Sergei Lavrov

“Russia has every reason to dispose of its nuclear arsenal... to suit its interests and international legal obligations.”

“I wouldn't even go into the history of the last days of the Soviet Union, the withdrawal from Europe, and what promises were given at that time, because those were oral promises, and our leaders of that time strongly believe that, like in ancient Russia, a word given is better than any treaty.”

“Russia would not support anything which would be actually imposed on Syrians.”

“Russia and the U.S. bear a special responsibility in world affairs. We have much to offer the rest of the world. Our common history testifies to this, and modern challenges demand that we work together.”

“NATO cannot accept that the unconstitutional coup in Ukraine has not led to the subjugation of the whole Ukrainian nation.”

“When you buy a company at an auction, and you are committing yourself to pay some $300 million to the state because it was a privatization deal, and you don't pay it, is it OK? Isn't it something that deserves court procedures?”

“We have been protecting the lives of the Russian peacekeepers who had been attacked by their Georgian comrades, because there was a joint peacekeeping force.”

“Conversations with my counterparts in Europe have made clear that many of them recognize NATO's limitations and understand the need for reform.”

“The U.S.-led western alliance, while acting as an advocate of democracy, rule of law and human rights, is acting from the opposite position, rejecting the democratic principle of the sovereign right of states enshrined in the U.N. Charter and trying to decide for others what is good and what is bad.”

“The jihadists come from many European countries, Russia included, and some even from the United States; hundreds of them - if you take Europe, Russia and the U.S. - are fighting in the ranks of extremist groups.”

“There is nothing in this world which could be not described as requiring more.”

“It is absolutely unacceptable to talk to Russia - or anyone for that matter - in the language of ultimatums and coercive measures.”

“Attempts to settle crises by unilateral sanctions outside the framework of U.N. Security Council decisions threaten international peace and stability. Such attempts are counterproductive and contradict the norms and principles of international law.”

“Iran will be the most checked and inspected country if the principles agreed in Lausanne are transferred into the language of practical agreements.”

“I don't want to say that sanctions are ridiculous and that we couldn't care less; these are not pleasant things... We find little joy in that, but there are no painful sensations. We have lived through tougher times.”

“We have become stronger economically; we have been successfully resolving the social problems, raising the level of living - the standards of living - of the population.”

“All our security now depends on the wise decisions and cooperation of our leaders.”

“Regarding the visa-free regime, it has undoubtedly become a problem for the European Union, above all in terms of its capacity to reach agreements.”

“You know that we are not in the regime-change game. We are against interference in domestic conflicts.”

“We believe Russian-American relations are broader and larger than emotions and mutual grudges, including the situation with the U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden.”