For Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is even more important than his predecessors to be treated as an equal power, and Ukraine is a key issue because for Russia the dissolution of the former Soviet Union in 1989 is a strategic disaster, and it cannot accept that the entire area between Berlin and Russia belongs to NATO became a part of, said Henry Kissinger, the 99-year-old former Secretary of State of the United States, in an interview with the Der Spiegel , in which, among other things, the war in Ukraine and the Middle East were discussed.
Kissinger - who was the Secretary of State of the Republican President Richard Nixon - explained: to this day, many politicians turn to him for advice, and many of his books on historical and political topics have been published. It presents the portraits and methods of six recent political figures. a Der Spiegel journalist, he emphasized that these were not "examples to be followed".
"I didn't write a recipe book for international relations"
- said Kissinger, and added: every crisis situation is different, since every country has a different history.
"There is always conflict in the world, this is nothing new, but you can always learn from other people's situations"
he added.
According to him, for example, Putin most closely resembles Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, the former leader of the Soviet Union, among his predecessors.
"Khrushchev wanted to be noticed and to be treated as an equal party, and his country as an equal great power"
- He told.
But Putin, according to Kissinger, is "less impulsive than Khrushchev, but much more offended and measured."
In response to the question that - philosophically, but especially with regard to Ukraine - he thinks it is better to keep the stability of power relations in mind as opposed to "normative moral principles",
Kissinger cited the example of status quo ante
This means that the attacked country retains 93 percent of its territory, indicating that the aggression against the country was not successful. The remaining seven percent is a basis for negotiations, and in the case of Ukraine, this should be measured against the state of the front line on February 24:
according to this, the Donets Basin in eastern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula would be the subject of negotiations.
The feasibility of a cease-fire in these areas would be questionable, Kissinger said, but he reminded that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, also thought similarly about the outcome of the war. the The Financial Times , the Ukrainian president said that regaining status quo
Henry Kissinger also praised the importance of sovereignty, which, according to him, can also be clearly seen in the war in Ukraine, because according to him, "Putin clearly underestimated the level of resistance he will face."
As he put it, European international relations were also based on the idea of sovereignty, and the legality of international law developed from this. But he also underlined that in the current situation, the basic principle of sovereignty has become "overwhelming".
"And this can be problematic just because of cultural differences, since even in the current situation it can be seen that there are different hierarchical value systems not only in the world, but also in each region"
he said.
At the same time, the former politician expressed concern about the statement of the incumbent US President Joe Biden at the end of March that "Putin cannot stay in power". According to Kissinger, this was "not a prudent sentence". He is equally concerned about Iran's nuclear weapons program. When asked whether he was afraid that a nuclear arms race would develop in the Middle East, Kissinger replied: he was afraid that they would be launched.
“Once Iran becomes a nuclear power, countries like Egypt or Turkey may feel compelled to follow Tehran's lead.
Considering the relations between the countries of the region, as well as their common relations with Israel, the situation may become even more uncertain"
he said.
By the way, during his talks with Middle Eastern countries held in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Biden stated that the United States is committed to preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
In connection with the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict, Kissinger stated that he supports the efforts of NATO and the United States to defeat Russian aggression, and he understands that Ukraine is asking for further assistance and guidance.
but no matter how the situation in Ukraine develops, the relationship between Russia and Europe must also be settled.
He emphasized that he considers it particularly important to restore the pre-war order in Ukraine. According to him, the current overturning of the balance of power has "grown" into not only a local but a global problem, and it has become questionable whether Russia will be able to maintain a coherent relationship with Europe.
Photo: John MACDOUGALL / AFP
