should have done is sent 50,000 troops to NATO. He didn't have to engage them, just send them. That puts the fear of God into people.

Rudy Giuliani

#21. Vladimir Putin was awarded an advanced degree by the St. Petersburg Mining Institute with the help of a dissertation that, as two Brookings researchers discovered, included sixteen stolen pages - and, remarkably, not a single set of quotation marks.

Evan Osnos

#22. Putin is playing the long game. He has a strategic plan in mind: the Eurasian Union, which would be in competition to Europe.

Hillary Clinton

#23. Putin probably, almost certainly, thinks that one of the great disasters of the 20th century was the demise of the Soviet Union. It's very obvious that he's trying to work its way back and maintain something similar to that sort of institution.

Alan Greenspan

#24. I think Vladimir Putin, because of all of his experiences, has a real fear about being - about NATO being on his borders. He's always had that.

Charlie Rose

#25. After the Russian army invaded the nation of Georgia, Senator Obama's reaction was one of moral indecision and equivalence, the kind of response that would only encourage Russia's Putin to invade Ukraine next.

Sarah Palin

#26. Putin's an egomaniac, so there are two ways he can process his ego mania. He can say, "Oh, I stood up to the U.S.," or, "Hey, I'm essential to the world order."

David Brooks

#27. Putin is like Al Capone.

Garry Kasparov

#28. Inna Bohoslovska is scaring everyone by repeating that Putin wants war.

Andrey Kurkov

#29. Vladimir Putin uses energy to hold our allies hostage. If energy is going to be used as a weapon, I say America must have the largest arsenal.

Rick Perry

#30. President Obama is in China. Also in China is evil Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. They're both in China at the same time. It's like running into your ex-girlfriend on vacation.

David Letterman

#31. There is no doubt that Putin is responsible for this crime, whether or not he gave the order to commit the murder [of Boris Nemtsov] himself. Putin created the conditions and atmosphere that have made this kind of thing possible.

Garry Kasparov

#32. Vladimir Putin uses fascist propaganda to do so. From Ukraine to Syria, he 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.

Garry Kasparov

#33. In my opinion, Putin is right on these issues. Obviously, he may be wrong about many things, but he has taken a stand to protect his nation's children from the damaging effects of any gay and lesbian agenda.

Franklin Graham

#34. I will not speak to Vladimir Putin personally until we've rebuilt the 6th Fleet a little bit right under his nose; rebuilt the missile defense program in Poland right under his nose; and conducted a few military exercises in the Baltic states.

Carly Fiorina

#35. It could truly be the case that Vladimir Putin has miscalculated in the long term with his adventure in Syria.

Garry Kasparov

#36. So when Putin goes out to buy a Coke, thirty seconds later it is known in Washington DC.

Julian Assange

#37. Everybody was upset that Vladimir Putin was missing. He was in Switzerland with his girlfriend. She had a baby in Switzerland because in Russia childbirth is not covered by Putin-care.

David Letterman

#38. If Putin wants to knock the hell out of ISIS, I'm all for it 100 percent and I can't understand how anybody would be against that.

Donald Trump

#39. Putin had told Yeltsin that he did not like election campaigns, and now he dismissed campaign promises as unachievable lies told by politicians and denigrated television advertisements as unseemly manipulation of gullible consumers.

Steven Lee Myers

#40. I didn't say I would cut off all communication with [Vladimir] Putin. What I said was as president of the United States, now is not the time to talk with him.

Carly Fiorina

#41. Russia - having sat across the table from Vladimir Putin, it's pretty clear when you meet him that he has an almost limitless ambition for power. And he's been very good at acquiring it - political power, economic power, military power, territorial power.

Carly Fiorina

#42. When Mitt Romney talked about Putin expanding his sphere of influence, Obama mocked and said, 'The Cold War has been over 20 years, nothing to be worried about' ... We keep making that mistake with Putin.

Ted Cruz

#43. Edward Snowden gave a little press conference today. He is apparently seeking temporary asylum in Russia. Because, you know, when you're tired of the government snooping into everything you do, Putin's Russia is definitely the place you want to go.

Bill Maher

#44. Things are currently the other way around in [Vladimir] Putin's realm. But it won't stay that way forever.

Garry Kasparov

#45. I shrug, trying to seem cool and unaffected. "Might look a bit too 'Putin' on the horse." He

Emma Chase

#46. I worry about the future of this country for our kids and grandkids and America not being on the world stage and that vacuum being filled by the likes of Vladimir Putin.

