15 Vladimir Putin Quotes We'll Never Forget

Global Markets
Russian President Vladimir Putin held office from 1999-2008 and from 2012-present.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held office for 12 years and counting - longer than any other Soviet elected to the position.

The extensive reign, combined with his enigmatic personality, means plenty of memorable Putin quotes have racked up over the years...

In fact, Russia's 15-time "Man of the Year" (and TIME's 2007 "Person of the Year" in the United States) just added a few new soundbites Monday at the 70th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

The KGB vet kicked off his address with a blatant dig on the United States. He said the original purpose of the UN has been violated by "those that found themselves at the top of the pyramid" after the Cold War. "They thought they knew better and thought they did not have to reckon with the UN to legitimize their decisions. Of course, the world is changing. The UN must be consistent with this natural transformation. Russia stands ready."

Here are 15 of the most striking Putin quotes - you'll find the strained relationship between Putin, Obama, and their two respective nations surface in more than a few of these...

15 of the Most Memorable Vladimir Putin Quotes

Putin Quote No. 1: "Primarily the United States has overstepped its national borders, and in every area." At the 43rd Munich Conference on Security Policy on Feb. 12, 2007.

Putin Quote No. 2: "We will chase terrorists everywhere. If in an airport, then in the airport. So if we find them in the toilet, excuse me, we'll rub them out in the outhouse. And that's it, case closed." Said as Boris Yeltsin's prime minister in 1999, when a Russian journalist asked him about the air war he'd recently waged against separatist-held Chechnya, according to The Telegraph.

Putin Quote No. 3: "It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation." An op-ed Putin wrote for The New York Times on Sept. 11, 2013.

Putin Quote No. 4: "People should always criticize the government, the president. When there's criticism, it's good. You can look at things in different ways. It's healthy." From "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin," a four-hour-long live broadcast in which the Russian president answered 74 questions out of the more than 3 million that were received. April 16, 2015.

Putin Quote No. 5: "It's difficult to talk to people who whisper even at home, afraid of Americans eavesdropping on them. It's not a figure of speech, not a joke, I'm serious." At the same annual event as above, a year before on April 17, 2014.

Putin Quote No. 6: "Hitler wanted to destroy Russia - everyone needs to remember how that ended." In the annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly at the Kremlin's St. George Hall on Dec. 4, 2014.

Putin Quote No. 7:  "If for many European countries, sovereignty and national pride are forgotten concepts and a luxury, then for Russia, true sovereignty is an absolutely necessary condition of our existence." Also in the annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly at the Kremlin's St. George Hall on Dec. 4, 2014.

Putin Quote No. 8: "If you want to become an Islamic fundamentalist and be circumcised, come to Moscow. We are multiconfessional. We have very good specialists. I can recommend one for the operation. He'll make sure nothing grows back." In response to a journalist who asked about Russian abuses in Chechnya in November 2002, according to Newsbusters.org.

Putin Quote No. 9: "[I]t's not by chance that Russia and the U.S. forge alliances in the most critical moments of modern history. That was the case in WWI and WWII. Even if there was fierce confrontation, our countries united against a common threat, which means there's something that unites us. There must be some fundamental interest which brings us together. That's something we need to focus on first. We need to be aware of our differences but focus on a positive agenda that can improve our cooperation." In an interview with RT Moscow on June 12, 2013.

Putin Quote No. 10: "He turned out to be a strong man, raped 10 women. I never would have expected it of him. He has surprised us all, we all envy him!" According to The Telegraph, Putin said this in October 2006 when joking about then Israeli president Moshe Katsav. Katsav had been told by Israeli police that he could be charged with rape and sexual harassment of several women. Also according to The Telegraph, a Kremlin spokesman confirmed the remarks, but told the BBC that it "in no way meant that President Putin welcomes rape."

"Russian is a very complicated language, sometimes it is very sensitive from the point of view of phrasing," he said.

Putin Quote No. 11: "Sometimes it is necessary to be lonely in order to prove that you are right." An interview with Russian and foreign media on Jan. 19, 2014.

Putin Quote No. 12: "We should acknowledge that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century." In a Russia parliament address in 2005.

Global Markets
Russian President Vladimir Putin with former U.S. President George W. Bush at a pier along the Black Sea in Sochi. April 5, 2008.

Putin Quote No. 13: "Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain." In an interview with German television channel ARD in May 2005.

Putin Quote No. 14: "Russia has made its choice in favor of democracy. Fourteen years ago, independently, without any pressure from outside, it made that decision in the interests of itself and interests of its people - of its citizens. This is our final choice, and we have no way back. There can be no return to what we used to have before. And the guarantee for this is the choice of the Russian people, themselves. No, guarantees from outside cannot be provided. This is impossible. It would be impossible for Russia today. Any kind of turn towards totalitarianism for Russia would be impossible, due to the condition of the Russian society." During a joint press conference with President George W. Bush in Slovakia in 2005.

Putin Quote No. 15: "Nobody should ever interfere in others' private lives. I have always reacted negatively to those who, with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies, prowl into others' lives." This last of our memorable Putin quotes came as a response to reports the Russian head of state had left his wife and was about to secretly marry Olympic champion gymnast Alina Kabayeva in 2008, according to The Telegraph. Sochi, Russia was selected in 2007 to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

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