--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Strong countries and strong presidents…" description: "\"Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/barack-obama-17_adversaries_strong-countries-and-strong-presidents-t_2840408.jpg" --- # Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their… ![“Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela - these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/barack-obama-17_adversaries_strong-countries-and-strong-presidents-t_2840408.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/barack-obama-17_adversaries_strong-countries-and-strong-presidents-t_2840408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/barack-obama-17_adversaries_strong-countries-and-strong-presidents-t_2840408.jpg) > “Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela - these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying we're going to wipe you off the planet.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Strong nations benefit from direct dialogue with rivals, reducing misunderstandings and conflict. **In simple terms:** Talk reduces conflict. Key Takeaway Engage adversaries directly. Themes diplomacy leadership conflict resolution Mood cautious optimistic Type political strategic When to use this quote - Cold War negotiations - modern diplomatic crises - regional tensions - trade disputes Key Concepts realpolitik strategic communication power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders balance openness with national security? - When does dialogue become appeasement? A Different Perspective Dialogue may be perceived as weakness by domestic audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversaries/) [Compared Soviet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compared-soviet-907468/) [Countries Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-strong-2712328/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Cuba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuba/) [Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gorbachev/) [Iran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iran/) [Mao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mao/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Planets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Soviet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet/) [Soviet union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet-union/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strong Countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-countries-1091865/) [Strong Presidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-presidents-3721561/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Tiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiny/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Venezuela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venezuela/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) [Wipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wipe/) ## Related quotes > [I think strong countries and strong nationalist movements in countries make strong neighbors. And that is really the building blocks that built Western Europe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bannon/i-think-strong-countries-and-strong-nationalist-movements-in/) [Steve Bannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bannon/) > [Think about it: Iran, Cuba, Venezuela. These countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/think-about-it-iran-cuba-venezuela-these-countries-are-tiny-compared/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Here's the truth: the Soviet Union had thousands of nuclear weapons, and Iran doesn't have a single one. But when the world was on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/here-s-the-truth-the-soviet-union-had-thousands-of-nuclear-weapons/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today's Russia is not to be compared with the Soviet Union of back then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/today-s-russia-is-not-to-be-compared-with-the-soviet-union-of-back/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [No country has a perfect report card. While some countries have strong points in specific areas, they may have serious lacunae in other areas.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-maurice-de-zayas/no-country-has-a-perfect-report-card-while-some-countries-have-strong/) [Alfred-Maurice de Zayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-maurice-de-zayas/) > [Do countries with strong gun control laws have lower murder rates? Only if you cherry-pick the data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/do-countries-with-strong-gun-control-laws-have-lower-murder-rates/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Why is it that countries which we call strong are so powerful in creating wars but are so weak in bringing peace? Why is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/why-is-it-that-countries-which-we-call-strong-are-so-powerful-in/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [If there is a Greek exit from the Eurozone, I think the German elite will be quite pleased that they can then use that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/if-there-is-a-greek-exit-from-the-eurozone-i-think-the-german-elite/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [We're an elective democracy where science and technology will define where the economically strong countries in the world will be. And science and technological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-re-an-elective-democracy-where-science-and-technology-will-define/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Very often the test of one's allegiance to a cause or to a people is precisely the willingness to stay the course when things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/very-often-the-test-of-one-s-allegiance-to-a-cause-or-to-a-people-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Stalin, of course, never went on trial, but his legacy did. In 1956, three years after his death, he was denounced by Nikita Khrushchev.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sebag-montefiore/stalin-of-course-never-went-on-trial-but-his-legacy-did-in-1956-three/) [Simon Sebag Montefiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sebag-montefiore/) > [I left Gorbachev's office thinking that everything about him was outsized: his achievements, his mistakes, and, now, his vanity and bitterness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-left-gorbachev-s-office-thinking-that-everything-about-him-was/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [ I couldn't help but say to \[Mr. Gorbachev\], just think how easy his task and mine might be in these meetings that we held… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-couldn-t-help-but-say-to-mr-gorbachev-just-think-how-easy-his-task/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [ He \[Mikhail Gorbachev\] has, as many great leaders have, impressive eyes…There's a kind of laser-beam stare, a forced quality, you get from Gorbachev that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/he-mikhail-gorbachev-has-as-many-great-leaders-have-impressive-eyes/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [If we talk about changes of power in Russia, that has occurred several times in the past century. After Stalin came Khrushchev, who implemented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-khodorkovsky/if-we-talk-about-changes-of-power-in-russia-that-has-occurred-several/) [Mikhail Khodorkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-khodorkovsky/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Adversaries quotes > [In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/in-all-matters-of-opinion-our-adversaries-are-insane/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Inanimate objects are sometimes parties to litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/inanimate-objects-are-sometimes-parties-to-litigation-a-ship-has-a/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [There were various aspects of Sun Tzu's approach that appealed to Ho Chi Minh: a) to learn to understand both the enemy and yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s-approach-that-appealed-to-ho/) [William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/) > [Marriage, in my view, should be a balanced stalemate between equal adversaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/marriage-in-my-view-should-be-a-balanced-stalemate-between-equal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's like I'm married to the silencer, Until I file for divorce and release my ex-calibers. Do art with your arteries, place that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharoahe-monch/it-s-like-i-m-married-to-the-silencer-until-i-file-for-divorce-and/) [Pharoahe Monch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharoahe-monch/) > [Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations. Man's capacity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/educational-exchange-can-turn-nations-into-people-contributing-as-no/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [Obama is hardly the first president to seek rapprochement with our adversaries and reconciliation with our enemies, of course. But his determination to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-f-hayes/obama-is-hardly-the-first-president-to-seek-rapprochement-with-our/) [Stephen F. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-f-hayes/) > [It is better to make friends than adversaries of a conquered race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/it-is-better-to-make-friends-than-adversaries-of-a-conquered-race/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [“The most courageous act in politics is to try to understand your opponent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-most-courageous-act-in-politics-is-to-try-to-understand-your/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [My adversary is the world of finance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/my-adversary-is-the-world-of-finance/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [Often GOP political strategy seems like the human wave theory of the Chinese military translated to politics. Where Beijing uses masses of soldiers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/often-gop-political-strategy-seems-like-the-human-wave-theory-of-the/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [Our ability to fall in love requires enough comfort with our masculinity to join it with someone's femininity and feel enhanced. .. . If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/our-ability-to-fall-in-love-requires-enough-comfort-with-our/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [You negotiate in bad faith if you do not forgive your adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/you-negotiate-in-bad-faith-if-you-do-not-forgive-your-adversary/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [We should seek after spiritual gifts. They can lead us to God. They can shield us from the power of the adversary. They can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/we-should-seek-after-spiritual-gifts-they-can-lead-us-to-god-they-can/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) [Browse all 446 Adversaries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversaries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela - these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. 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