Belarus

“The Chernobyl series … is packed with petty anti-Soviet filth, which poisons viewers’ brains, thus becoming a deliberate, well-thought-out distortion of Soviet reality.”

“Probably, the level of integration in the CIS format is not the same as in the Eurasian Union... But this is a common story. These are, as we say, variable-speed tracks of integration.”

"I understand that some countries would like to forget as soon as possible about the role that they played in the years of prior to World War II. However, I deem those attempts to accuse us of militarizing public opinion as offensive."

“Look, they cheated, and the damage for us both economically and financially, and indeed reputational, is very serious.”

“I note that we’ve never, even in the days of tsarist Russia, killed people for dissent. This, by the way, is the great strength of our people.”

“We love and are proud of President Vladimir Putin, because he is a friend of Palestine and not only Palestine, but all the people who are seeking freedom. President Putin succeeded in restoring Russia’s authority in the international arena and forced all to respect Russia.”

“…the proportion of people who want friendship between Russia and Ukraine remained the same over the past 10 years. This is despite a campaign of anti-Russian propaganda in Ukraine and numerous infringements of Russian speakers’ rights which have been taking place since the 2014 replacement of the lawfully-elected Ukrainian government with a pro-Western regime in the course of violent protests known as ‘Maidan’.”

“Do not believe the stupid Western propaganda that Russia grabbed a piece of Ukrainian holy land from Ukraine. Nothing like that. Crimea has been Russian since very long time and it will be forever”

“This demonstration of power potential is taking place in close proximity to Russian borders and has a clear anti-Russian orientation. Northern Europe and the Baltic region, previously calm militarily, are turning into a training ground for simulating large-scale military operations, setting up public opinion for the possibility of their transformation into a real theater of war.”

“Russia fully complies with the Treaty on Open Skies. The US accusations are completely groundless.”

“Russia is ready to host the World Cup. The stadiums are open. The cops are polyglots. That is a quick recap of many years of work.We're not going to lose face in front of the planet. It’s not for nothing we terrified [the planet] with a missile. In general, all is well. But there is only one “but”: Our team, frankly, is sh-t.”

I will start with an assessment of increased threats. Since 2012, the number of military contingents deployed by NATO near Russia’s western frontiers has increased threefold. Four battalion tactical groups have been deployed in the Baltics and Poland as well as a U.S. Army armored brigade and command staffs of NATO’s multinational divisions in Poland and Romania. The number of engagement-ready forces of the alliance has grown from 10,000 to 40,000 troops, while their notice period has been reduced from 45 to 30 days.