--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Russians will always find a pretext…" description: "\"The Russians will always find a pretext for their aggression. It was Putin who said in 2005 that the biggest geopolitical disaster of the last century ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/arseniy-yatsenyuk-38823_aggression_the-russians-will-always-find-a-pretext_3096628.jpg" --- # The Russians will always find a pretext for their… ![“The Russians will always find a pretext for their aggression. It was Putin who said in 2005 that the biggest geopolitical disaster of the last century was the collapse of the Soviet Union. Putin wants to bring Ukraine back into the Russian sphere of influence. That is why he tried everything in…” quote by Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/arseniy-yatsenyuk-38823_aggression_the-russians-will-always-find-a-pretext_3096628.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/arseniy-yatsenyuk-38823_aggression_the-russians-will-always-find-a-pretext_3096628.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/arseniy-yatsenyuk-38823_aggression_the-russians-will-always-find-a-pretext_3096628.jpg) > “The Russians will always find a pretext for their aggression. It was Putin who said in 2005 that the biggest geopolitical disaster of the last century was the collapse of the Soviet Union. Putin wants to bring Ukraine back into the Russian sphere of influence. That is why he tried everything in order to stop the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.” [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Russia repeatedly creates justifications for aggressive actions, rooted in historical grievances and strategic aims to reassert influence over neighboring states. **In simple terms:** Russia makes excuses for aggression based on past and strategic goals. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge pretexts used to justify expansionism. Themes geopolitics aggression historical narratives power Mood cautious analytical concerned Type political strategic When to use this quote - diplomatic negotiations - policy analysis - media reporting - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts realism strategic behavior nationalism Questions to Reflect On - How do historical narratives shape current foreign policies? - What evidence disproves claimed pretexts? A Different Perspective Aggression may also be driven by internal political pressures, not just external narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aggression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression/) [Aggression Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression-putin-5348570/) [Biggest Geopolitical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biggest-geopolitical-3166718/) [Bring Ukraine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bring-ukraine-5348572/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Geopolitical Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geopolitical-disaster-1553808/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russians Pretext](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russians-pretext-5348571/) [Soviet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet/) [Soviet union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet-union/) [Sphere of influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sphere-of-influence/) ## Related quotes > [Above all, we should acknowledge that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century. As for the Russian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/above-all-we-should-acknowledge-that-the-collapse-of-the-soviet-union-2/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Mitt Romney said many years ago that he thought Russia was the single biggest geopolitical threat to the United States and their presence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-baker/mitt-romney-said-many-years-ago-that-he-thought-russia-was-the-single/) [Charlie Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-baker/) > [A few months ago, when you were asked whats the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/a-few-months-ago-when-you-were-asked-whats-the-biggest-geopolitical/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Above all, we should acknowledge that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century. As for the Russian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/above-all-we-should-acknowledge-that-the-collapse-of-the-soviet-union/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Men can be effective allies by making space and amplifying the voices of women around them. When each of us is an ally in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meena-harris/men-can-be-effective-allies-by-making-space-and-amplifying-the-voices/) [Meena Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meena-harris/) > [ \[Vladimir\] Putin's Russia is only indirectly concerned with the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a means of maintaining its sphere of influence. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/vladimir-putin-s-russia-is-only-indirectly-concerned-with-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [“And then, just when you thought you made it or that you belong here, the return movement begins. Perhaps people close to you begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/and-then-just-when-you-thought-you-made-it-or-that-you-belong-here/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [In order to have enough of the raw materials...which will be lacking in wartime, we should plan to acquire and use foreign resources existing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadao-araki/in-order-to-have-enough-of-the-raw-materials-which-will-be-lacking-in/) [Sadao Araki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadao-araki/) > [ They \[Arabs\] wanted to catch up with the modern world. The West appreciated that, but was more interested in colonies, markets, and spheres of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jabra-ibrahim-jabra/they-arabs-wanted-to-catch-up-with-the-modern-world-the-west/) [Jabra Ibrahim Jabra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jabra-ibrahim-jabra/) > [When Mitt Romney talked about Putin expanding his sphere of influence, Obama mocked and said, 'The Cold War has been over 20 years, nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/when-mitt-romney-talked-about-putin-expanding-his-sphere-of-influence/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Public life, politics and industry should all of them be within our sphere of influence… If we are to infiltrate the professional and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawlings-rees/public-life-politics-and-industry-should-all-of-them-be-within-our/) [John Rawlings Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawlings-rees/) > [My explanation remains the same: It was an attempt to make the point that anyone who opposed the war can achieve their objective by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-moran/my-explanation-remains-the-same-it-was-an-attempt-to-make-the-point/) [James P. Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-moran/) > [A China-friendly North Korea serves as a buffer between southern China and the U.S.'s sphere of influence in the region - something of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/a-china-friendly-north-korea-serves-as-a-buffer-between-southern/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [“Make sure your sphere of influence is a piece of Heaven”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/make-sure-your-sphere-of-influence-is-a-piece-of-heaven/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“marketing is expanding your sphere of influence to your target audience in order to propel your business forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-brown/marketing-is-expanding-your-sphere-of-influence-to-your-target/) [Dwayne Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-brown/) ## More by Arseniy Yatsenyuk > [We stand firmly behind the decision made at the summit in Bucharest where it was decided that Ukraine could one day become a member…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/we-stand-firmly-behind-the-decision-made-at-the-summit-in-bucharest/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [My aim is not to start a new offensive against Russian soldiers, but to deter Russia from further aggression. The thing is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/my-aim-is-not-to-start-a-new-offensive-against-russian-soldiers-but/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [The EU remains our dream. We must not give it up. Otherwise Putin would win. His goal is to undermine the EU. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/the-eu-remains-our-dream-we-must-not-give-it-up-otherwise-putin-would/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [If 85 percent of Russians support the annexation of Crimea and the aggression against Ukraine, that is a very bad sign. The post-Soviet legacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/if-85-percent-of-russians-support-the-annexation-of-crimea-and-the/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [I'm always very cautious about "brotherhood" concept. Frankly speaking, I don't need such relatives who grab my land and kill my people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/i-m-always-very-cautious-about-brotherhood-concept-frankly-speaking-i/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [It is positive that the United States and the European Union show a great deal of unity. Putin did not expect that. He thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/it-is-positive-that-the-united-states-and-the-european-union-show-a/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [When we were attacked militarily it was our duty to defend our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/when-we-were-attacked-militarily-it-was-our-duty-to-defend-our-country/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [We are not only facing economic disaster and the question of peace and war. Ukrainians are traumatized by this Moscow-led aggression that has cost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/we-are-not-only-facing-economic-disaster-and-the-question-of-peace/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [Merkel is a flagship of the EU. Not everything depends on her, but much does. I have been shocked in a positive way by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/merkel-is-a-flagship-of-the-eu-not-everything-depends-on-her-but-much/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) > [Putin's survival depends on land grabs of foreign territories. He needs new annexations. The annexation of Crimea has gained him much applause at home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arseniy-yatsenyuk/putin-s-survival-depends-on-land-grabs-of-foreign-territories-he/) [Arseniy Yatsenyuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) [Explore all 11 Arseniy Yatsenyuk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arseniy-yatsenyuk/) ## More Aggression quotes > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I used to fight with hate. There's been a lot of aggression in my past growing up and stuff. That's because I was hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-namajunas/i-used-to-fight-with-hate-there-s-been-a-lot-of-aggression-in-my-past/) [Rose Namajunas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-namajunas/) > [We have nothing in our history or position to invite aggression; we have everything to beckon us to the cultivation of relations of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-have-nothing-in-our-history-or-position-to-invite-aggression-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I take up the standpoint that the tendency to aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man, and I come back now to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/i-take-up-the-standpoint-that-the-tendency-to-aggression-is-an-innate/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Boxing can be so important to young people, it keeps you off the street and you can channel your energy and aggression in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/boxing-can-be-so-important-to-young-people-it-keeps-you-off-the/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [“That which is of great value cannot be attained through aggression. You will be able to find the mystery of life only if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/that-which-is-of-great-value-cannot-be-attained-through-aggression/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/a-society-that-presumes-a-norm-of-violence-and-celebrates-aggression/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [I can remember watching MTV Cribs - these amazing houses - and looking around my house where there was no carpet on the floors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bugzy-malone/i-can-remember-watching-mtv-cribs-these-amazing-houses-and-looking/) [Bugzy Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bugzy-malone/) > [Nationalism, on my opinion, is nothing more than an idealistic rationalization for militarism and aggression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/nationalism-on-my-opinion-is-nothing-more-than-an-idealistic/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I really like battle ropes. They're so versatile; you can get a terrific workout doing a ton of different exercises with them. My clients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/i-really-like-battle-ropes-they-re-so-versatile-you-can-get-a/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/) [Empress Dowager Cixi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/empress-dowager-cixi/) > [I'm not going to appeal to violence or aggression - of course not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-m-not-going-to-appeal-to-violence-or-aggression-of-course-not/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [This is passive-aggression in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/this-is-passive-aggression-in-action/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [When a child hits a child, we call it aggression. When a child hits an adult, we call it hostility. When an adult hits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-child-hits-a-child-we-call-it-aggression-when-a-child-hits-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Major international interventions are doomed unless the US is directly or indirectly involved. But if American politicians, officials and servicemen are to be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/major-international-interventions-are-doomed-unless-the-us-is/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) [Browse all 860 Aggression quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Russians will always find a pretext for their aggression. It was Putin who said in 2005 that the biggest geopolitical disaster of the last century was the collapse of the Soviet Union. Putin wants to bring Ukraine back into the Russian sphere of influence. 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