Without naming names, the 99-year-old statesman said U.S. leaders had “trouble defining the direction” of their policies in the current geopolitical environment, which he believed played a major role in contributing to the rise in global tensions.
– We are on the brink of war with Russia and China over issues of our own making. “What we can do now is not raise tensions and create new options, you have to have a goal,” Kissinger told The Wall Street Journal.
On the edge of war
Describing the global order, Kissinger said it is based on a moral and geopolitical balance in which nations sometimes recognize their opposing values but keep them off the political negotiating table.
Kissinger also said that American leaders and voters today struggle to separate “personal relations with the enemy” from maintaining stable diplomatic negotiations.
– I think the current leadership has big problems defining the direction [polityki – przyp. red.]. It overdoes temporary emotions, Kissinger said.
The former secretary of state’s words come days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan, which the Chinese government has strongly opposed as a violation of longstanding U.S. one-China policy.
Even President Joe Biden and US military officials have clearly expressed doubts about the trip.
Ukraine in NATO
Kissinger recalled himself a few weeks ago when he said: Ukraine must cede part of its territory to Russia. However, after waves of criticism, he changed his position on this issue and Ukraine entered NATO.
“I supported full independence for Ukraine, but believed that the finlandization option would be the best option for it,” Kissinger said.
“One way or another, formally or not, I now believe that Ukraine should be considered a NATO member as a result,” he added.
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