We have put the Cold War behind us. We no longer count our divisions and our warheads. And I am Russia's first civilian defense minister in many centuries. We have become more pragmatic.

It is painful to talk about it, but even with its 110,000 elite soldiers, the Soviet Union never managed to gain control over the entire Afghan territory.

Moscow has been helping the Northern Alliance because "the Taliban was openly supported by Pakistan... until last week, Pakistani servicemen had taken part in war operations on the Taliban side.

Russia sees itself as a country that is self-sufficient.

The Baltic countries are sovereign nations. They have the right to decide which military and political bloc they want to be a part of.

Because of its huge territory, Russia must devote a great deal of attention to security.

When it comes to culture, religion and mentality, most Russians identify with Europe.

The sweetest of all sounds is praise.

The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful revelation of life's wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion.

The best defense against a powerful and positive dynamic ideology is neither verbal attack nor criticism, which are useful, but to set up an equally powerful and dynamic ideology against it.

The decathlon takes so long to learn that people who are good athletes don't want to go back to the beginning again.

If God is not a personal being for me like my earthly father, He is infinitely more.

You must concentrate on pleasing God alone, and if He is pleased, you must be pleased.

Holy Week is a good occasion to go to confession and to take up the right path again.

A really good stand-up comic is a poet; it's about the use of language. It can be really poetic. And I like politically conscious comedy.

Prayer is never just an emergency flare or desperate anxious gamble. God's attention is not based on our performance but parental love.