--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Russia could be, in fact, it would have…" description: "\"Russia could be, in fact, it would have to be a different Russia, but it could be a splendid ally. I will say this for the Russians: on their - in thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/daniel-fried-8925_allies_russia-could-be-in-fact-it-would-have-to_1492718.jpg" --- # Russia could be, in fact, it would have to be a different… ![“Russia could be, in fact, it would have to be a different Russia, but it could be a splendid ally. I will say this for the Russians: on their - in their favor, they have the intellectual capacity and the habits of mind to act in the world on a strategic scale, and were they do to so in service of…” quote by Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/daniel-fried-8925_allies_russia-could-be-in-fact-it-would-have-to_1492718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/daniel-fried-8925_allies_russia-could-be-in-fact-it-would-have-to_1492718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/daniel-fried-8925_allies_russia-could-be-in-fact-it-would-have-to_1492718.jpg) > “Russia could be, in fact, it would have to be a different Russia, but it could be a splendid ally. I will say this for the Russians: on their - in their favor, they have the intellectual capacity and the habits of mind to act in the world on a strategic scale, and were they do to so in service of a better cause than their current set of grievances, they would be a natural partner.” [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Russia could become a valuable ally if it aligns its strategic intellect with a noble cause. **In simple terms:** Russia might be a good partner with the right goals. Key Takeaway Encourage Russia toward constructive collaboration. Themes geopolitics alliance strategy Mood cautious analytical Type policy strategic When to use this quote - diplomacy - policy making - global security Key Concepts international relations national character Questions to Reflect On - What incentives could shift Russia’s focus? - How to balance trust and caution in partnerships? A Different Perspective Assuming Russia will act altruistically may be optimistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Currents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/currents/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-russia-2846113/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Favors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favors/) [Grievance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grievance/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Habits of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits-of-mind/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Partners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/partners/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russia Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia-fact-4372545/) [Russia Splendid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia-splendid-5457421/) [Russians Favor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russians-favor-5457420/) [Say Russians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-russians-1798230/) [Scales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scales/) [Splendid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splendid/) [Strategic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategic/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Russia is really a sort of a nonentity when it comes to - the economy is the size of the state of New York.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-browder/russia-is-really-a-sort-of-a-nonentity-when-it-comes-to-the-economy/) [Bill Browder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-browder/) > [I think in the policies that have been followed since the president Donald Trump came into office, there really hasn't been any slack cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-think-in-the-policies-that-have-been-followed-since-the-president/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [It is different in Russia. Here there is a television channel devoted to opera and dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/it-is-different-in-russia-here-there-is-a-television-channel-devoted/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [Both my parents came from Russia and suddenly they wound up in Boston, Massachusetts, Brookline, Massachusetts and they felt the sun rose and set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/both-my-parents-came-from-russia-and-suddenly-they-wound-up-in-boston/) [Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/) > [Although Perm is one of the biggest cities in Russia it felt like a different kind of Russia. In Moscow, you have the Kremlin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lopez/although-perm-is-one-of-the-biggest-cities-in-russia-it-felt-like-a/) [Robin Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lopez/) > [The poor peasant here hives under conditions quite different from those of Russia. Though often terrible, they are not as appalling as they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/the-poor-peasant-here-hives-under-conditions-quite-different-from/) [Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/) > [I notice anytime anything wrong happens, establishment politicians like to say the Russians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-notice-anytime-anything-wrong-happens-establishment-politicians/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I know some of you people, "Well, Rush, what do you mean Donald Trump won by 2.8? You can't throw out New York and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-know-some-of-you-people-well-rush-what-do-you-mean-donald-trump-won/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [We have variety of politicians in every country. And we have a variety of politicians in the United States. Some of them are saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitry-peskov/we-have-variety-of-politicians-in-every-country-and-we-have-a-variety/) [Dmitry Peskov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitry-peskov/) > [I think it's safe to say that the Russians are extremely interested in anything that has to do with the U.S. political system. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-alperovitch/i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-that-the-russians-are-extremely-interested/) [Dmitri Alperovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-alperovitch/) > [The United States can tell you all about what's wrong with the British, to say nothing of the Russians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hays-sulzberger/the-united-states-can-tell-you-all-about-what-s-wrong-with-the/) [Arthur Hays Sulzberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hays-sulzberger/) > [Realism as a foreign policy doctrine means basically you don't care about values; you consider them a luxury, and it leads to a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/realism-as-a-foreign-policy-doctrine-means-basically-you-don-t-care/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [“I suppose you could say that the Russians had a big appetite for life, or you could say they were dissolute and decadent, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/i-suppose-you-could-say-that-the-russians-had-a-big-appetite-for-life/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [I don't think anybody can with a straight face say that the Russians did not set out to influence our election, and they did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-don-t-think-anybody-can-with-a-straight-face-say-that-the-russians/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [As men's habits of mind differ, so that some more readily embrace one form of faith, some another, for what moves one to pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/as-men-s-habits-of-mind-differ-so-that-some-more-readily-embrace-one/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) ## More by Daniel Fried > [We're a little bit low in the 1970s, right, post-Vietnam, Watergate era, malaise, all that, but this is more like the 1930s where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-re-a-little-bit-low-in-the-1970s-right-post-vietnam-watergate-era/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [I think, Russia is pushing against the West in general, not just the United States but the institutions of the West, the key governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-think-russia-is-pushing-against-the-west-in-general-not-just-the/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [ \[Russians\] want to bring us down to make them feel better about the failure of the Soviet Union. I don't mean bring us down… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/russians-want-to-bring-us-down-to-make-them-feel-better-about-the/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [It was my honor to have done what I could do to help. I learned to never underestimate the possibility of change, that values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/it-was-my-honor-to-have-done-what-i-could-do-to-help-i-learned-to/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [I think that Hillary Clinton has an appreciation that American power needs to be put in the service of American values, which is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-think-that-hillary-clinton-has-an-appreciation-that-american-power/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [The West in its modern form since 1945 is a miracle, and that's in our American interests. It's its good that the West is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/the-west-in-its-modern-form-since-1945-is-a-miracle-and-that-s-in-our/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [Nothing can be taken for granted and this great achievement is now under assault by Russia. But what we did in my time is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/nothing-can-be-taken-for-granted-and-this-great-achievement-is-now/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [Two World Wars are sufficient and we are the ones who supported this notion of a united Europe, so there would never be another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/two-world-wars-are-sufficient-and-we-are-the-ones-who-supported-this/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [George W. Bush tried working with the Russians after 9/11; Obama had the reset. Both presidents achieved less than they wanted, but they both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/george-w-bush-tried-working-with-the-russians-after-9-11-obama-had/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [I am not one of these people that believes that Russia is doomed, or somehow, you know, inevitably disposed to act according to its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-am-not-one-of-these-people-that-believes-that-russia-is-doomed-or/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [I think that President George W. 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Bush - believed in freedom, and they believed in America's role. To have the governing party speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/republicans-reagan-but-also-george-w-bush-believed-in-freedom-and/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [At least in my country, we have come to accept the flags burning, but what we cannot accept is violence, burning of embassies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/at-least-in-my-country-we-have-come-to-accept-the-flags-burning-but/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) [Explore all 77 Daniel Fried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) ## More Allies quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) [Joseph Joffre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joffre/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Donald Trump mainly shows contempt for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/our-security-depends-on-having-good-relationships-with-our-allies/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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