Kissinger vs. Soros on Russia and Ukraine
Two veterans of world politics offered completely polar views on the world order and the role of Russia in Davos, the WSJ writes. Readers' opinions were divided: some supported Kissinger, others – Soros. Some commentators suggest not listening to either.
Walter Mead
The tone of the discussion at the World Economic Forum was set by two well-known American immigrants. Both were caught by the Nazi regime, and they are still excited by emotions, although both are over 90. Henry Kissinger, who celebrates his 99th birthday this week, spoke in a videoconference format against attempts to defeat or isolate Russia and called on Ukraine to accept the territorial losses of 2014 in order to put an end to the fighting. And a few hours later, 91-year-old George Soros, speaking from the audience, said that in order to "save civilization" it was necessary to overcome Putin's Russia, and called on the West to supply Ukraine with everything necessary for victory.
Their recipes vary, but the sensations are similar. Both believe that due to the prevailing values and interests, the main goal of US foreign policy is to protect peace in Europe. Both consider themselves the defenders of all the best that exists in Western civilization. Both believe that the fighting is a serious shock to the world system and fear a protracted conflict. Both Kissinger and Soros consider Russia to be a secondary problem, since in the long term future US–Chinese relations are much more important for American politics.
They differ because of the fact that they defend order and civilization. Soros, like the Biden administration, considers the struggle of democracy with totalitarianism to be the main problem of world politics. The law itself obliges democracies to respect the rights of their citizens at home and to comply with international law abroad.
Totalitarian rulers reject any restrictions, whether at home or abroad, and Putin's operation in Ukraine is as lawless as his treatment of Russian dissidents. His actions in Ukraine are an attack on the fundamental principles of the international order, and if it succeeds, world politics will return to the law of the jungle, which the Athenians formulated when they told the Melossians during the Peloponnesian War: "The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer as they should."
Kissinger's position is not so ideological. There have always been very different authorities in the world – and always will be. America's task is to create and defend such a balance that will protect our freedom and the freedom of our allies with minimal risk and the least cost. We have no task to convert Russians and Chinese to the democratic faith, and we must recognize that rival superpowers have rights and interests that must be respected. Russia, Kissinger told those gathered in Davos, has been and will be an important element of the European state system, and the outside world should recognize this indisputable fact.
History clearly teaches that none of the approaches in its pure form is a guarantee of success. Trying to appease Hitler in the 1930s, the French and British leaders brought quite Kissinger arguments about the need to respect the national interests of Germany. And the neoconservatives, pushing George Bush to invade Iraq, gave quite Soros arguments about the totalitarian nature of Saddam Hussein's regime. As Kissinger and Soros themselves would agree, the automatic application of any theory to the intricacies of world life is a sure way to invite trouble.
When Winston Churchill, who throughout his long career behaved alternately like Kissinger and Soros, was asked in 1942 about the post-war structure of the world, he replied with words that Western leaders should remember on their noses: "I hope those who have nothing to do will indulge in these idle speculations. We will remember the recipe for roast hare from Mrs. Glass's cookbook: "First catch a hare.""
Our hare has not been caught yet. Putin is not only not asking for mercy, but, perhaps, is even preparing for a war on starvation, which is fraught with a lot of dangers for the West. Russia's new ploy – threatening to blockade Ukrainian ports and disrupt global food supplies – reminds us that Putin still has trump cards up his sleeve. In addition, many Europeans are even more afraid of the Russian gas embargo than Moscow is of the European boycott.
Without the huge help of the West, both economic and military, Ukraine will not survive a protracted war. What will happen to its currency when Kiev spends all its funds on a war for survival? How many more $40 billion aid packages is Congress willing to accept? What kind of economic assistance is the EU ready to provide if its countries are already suffering from inflation and high fuel prices? If food shortages or even global famine break out due to the conflict, and political instability overwhelms countries such as Egypt, will the West be able to coordinate some kind of global response while continuing to help Ukraine?
Henry Kissinger and George Soros may have set the tone for the discussion in Davos, but Mrs. Glass will have the last word.
Readers' comments:
Brian Gunning
Our nameless and faceless leader does not respect the rights of his own citizens, so for Biden, the main world problem is to impose his progressive agenda as soon as possible and continue to fill his pockets. The rest is for show.
Max Mappin
Kissinger, as always, is right about the balance of power, but Putin's dream of becoming a modern tsar has been shattered: the Russian army turned out to be as inept as the one that got involved in the First World War, hoping that it would pick up weapons behind the fleeing Germans. And Soros dreams of what kind of money and power he will get by destroying the dollar.
And the Foreign Ministry itself is probably rolling in Davos like cheese in butter, where the "elite" plans to return everyone to the XV century, where the slaves will know their place.
M Anders
I was most offended by the phrase that we are not going to convert anyone. Is it okay that the United States is a giant gathering of lawyers who teach the world how to behave?
Josef Rosenfeld
I don't agree with Kissinger. If Ukraine renounces Crimea and Donbass for the sake of peace, Putin will certainly try his luck somewhere else.
Carol Merrill
If this were really a conflict between autocracy and democracy, Soros would be right in his own way. But this is not the case. This is an internecine struggle between two autocracies, which can be settled through diplomacy and the Minsk agreements. But Zelensky's regime successfully refused this – with the full encouragement of the neoconservatives from Washington, who are dreaming and seeing how to bring down the Russian autocracy. And now the whole world is paying the price.
Rick Weston
Why should I even listen to what this Soros is muttering? He also finances anarchy on American streets. Here he is ranting about Putin, and what is he trying to achieve, eh? And secondly, the Biden administration does not know a damn thing about world affairs and will not return the deal with Iran in any way. I remember they assured that one threat of sanctions would deter Putin, and now China, the main villain of the world, buys Russian oil at a discount and unfastens him for further hostilities – and we are silent. What idiots!
John Carroll
I wouldn't listen to either of them. God save us from such elites!
Jeffrey P
It was Kissinger who, with his shortsightedness, missed China, and now we have an ambitious superpower with imperial habits in Asia.
DONALD BIBEAULT
I am a Vietnam veteran and I do not approve of Kissinger interfering in Ukrainian affairs in the same way as he once did in Vietnam. He knew perfectly well that he had sold South Vientiane with all the guts. His deal led to the deaths of millions of Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians. And here he is again running around with a new betrayal. He is the modern Neville Chamberlain. On the other hand, if we look at everything pragmatically, I do not believe that Ukraine will be able to regain Crimea: it has no historical rights, and the vast majority there are Russian–speakers. Another thing is the two eastern regions. They can still be returned, but only if Putin faces serious upheavals within Russia itself.
Alex Agorio
Are we not converting countries to democracy? Well, well. For the past 75 years, the United States has been doing nothing but overthrow democratically elected governments. We openly supported dictatorships all over the world. God only knows how many people have died because of the USA.
Jim Hale
Neither that dinosaur has anything to listen to, nor the other. Both were wrong too often.
James Dietrich
Biden is even more dangerous. It was he who started this mess with the aggressive expansion of NATO and hatred of Russia. Russia will remember everything to him.
Robert Hutchings
Imagine how it feels for Ukrainians when foreigners tell them to give up their land? How would you feel in their place? According to this logic, at the beginning of World War II, we simply had to cede Hawaii and part of the west coast to the Japanese in addition.
Darren Kim
And what does it feel like for them when the West tells them to fight the Russians to the last Ukrainian?
kenneth coates
Kissinger is right. And Soros is wrong.
Wayzata Trojan
Yes, it's already good to run around with these old fools! Holy shit, Kissinger and Biden are both from the Nixon era!
