Ukrainian authorities have criticized recent statements by former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in which he advocated integrating the «strategic changes» caused by the war to «achieve peace through negotiations», which have led Kiev to state that «even after ten months of war, it has not understood anything».
The advisor to the Ukrainian Presidency, Mikhail Podoliak, stated that Kissinger «did not understand the nature of this war and its impact on the world order» and said that the former Secretary of State «proposes a simple recipe, even if he is afraid to say it out loud»: «to appease the aggressor by sacrificing part of Ukraine’s territory with guarantees of non-aggression against other Eastern European states».
«Kissinger does not understand that if it becomes clear to all potential scum that there are no adults at home, i.e. that international law does not work, that means that the security of non-nuclear countries can only be guaranteed by the presence of nuclear weapons, and I am not sure that he would like the course of events,» he argued.
In this regard, he stressed that «all those who support ‘simple solutions’ should remember the obvious: any agreement with the devil, a bad peace at the expense of Ukrainian territories, will be a victory for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and a recipe for success for autocrats all over the world».
«That will only increase Russia’s appetite, significantly increase Russia’s aggressiveness, multiply new conflicts in the world, turn missiles into a tool of international relations and lead to an era of instability in a new atomic quest by non-nuclear states,» he has explained.
Podoliak has stressed in a message on his Telegram account that «the only possible way to end the war and achieve peace is through a return to respect for international law,» which includes «the liberation of Ukrainian territories, a trial of Russian war criminals and Russia paying reparations for many years to come.»
«Fortunately, this is being understood by more and more people in Western capitals on both sides of the ocean. We heard it from (NATO Secretary General Jens) Stoltenberg and (European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Josep) Borrell, from (German President Frank-Walter) Steinmeier) and from (U.S. Secretary of State Antony) Blinken,» he said.
«This means one thing: the time of the ‘sovietologists’ and those who like to sacrifice a part of Europe in any incomprehensible situation ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is time for responsible leadership,» the advisor to the Ukrainian Presidency reiterated.
Kissinger indicated in a column published on December 17 in ‘The Spectator’ that «he has repeatedly expressed his support for the allied military effort to prevent Russian aggression against Ukraine», although he stressed that «the objective of the peace process must have two parts: to confirm Ukraine’s freedom and to define a new international structure, especially for Central and Eastern Europe».
Thus, he stressed that if the definition of borders «cannot be achieved through combat or negotiations, the principle of self-determination could be exported» through «internationally supervised referendums for the self-determination of particularly divisive territories that have changed hands repeatedly over the centuries».
Kissinger further disagreed with «rendering Russia impotent because of war» and asserted that «for all its propensity for violence, Russia has made decisive contributions to the global balance of power for half a millennium.» «Its historic role should not be downgraded. Russia’s military setbacks have not eliminated its nuclear reach, which could threaten escalation in Ukraine,» he concluded.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
