Putin must be punished for violating the Budapest Memorandum, and Russia must learn that the U.S. will isolate it if it insists on acting like a rogue nation.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Russia continues to side with... rogue states and terrorist organizations, following Vladimir Putin's pattern of gratuitous and unpunished affronts to U.S. interests.
We live in a dangerous world, and Russia has not complied with existing treaties.
Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is a gross violation of that nation's sovereignty and an affront to the international community.
It's essential for the U.S. and Europe to prevent Putin from going farther and reversing the hard-won independence of former Soviet republics.
Everyone in my country understands that Russia cannot do without Europe and that, vice versa, Europe cannot do without Russia. We depend on cooperation.
Putin needs strong moves to keep the country as one. There is some criticism that he is centralizing power, but in Russia, if you don't centralize power, you have the risk of losing the country.
But if Russia is to be part of this larger zone of peace it cannot bring into it its imperial baggage. It cannot bring into it a policy of genocide against the Chechens, and cannot kill journalists, and it cannot repress the mass media.
Russia holds a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. This is a privilege, and it is a responsibility. Yet in Syria and in Aleppo, Russia is abusing this historic privilege.
Nothing more threatens Vladimir Putin than not being able to track his own citizens.
Russia does not want confrontation of any kind. And we will not take part in any kind of 'holy alliance.'