Sean Hannity

#47. been informed by Putin's secretary that the

Ted Bell

#48. I think we have very steady records of President Putin, who inherited the country with democratic values.

Garry Kasparov

#49. [Vladimir] Putin wants to keep [Bashar] Assad in power and expand his own military base in Syria, whatever the cost. I even believe he has an interest in more and more people fleeing the country. The flow of refugees improves his negotiating position toward the West, including the German chancellor.

Garry Kasparov

#50. Vladimir Putin celebrated his 63rd birthday today. He had a nice party, but it got awkward when two of his friends got him the same country.

Jimmy Fallon

#51. I don't know why, but Putin has made a ritual out of humiliating Medvedev. Sometimes I even feel sorry for the prime minister.

Alexei Navalny

#52. The Russian economy is tanking. It's gotten so bad that today Vladimir Putin had to pawn his stolen Super Bowl ring. And Putin will finance his next invasion on Kickstarter.

David Letterman

#53. President Obama and Vladimir Putin are both in China attending the same economic summit. Obama saw Putin and said, 'After those midterms, it's nice to finally see a friendly face.'

Conan O'Brien

#54. Revenge for a terror attack is ideal for Putin's model. His propaganda machine will be filled with scenes of crash victims if [Vladimir] Putin sees the need for a larger war to stoke his domestic support again as the Russian economy teeters.

Garry Kasparov

#55. It's almost as if Putin is brilliant, really - he's outfoxing Obama all the time.

Tina Brown

#56. Vladimir Putin mainly has friends in Europe among the extreme right, such as Marine Le Pen's Front National in France.

Garry Kasparov

#57. Donald Trump is not qualified to be president because he's not qualified to deal with Vladimir Putin.

Jeb Bush

#58. While the behavior of the Russian government, Putin and Putin punks are abhorrent, nothing will be changed by boycotting the Sochi Winter Games. In fact, those who are appalled by the treatment of LGBT Russian citizens will lose an incredible opportunity for the world to show their disgust.

David Mixner

#59. I know Vladimir Putin. He respects strength. He lied to our president's [Barack Obama] face; didn't both to tell him about warplanes and troops going into Syria. We need to speak to him from a position of strength.

Carly Fiorina

#60. One of the men, heavyset and balding, making a cruel joke about Putin.

Suzanne Brockmann

#61. It's just, well, I can't stand it when someone's unfair to Mr. Wolflaw, because he's really so ... he's so incredible." "I understand. It really steams me when people say bad things about Vladimir Putin.

Dean Koontz

#62. Putin sought to destabilize Ukraine's economy.

Joe Biden

#63. Putin can't afford to leave the office because he will be in real danger of being prosecuted for things he and his people did during their stay in power.

Garry Kasparov

#64. As far as my relationship with President Putin is concerned, it's fine.

Gerhard Schroder

#65. I've lost some weight. I am on that new Obama diet. Every day I let Vladimir Putin eat my lunch.

Jay Leno

#66. The more Mr. Putin extends the fighting in eastern Ukraine, the more the financial markets will ratchet up their own pressure on Russia.

Roger Altman

#67. I would sooner want a strong partnership with the United States - even with (US President George W.) Bush, who I think is the worst president in a long, long time. I would sooner want a friendship with Bush than with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.

Bernard-Henri Levy

#68. At the Vatican, Mr. Putin and Francis were expected to focus on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, an issue of mutual concern.

Anonymous

#69. It is a very big exaggeration to say I am a friend of Mr. Putin.

Alexei Mordashov

#70. The only successor to President Putin is President Putin himself and we could of course dream about President Putin stepping down voluntarily and picking out successor which would be probably as bad as him.

Garry Kasparov

#71. In Russia today, 110 persons, including Mr. Putin's cronies, control 35% of the country's wealth while 50% of adults have total household wealth of $871 or lower.

Anonymous

#72. Director Oliver Stone says he's going to make a movie about Vladimir Putin. I can't believe anyone would want to work with that insane communist. And Putin is a little crazy as well.

Craig Ferguson

#73. After months of negotiations, Iran has finally agreed to reduce its nuclear weapons program. Which was great until Putin showed up and said, 'Hi, I'm here about Craigslist ad for nukes.'

Jimmy Fallon

#74. While President Putin is busy redrawing the map of Europe, President Obama is busy filling out his brackets.

Kathleen Troia McFarland

#75. Putin stands for the opposite of a universal ideology; he has become an arch-nationalist of a pre-Cold War type, making mystic appeals to motherland and religion.

