Russians are people as we are. Russia is not bad. But its political elites have that mental ballast of imperial thinking. They ask to get that picture. It does not cross their minds that they could buy it or go to that artist's studio and buy maybe even a better painting.

For them, the sphere of influence is their right to collect the tribute. For us, it is the right to conduct free trade.

My point is that if the West stands firm now, the old imperial mentality will lose in Russia.