Eduard Shevardnadze Quotes

The West will have to choose: either to come to terms with Russians, or to receive a retaliatory blow. This retaliatory blow will not be by means of war. We will resort to the same weapon: nationalism.

Russia does not want confrontation of any kind. And we will not take part in any kind of 'holy alliance.'

If Russia and the United States approach each other in starkly adversarial terms, the conflict will badly warp the foreign policy of both countries ...

There is no common ground between us and Iran.

Germany, because of the fact and the perception of a special relationship with Russia, is the only one who can influence Russian debate. Russians also believe that Germans understand them best because they've been through a big war and know what humiliation means.

The Finnish way of dealing with Russia, whatever the situation, is that we will be very decisive to show what we don't like, where the red line is.

The United States can tell you all about what's wrong with the British, to say nothing of the Russians.

I don't know why you use a fancy French word like detente when there's a good English phrase for it - cold war.

I told him that my own opinion was that the time now and the method now to deal with Russia was to keep our mouths shut and let our actions speak for words.

One of the elements in the film that really fascinated me was not to look at the world in bi-polar terms of us vs them or east vs west, which was a by-product of the Cold War.

The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.

Restoration of friendship with Russia, our biggest neighbor, is necessary for our peace and economy.

Amin managed to invite both the US and Soviet ambassadors to his palace at the very same time and then deliberately kept them together in his waiting room.

Between Russia and the United States sentiments of good will continue to be mutually cherished.

Appeasement is just as bad in 1983 as it was in 1938.

Germany has an interest in détente—for general European and national reasons. Here we are in accord not only with our allies … but with almost everyone. Here we join with the nations and governments of the uncommitted world. Here interests we have in common with the Communist-governed states also come to light in spite of some polemics.

Suppose another war on a huge scale is threatened, how can it be averted by recognizing and patching up treaties with a Power which makes not the least secret--and the frankness of the actual Soviet leaders we must admit--of its desire and intention to smash our whole system of civilization, including Christianity.

But we cannot expect the Soviet Union to show restraint in the face of United States weakness or irresolution. As long as I am president, we will not permit detente to become a license to fish in troubled waters. Detente must be, and I trust will be, a two-way street.

Whoever said “Keep your enemies close” didn’t have many enemies.

Our Russian policy must not be dictated by people who have already made up their minds there is no possibility of working with the Russians and that our interests are bound to conflict and ultimately lead to war. From my point of view, this is an untenable position and can but lead to disaster.

Following the missile crisis, detente started to gain ground between the United States and the Soviet Union, so the international political climate improved after that.

I'm not a big fan of Putin. I'm not a big fan of Russia.

Russia isn't going to start a war. They can't afford it. I think Mr. Putin can be dealt with if we stop screaming at him. You can work with the guy. You just have to know who he is.

We can find common ground in agreeing that politics have no room in foreign policy.

I am not in the camp of 'Russia has to be our enemy, and they have to be that way forever,' and I think sometimes we fight about from the past.