George Packer

#76. I think Putin has changed, for sure. He has changed over time and he has been emboldened by, whether it's true or not, the perception is that we've pulled back, so people do change and this is an example of that.

Jeb Bush

#77. Control oil and you control money. That's how you become a dominant player in the new Great Game - the one that Putin has been playing so masterfully in his effort to engineer the demise of the dollar.

Marin Katusa

#78. Before any American points a finger at President Putin and calls him nasty names, they should recognize that a lot of Americans agree with Putin on his stance against homosexual and transgender people.

Henry Rollins

#79. In Russia an authoritarian leader is running the country. You can't fight Putin with elections because he controls them. That's why demonstrations are the most effective approach. Unfortunately Russia has sunk to this primitive level.

Alexei Navalny

#80. The post-Cold War order in Europe is finished, with Vladimir Putin its executioner. Russia's invasion of Georgia only marked its passing. Russia has emerged as a born-again 19th-century power determined to challenge the intellectual, moral and institutional foundations of the order.

Ivan Krastev

#81. When Putin says good things and when we have a possibility of having a good relationship with Russia.

Donald Trump

#82. I would like to travel to my country again, to a country without a dictatorship, to a post-Putin Russia.

Garry Kasparov

#83. If you wake up in Moscow and put on the Science channel, it doesn't feel like an American channel, it feels like their channel. In fact, Discovery is Vladimir Putin's favorite channel.

David Zaslav

#84. I think would send a very strong message to Putin and to Russia that NATO countries and the United States are going to respond by growing stronger economically and strategically.

Mike Pence

#85. On September 11, 2001, Russia's then-president, Vladimir Putin, called U.S. President George W. Bush - making Putin the first international leader to speak with Bush after the attacks.

Sergei Lavrov

#86. Today Russia announced that it will join America's fight with the terror group ISIS. Then Putin said, But I did not say which side.

Jimmy Fallon

#87. I think to deal with Putin, you need to deal from strength. He's a bully, you enable bad behavior when you're nuanced with a guy like that.

Jeb Bush

#88. [Putin] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically.

Kelly Ayotte

#89. [Vladimir] Putin needs wars to legitimize his position.

Garry Kasparov

#90. Putin likes to quote a sentence from Czar Alexander III, who said that Russian has only two allies - the army and the navy. As a citizen, this makes me sit up and take notice. This is a concept of self-imposed isolation, a defense strategy that sees Russia surrounded by enemies.

Vladimir Sorokin

#91. The Putin regime is and always has been about one thing: money. Specifically, about how to move it into the bank accounts of Putin's

Garry Kasparov

#92. True, Putin's Russia does not dream of joining the E.U., but Russia's stability depends on preserving the European nature of its regime.

Ivan Krastev

#93. Vladimir Putin and Russia. 'When a bear wakes up from hibernation, he doesn't eat a few blueberries and then go back to sleep.' They have their eyes on Eastern Europe, and if NATO is not willing to stand up forcefully to this threat today, it will only become more difficult to do so down the road.

Seth Moulton

#94. In chess the rules are fixed and the outcome is unpredictable, whereas in Putin's Russia the rules are unpredictable and the outcome is fixed.

Garry Kasparov

#95. Putin has a lot at stake here and restoring the relationship with the United States, and there are already signs as Sandy mentioned that he's moving in the right direction to begin to ascertain that their trade with Iran is not used for the production of nuclear weapons.

Frank Carlucci

#96. I've always felt fine about Putin. I think he is a strong leader, he's a powerful leader, he's represented his country the way - the country is being represented.

Donald Trump

#97. The regime is in trouble economically and can no longer offer anything to its citizens. That's why [Vladimir] Putin has to pursue an aggressive foreign policy, so he can serve his people the fairy tale of Russian pride and regaining its strength as a major power.

Garry Kasparov

#98. Over the weekend, Vladimir Putin scored eight goals during a hockey game. It happened just after he had the goalie executed.

Conan O'Brien

#99. Russia's actions in Syria are not the only reasons to distrust Mr. Putin. Moscow has opposed attempts by the U.N. in November 2011 to increase sanctions against Iran for its illicit nuclear program.

John Barrasso

#100. Russia would prefer to rebuild trust rather than allow it to further corrode. That's why, in July 2007, President Putin, in the spirit of strategic openness, proposed a truly collective effort at missile defense for Europe.

Sergei Lavrov