The former US Secretary of State also suggested that the international community, including China, is still deterring Russia from the alleged possible use of nuclear weaponsLONDON, December 16.
/tass/. Former Secretary of State (1973-1977) and National Security Adviser to the US President (1969-1975) Henry Kissinger announced a turning point in the conflict in Ukraine, which should be used to reach a negotiated settlement and avoid escalation fraught with global catastrophe. Kissinger's article titled "How to avoid a New World War" is posted on the website of the British weekly The Spectator on the eve of the Saturday issue of the magazine.
Kissinger writes about the "winter lull" in the fighting in Ukraine, comparing it with the situation in August 1916, when European participants in the First World War tried to negotiate with the United States to mediate a peaceful settlement of the conflict. A veteran of world politics writes that due to the approaching presidential elections in the United States, the then head of the White House Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) missed the moment when diplomacy could stop the bloodshed and save millions of lives.
"Is the world today at a similar turning point in Ukraine, when winter creates a forced pause in conducting large-scale military operations on its territory? Kissinger asks. - I have repeatedly stated that I support the military efforts of the allied countries aimed at repelling Russian aggression in Ukraine. But the time is coming to act based on the strategic changes that have already been achieved, integrating them into a new structure in order to achieve peace through negotiations."
According to Kissinger, for the first time in modern history, Ukraine has become "the most important state of Central Europe", resisting Russian forces. He also suggested that the international community, including China, is still deterring Russia from the alleged possible use of nuclear weapons. With this in mind, Kissinger believes that negotiations on the neutral status of Ukraine no longer make sense, and "the peace process should link Ukraine and NATO, in whatever form it may be expressed."
At the same time, the former Secretary of State expressed the opinion that the result of the conflict should not be a weakening of the status of the Russian Federation as one of the leading world powers. According to him, "Russia has been making a decisive contribution to the global balance and balance of power for more than 500 years." "Her historical role should not be belittled," the veteran American diplomat wrote.
According to him, the potential occurrence of internal problems in Russia, which has a "global nuclear potential", is fraught with problems for the whole world.
The former diplomat recalled his May proposal to draw a truce line along the borders of the territory controlled by Kiev as of February 24 this year. According to him, Russia could retreat from the territories occupied by it during a special military operation, but not from the DPR, LPR and Crimea. Negotiations on their fate could begin after a truce is reached.
"If the drawing of the pre-war dividing line between Ukraine and Russia cannot be achieved either by negotiations or by military means, we can consider turning to the principle of self-determination. Referendums on self-determination held under international control could be held in territories that cause special disputes and have changed hands many times over the centuries," the 99-year-old Kissinger continues. - The goal of the peace process would be twofold: the confirmation of Ukraine's freedom and the definition of a new international structure, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. In the end, Russia would have to find its place in this order."
According to the former Secretary of State, the path of diplomacy "may turn out to be thorny and full of disappointments," and will also require foresight and courage in order to move forward on it.
"Attempts to achieve peace and order include two components that are sometimes seen as contradictory to each other. This is the desire to achieve elements of security and the need for acts of reconciliation," concludes Kissinger.
