FACTBOX: Quotations from Bush and Putin
(Reuters) - Following are some quotations from U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin about the relationship between their countries.
* "I was able to get a sense of his soul." -- Bush, when he and Putin first met in June 2001.
* "We have come up with a joint statement about the importance of fighting acts of nuclear terrorism." -- Putin, at a joint news conference after meeting Bush ahead of the July 2006 summit of the Group of Eight industrial nations in St Petersburg, Russia.
* "I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq, where there is a free press and free religion, and I told him that a lot of people in our country, you know, would hope that Russia would do the same thing." -- Bush on July 15, 2006, backing away from a public confrontation over Russia's democracy with Putin.
* "So it's a complicated relationship. It's a relationship in which there are disagreements. But there's also a relationship in which we can find common ground to solve problems. And that's the spirit I'll continue to work with Vladimir Putin on." -- Bush on February 14 after Putin had accused the United States of attempting to force its will on the world.
* "It is clear that if a part of the U.S. nuclear capability turns up in Europe, and, in the opinion of our military specialists, will threaten us, then we are forced to take corresponding steps in response. What will those steps be? Naturally, we will have to have new targets in Europe." -- Putin, before the Group of Eight summit in Germany in June.
* "Let's not be hypocritical about democratic freedoms and human rights. The United States today is the main violator of freedoms and human rights on a global scale ... there are also grievances towards France and Great Britain and Germany." -- Putin, in an interview before the June Group of Eight summit.
* "Russia is not our enemy." -- Bush, on June 5 after meeting Czech leaders on a visit aimed at highlighting the country's emergence from Soviet domination.
