7 months ago
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Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke connected Thursday (October 2, 2025) astatine the Valdai Discussion Club, a forum of Russia experts, successful the metropolis of Sochi. He spoke successful Russian, and his words are translated by Reuters.
Here are immoderate of the main quotes:
On insubstantial tigers
"A insubstantial tiger. What follows then? Go and woody with this insubstantial tiger," Mr. Putin said.
"Well if we are warring with the full NATO bloc, we are moving, advancing, and we consciousness confident, and we are a 'paper tiger', past what is NATO itself?"
On ‘hysteria’ among Europe’s leaders
"The ruling elites of agreed Europe proceed to whip up hysteria. It turns retired that warfare with the Russians is practically connected the doorstep. They repetition this nonsense, this mantra, implicit and implicit again. ... They can't judge what they're saying, that Russia is going to onslaught NATO? ... They're either incredibly incompetent if they genuinely judge it, due to the fact that it's intolerable to judge this nonsense, oregon they're simply dishonest."
On Russia’s effect to European subject buildup
"We simply cannot disregard what is happening. We person nary close to bash truthful for reasons of our ain security. I repeat, our defence and safety. Therefore, we are intimately monitoring the escalating militarization of Europe."
"Are these conscionable bare words, oregon is it clip for america to instrumentality countermeasures? ... Germany, for example, says that the German service should beryllium the astir almighty successful Europe. Good. We perceive carefully, knowing what is meant."
"I deliberation nary 1 doubts that specified measures volition unit Russia to act, and Russia's countermeasures volition not beryllium agelong successful coming. It seems (to me) that the effect to these threats volition be, to enactment it mildly, precise convincing."
On the Ukraine conflict
"We are grateful to each the countries that person made sincere efforts to find a mode retired of this concern successful caller years. These see our partners: the founding members of BRICS; Belarus and also, by the way, North Korea; successful the Arab satellite arsenic a whole, chiefly the UAE, alongside galore different countries."
"Unfortunately, it has not been imaginable to halt the fighting, but the work for this lies not with the bulk (of countries), but with a number successful Europe that is perpetually escalating the conflict."
On relations with the United States
"Our countries, arsenic we know, person galore points of disagreement. Our views connected galore planetary issues clash. This is mean for specified large powers. In fact, naturally, the astir important happening is however to resoluteness these disagreements, and to what grade they tin beryllium resolved peacefully."
"The existent White House medication states its interests and desires straight ... and bluntly, but without immoderate unnecessary hypocrisy."
"We spot that the existent U.S. medication is guided chiefly by its ain interests, arsenic it understands them. I judge this is simply a rational approach. But then, if you volition excuse me, Russia besides reserves the close to beryllium guided by its nationalist interests. One of which, incidentally, is the restoration of full-fledged relations with the U.S."
On ‘fighting’ betwixt Russia and NATO
"All NATO countries are warring us, and they're nary longer hiding it. Unfortunately, determination are instructors (in Ukraine), and they're really taking portion successful combat operations. A centre was created specifically successful Europe, and it fundamentally supports everything the Ukrainian equipped forces do. It feeds information, transmits quality from space, and supplies weapons and gives training."
On the people of the fighting
"Our troops are confidently advancing on practically the full enactment of contact."
"We power astir 100% of the Luhansk region. The force controls a small implicit 19% successful the Donetsk region, and 24-25% successful the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, respectively. And everywhere, Russian troops confidently support the strategical initiative."
On Trump’s Gaza plan
"In general, Russia is prepared to enactment it. Provided, of people it leads to the eventual extremity we person ever discussed. Russia has ever ... advocated the instauration of 2 states – some Israel and a Palestinian state. And this, successful my view, is the cardinal to a last solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."
On U.S. calls for India to renounce Russian energy
"If India refuses our vigor supplies, it volition endure a definite nonaccomplishment ... of course, the radical of a state similar India, judge me, volition intimately show the decisions made by the governmental enactment and volition ne'er let immoderate humiliation successful beforehand of anyone. And then, I cognize Prime Minister Modi; helium himself would ne'er instrumentality immoderate steps of this kind."
On alleged Ukrainian strikes connected Zaphrizhzhia atomic plant
"This is simply a unsafe game, and radical connected the different broadside should besides recognize that if they're going to play it truthful dangerously, they inactive person operating atomic powerfulness plants connected their side. And what's stopping america from retaliating successful kind? Let them deliberation astir that."
On continued exports of Uranium to the U.S.
"The United States is 1 of the largest, if not the largest, authorities utilizing atomic powerfulness plants ... Since atomic vigor is good developed successful the U.S., it requires a ample magnitude of fuel. We are not the largest supplier But Russia is the 2nd largest supplier of uranium to the American market."
On Alaska acme with Donald Trump
"President Trump and I discussed practically thing there, not adjacent the bilateral agenda. We lone discussed the possibilities and ways to resoluteness the Ukrainian crisis."
"Second, 1 mode oregon another, albeit superficially, we discussed restoring Russian-American relations, which are not conscionable astatine an impasse, but astatine their lowest constituent successful memory."
On French seizure of Russian lipid tanker
"Well, it's piracy ... A tanker was seized successful planetary waters, without immoderate justification. And they were seemingly looking for immoderate benignant of cargo, possibly subject equipment, drones, oregon thing similar that. None of that was there, nor could it be."
