Russia’s lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky misquotes made-up Bismarck line, invents new Napoleon quote while commenting on Ukraine talks

The head of Russia’s delegation in negotiations with Ukraine, Vladimir Medinsky, gave an interview to the government-controlled broadcaster VGTRK following the first round of talks in Istanbul. Speaking to Russian state TV propagandist Yevgeny Popov, Medinsky claimed that peace negotiations in 2022 were derailed due to “direct Western interference.” He continued: “We are well aware of the historical analogies to this interference.”

Medinsky went on to frame the discussion entirely through references drawn from the last three centuries of Russian history. He claimed that only people “who don’t know history” would propose negotiations following a ceasefire — then cited quotes he incorrectly attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte and Otto von Bismarck.

“As Napoleon said, as a rule, war and negotiations are always conducted at the same time,” Medinsky claimed.

There is no reliable record of Napoleon ever saying or writing these exact words. A similar line — on s'engage et puis on voit (“First engage [...] and then see what happens”) — was attributed to Napoleon by Vladimir Lenin in On Our Revolution.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, confirmed the quote’s non-existence: “No known correspondence, memoirs, or statements by Napoleon contain this quote… It should be considered apocryphal.”

Medinsky then referenced Russia’s Great Northern War with Sweden (1700-1721), quoting what he claimed was a line from Bismarck:

“He [Bismarck] always said: ‘Never try to deceive the Russians or steal from them, because time will pass, and sooner or later, the Russians always come to reclaim what’s theirs.’ This idea — ‘Russians always come for what’s theirs’ — is a very important historical lesson.”

This version is a heavily distorted adaptation. The original quote — of uncertain origin — reads:

“Don't expect that once you've exploited Russia's weakness, you'll always reap dividends. The Russians always come for their money. And when it does — don’t count on the Jesuit agreements you signed to justify yourself. They’re not worth the paper they're written on. So when dealing with Russia, either play fair — or don’t play at all.”

There is no credible evidence that Bismarck ever said or wrote this. Both the Russian and supposed German versions of the quote appear only in Russian-language sources. Ironically, even the website of the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO) — an organization Medinsky himself founded and leads — mocks the quote: “The internet is also known for claiming you can’t deceive the Russians.”

Medinsky and his “Russia – My History” foundation often reference another fake quote attributed to Bismarck: “The Russians cannot be defeated; we’ve learned this over centuries. But we can instill false values in the Russians, and then they will defeat themselves.” According to the official Bismarck Foundation — a German scholarly institution founded by the Bundestag in 1998 — there is no evidence Bismarck ever said this either.

Earlier today, Oliver Carroll of The Economist, citing a source familiar with the talks, reported that Medinsky threatened Ukraine with prolonged war during the negotiations, comparing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to its 21-year war with Sweden.

“We don’t want war, but we’re ready to fight for a year, two, three — however long it takes. We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?” Carroll quoted Medinsky as saying.