His predictions on the point at which Vladimir Putin will be forced to end the war in Ukraine, was given by US diplomat and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
In statements made during a Financial Times event, Kissinger expressed the belief that Vladimir Putin misjudged the international situation and Russia's own capabilities when he launched the invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, he added that the Russian president should end the war when he actually sees that this situation effectively annihilates any chance of Russia remaining a major power in the future.
Kissinger, who served the US under the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford in the 1970s, expressed fear that the conflict in Ukraine could devolve into the nuclear arena.
It is noted that Kissinger played a key role in shaping US foreign policy during the Cold War, with his guidance bringing about an easing of tensions between the US and Soviet Russia and especially between the US and China.
At the Financial Times event, Kissinger spoke about how he managed to separate Moscow from Beijing by treating the two "enemies" differently. And with hostilities ongoing on European soil, Washington should now try to do the same again, Kissinger said.
The former secretary warned against adopting a "hostile posture" towards both China and Russia, as this could bring the two countries closer together. "After the war in Ukraine, Russia should at least reassess its relationship with Europe and its general attitude towards NATO," he said."
The war in Ukraine is now in its 11th week and Russia has so far failed to achieve any significant goals in the country. Western intelligence agencies and international observers expected Putin to make a major announcement on Monday as Russia celebrated the May 9 anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. But, surprisingly, the Russian president avoided declaring all-out war on Ukraine or announcing general mobilization, a move analysts say may be a sign that Putin is wary of what the Russian people are willing to endure.
At this stage, it is difficult to predict how the war will end. Asked about its likely outcome, Kissinger said Russia will continue to fight in Ukraine until the conflict consumes so much of its military capacity and resources that the country risks losing its status as a major power.
"The obvious question is how long this escalation will continue and how much room there is for further escalation," Kissinger said. "Or has it reached its limit and must decide at what point the escalation of the war will burden its society to such an extent that it will limit its ability to conduct international politics as a major power in the future?" he added.
At this point, Kissinger said, whether Russia would turn to its nuclear arsenal to end the war is something he could not predict. "We are now living in an entirely new era" from the Cold War period, he said.
In terms of avoiding a nuclear catastrophe was Kissinger's goal during the Cold War conditions have changed so much in recent decades that there needs to be an entirely new discussion about the possible consequences of using nuclear weapons, he said.
"As technology spreads around the world, diplomacy and war will need a different context and that will be a challenge," Kissinger said."
"One thing we could not do in my opinion is just accept it," he concluded.
Source: protothema.gr
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