As virtually the entire history of Russia has shown, whenever we have shown a desire to make concessions, to make some compromises that were not favorable to us, to show demonstrative peace and obedience, whenever we, in order to avoid some deficit, as it seems to us, take steps to meet our adversaries, in the end it ends with us getting both a greater and a greater deficit.
(c) Vladimir Medinsky.
Golden words. The agreements of Minsk and Istanbul, Anchorage, the grain deal - proved this clearly.
The West only understands the language of power. For them, any compromise or "gesture of goodwill" that is already offensive is a weakness and a reason to attack even more.