When asked if he, President George W. Bush, and President Putin see eye-to-eye on Iraq and its oil: “Vladimir can speak to the issue of the future of Iraq, at least his opinion of the future. But my opinion is, is that we must work together to improve the lives of the Iraqi citizens, that we must cooperate closely to make sure that the Iraqi infrastructure is in place so that the Iraqi citizens can leave decently. And as to the energy sector, the Iraqi people will make the decision which is in their best interest. Russia has had a long history of involvement in Iraq, and the Iraqi authorities, when they are firmly in place, will make the decision based upon that experience and based upon their country’s best interests.”
– Transcript, “President Bush, Russian President Putin Sign Treaty of Moscow,” George W. Bush – White House Archives online, Accessed on 7/18/2016