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

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.

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.

Grappling with fate is like meeting an expert wrestler: to escape, you have to accept the fall when you are thrown. The only thing that counts is whether you get back up.

As President, I have no eyes but constitutional eyes; I cannot see you.

The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear

I'm in an interracial marriage.

The capitalism we are in now is already coming to an end

Look, just go sit at the card table with the rest of the kids and let the adults run the country.

Science is paramount, but presents no challenge to a creed that rests on faith-based belief.

...what I dread more than anything else in this life is noise...silence helps you to go inward..anyone who is interested in something more than just life outside actually needs silence.

Small disconnected facts, if you take note of them, have a way of becoming connected.

Our rest lies in looking to the Lord, not to ourselves.