Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger has said that the defeat of Russia in Ukraine must not be confused with the quashing of Russia's role as an important European power.
“There will be a Russia point of view, which will have to be considered when the war in Ukraine has ended,” he said during a book launch for his latest work, Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy.
The veteran Republican statesman said the overall approach to the war in Ukraine that was launched by Russia in February would need to shift focus to “political objectives as well the military situation”.
“One cannot simply continue fighting without an objective to which the various countries can relate,” he added.
“The Ukraine issue was composed when it started [in February] of two pieces: one, there was a part of Ukraine that Russia has annexed 10 years ago and the rest of Europe and America had acquiesced in that.
“The second issue is Ukraine as it existed on the day the Russian aggression and invasion started. I believe that if the defence of Ukraine reaches those borders — in other words, if it drives Russia off any conquest, then a negotiation could start about the future relationship.”
Having singled out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a voice urging Kyiv to recognise Russian demands, Mr Kissinger, who was US secretary of state between 1973-1977, said he did not have any proscribed views for how the Ukrainians might finish the war.
He pointed to a calculus that Mr Zelenskyy had himself spoken of that appeared to take into account Russian enclaves carved out in the confrontation in 2014.
“It was not that Ukraine should give up territory to Russia in order to achieve peace,” Mr Kissinger said.
“We are not at that point yet because about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory is now occupied by Russia and that has to be returned before one can speak of a settlement.”
Mr Kissinger added that the Ukrainian president had made reference to a “great victory” if Russian forces were pushed back to the February frozen conflict lines.
“[Mr Zelenskyy] said if we reach the borders, it will be a great victory. And after that, we will still argue for the return of the remaining 7 per cent of the territory.”
With a long history of travel after holding the influential office of secretary of state, Mr Kissinger has become an unofficial adviser and sounding board for many leaders.
He first met Russia's President Vladimir Putin before he rose to the country's highest office and said the conflict could not have been predicted from the discussions he had with the Russian leader over the years.
“I'm surprised at the scale of the aggression against Ukraine — it did not fit into the nature of our discussions,” Mr Kissinger said.
“The Ukraine issue did not just arise. The West was intent at that time intent on offering Nato membership to Ukraine because that meant the whole area between Berlin and the Russian border was going to be filled by Nato, including all the territory from which aggression was launched against Russia throughout its history.
Germany will have an important role in rebuilding the Europe that is now emerging, including the rebuilding of Ukraine itself after the war, which will require some form of Marshall Plan-type assistance, he added, referring to the post-Second World War US programme that pumped funding into Europe.
“The German government hasn't been able to jump into this with a full programme — it will be so different from what it has had to do in the previous period.”
More on animal trafficking
AWARDS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20Male%20black%20belt%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELucas%20Protasio%20(BRA)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20female%20black%20belt%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJulia%20Alves%20(BRA)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20Masters%20black%20belt%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Igor%20Silva%20(BRA)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20Asian%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Federation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kazakhstan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20Academy%20in%20UAE%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECommando%20Group%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBest%20International%20Academy%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Commando%20Group%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAfrican%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKatiuscia%20Yasmira%20Dias%20(GNB)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOceanian%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAnton%20Minenko%20(AUS)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEuropean%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rose%20El%20Sharouni%20(NED)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENorth%20and%20Central%20American%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexa%20Yanes%20(USA)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAsian%20Player%20of%20the%20Year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZayed%20Al%20Katheeri%20(UAE)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERookie%20of%20the%20Year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rui%20Neto%20(BRA)Rui%20Neto%20(BRA)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Brief scores:
Manchester City 2
Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'
Crystal Palace 3
Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)
Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)
