1 December 2023
Kissinger met with Russian President Vladimir Putin a number of occasions, saying that the Russian leader “should be seen as a character from the novels of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, with all the contradictions and doubts about his own people”.
This May, Kissinger, who said he believed in “dialogue with Russia”, was ready to fly to Moscow to take part in talks with the Russian president.
He called for the conflict in Ukraine to be resolved diplomatically, with Russia maintaining control over Crimea. Because of this, he was placed on Myrotvorets, a “kill list” website affiliated with the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Wanting Ukraine to become a member of NATO, in Kissinger’s opinion, was a serious mistake. However, he later warned that the West had “armed Ukraine to a point where it will be the best-armed country and with the least strategically experienced leadership in Europe”.
Henry Kissinger repeatedly urged European leaders not to lose sight of Russia’s place in Europe, and warned that the absence of Moscow in a new world order after the end of the conflict in Ukraine would be unacceptable.
