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Diplomacy Quotes

On the patient work of settling things without war.

These diplomacy quotes treat negotiation as a skill worth mastering, whether it's a nation known for making counterparts uneasy or a call for simply doing more of it. Explore our Diplomat quotes for the people behind the practice.

The Chinese are really good at diplomacy - and even at making their interlocutors feel very uncomfortable.

Quotes by Zbigniew Brzezinski

I believe in much more diplomacy, not less.

Quotes by Valerie Plame

In the '80s, we at least had the idea of diplomacy.

Quotes by Ulrich Thomsen

All war represents a failure of diplomacy.

Quotes by Tony Benn

Diplomat Quotes

This president failed so miserably in diplomacy that we are now forced to war.

Quotes by Tom Daschle

As fiscal constraints impinge on defence and diplomacy, governments find themselves increasingly homebound, even if diplomats happily travel to summits.

Quotes by Sanjaya Baru

Paradigm shifts, particularly in diplomacy and security issues, are, by definition, major undertakings.

Quotes by Richard N. Haass

Diplomacy can and will matter; little is inevitable in international relations.

Quotes by Richard N. Haass

I believe in diplomacy; I don't believe in talking to... that talking to Iran somehow constitutes a concession or a favour.

Quotes by Richard N. Haass

Diplomatic Quotes

Diplomacy is like jazz: endless variations on a theme.

Quotes by Richard Holbrooke

Globalization, far from putting an end to power diplomacy between States, has, on the contrary, intensified it.

Quotes by Omar Bongo

For many years, Myanmar's leadership was largely shut out from the world of international diplomacy.

Quotes by Najib Razak

I'm a career diplomat. I spent 30 years as a diplomat, out of which seven years as foreign minister. I've always believed in the United Nations as a centre of multilateralism and multilateral diplomacy.

Quotes by Miroslav Lajcak

Camus believed in dialogue and diplomacy, and enlisted his work as a philosopher to the need to find nonviolent solutions, whereas Sartre called for violent conflicts and justified terror.

Quotes by Michel Onfray

Diplomatic Relations Quotes

Nobody's ever said that pins are a tool of diplomacy.

Quotes by Madeleine Albright

Frankly, most governments are used to lying to each other - to a degree that most people would find shocking. Part of diplomacy is the art of strategic lying.

Quotes by Jonathan Turley

Diplomacy is fundamentally working with people, bringing people together to deal with difficult issues.

Quotes by John Roos

There are few ironclad rules of diplomacy but to one there is no exception. When an official reports that talks were useful, it can safely be concluded that nothing was accomplished.

Quotes by John Kenneth Galbraith

War is failure of diplomacy.

Quotes by John Dingell

Diplomats Quotes

Diplomacy is not an end in itself if it does not advance U.S. interests.

Quotes by John Bolton

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the main argument in these diplomacy quotes?
That diplomacy should be pursued more, not less, and that war represents a breakdown of it rather than a separate path.
Do the quotes describe different national approaches?
Yes, one notes a particular skill at diplomacy paired with a talent for making other parties uncomfortable, highlighting style differences between nations.
Is there a historical angle to this topic?
Yes, one quote looks back at the 1980s as a period when diplomacy was at least part of the conversation.
How central is the idea of war in this topic?
It's a key contrast point — one quote directly states that every war is really diplomacy having already broken down.
How does this relate to Diplomatic Relations quotes?
This topic focuses on the practice of diplomacy itself, while our Diplomatic Relations quotes look more at the state of relationships between nations.

One sobering line frames every war as proof that diplomacy has already broken down, casting it as the last resort rather than the first option. See our Diplomatic and Diplomats quotes for related reading.