West partly to blame for Ukraine crisis: Kissinger
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger says the West is partly to blame for the exacerbation of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
In an interview with the German weekly Der Spiegel, Kissinger was asked if the West was responsible for the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis.
“Yes, I am saying that. Europe and America did not understand the impact of these events, starting with the negotiations about Ukraine’s economic relations with the European Union and culminating in the demonstrations in Kyiv,” he said
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“All these, and their impact, should have been the subject of a dialogue with Russia. This does not mean the Russian response was appropriate,” he pointed out.
“Ukraine has always had a special significance for Russia. It was a mistake not to realize that,” Kissinger noted.
The West and Russia have been at loggerheads over the political situation in Ukraine after pro-Western forces ousted the country’s Russian-backed president Viktor Yanukovych.
On February 23, the Ukrainian parliament ousted Yanukovych following weeks of unrest that was triggered after he refrained from signing the Association Agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia in November 2013.
Kissinger also warned against the threat of another Cold War, saying, “There clearly is this danger, and we must not ignore it. I think a resumption of the Cold War would be a historic tragedy. If a conflict is avoidable, on a basis reflecting morality and security, one should try to avoid it.”
In recent months, the Western states have imposed sanctions on Russia, including those on its financial and energy sectors, putting a number of Russian nationals close to President Vladimir Putin on a sanctions list.
ASH/HMV/HRB