Kissinger: Ukraine Should be a 'Bridge Between Moscow and the West'

"I have repeatedly said: the talks on Ukraine should finally turn Kiev into a bridge between the East and the West, not an outpost in struggle between the West and the East or between the East and the West. This requires a new form of thinking," Kissinger said in an interview with Sergei Brilev, host of the Vesti v Subbotu (Saturday News) show on Rossiya-1 TV channel.

At the same time, he did not give a decisive answer to the question whether the US and Russia are the only countries that can make a final decision on Ukraine.

"France and Germany [also involved in the Normandy Four talks on Ukraine] are the leading European nations. In geographical terms, they are closer to Ukraine than the US," Kissinger said.

Nevertheless, the politician stressed that permanent dialogue between Moscow and Washington is crucial to preserve global stability.

"There should be a common goal. Otherwise, the situation will get more and more dangerous. I think that Russia and the US are interested in preventing new ungovernable areas on the global map, particularly those threatening the global balance. This is why it’s crucial that Russia and the US have permanent dialogue," he pointed out.

Kissinger also noted that currently the world is seeing a very difficult time in international politics. "But it’s not the most dangerous," he added.

Last week, Kissinger was on a visit to Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Kissinger discussed the actual problems.

Henry Kissinger served as US Secretary of State in the 1970s, in the administration of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He was one of the authors of the US policy of easing tensions with the Soviet Union. In the last decades, Kissinger has been one of the most prominent US experts on foreign affairs.