Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. File photoMOSCOW, June 12 Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger suggested that Russia should not be forgotten and «find a place» for it after the events in Ukraine if no one wants Russia to become «China's outpost in Europe» .
"After its completion (special operation — ed.), it will be necessary to find a place for Ukraine and a place for Russia — if we do not want Russia to become China's outpost in Europe", Kissinger told the British newspaper Times .
Speaking of NATO, he noted that it is important to preserve an organization that «reflects European and American cooperation.» At the same time, he also stressed that it is important to recognize that there will be «big questions» in the relations of the Middle East and Asia towards Europe and America, and NATO in this regard is an organization whose components do not necessarily have «concurring views.» In Kissinger's opinion, NATO members united over Ukraine because it «reminded» them of old «threats.» Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and , on March 25, completed the main tasks of the first stage — significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.