Time for peace talks Ukraine order reduce the risk of another devastating world war, warns veteran US diplomat Henry Kissinger, warning, however, that dreams of Russia disintegrating could lead to nuclear havoc.

The former US Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford has met with Vladimir Putin several times since he became president in 2000.

“The time has come to build on the strategic changes already achieved and integrate them into a new framework for negotiating peace,” Kissinger wrote. in the magazine Spectator, in an article titled “How to Avoid a New World War”.

Kissinger, now 99, said in May that he proposed a ceasefire under which Russia would retreat to the front lines before the Feb. 24 invasion, but Crimea would be “negotiable.”

“If the pre-war borders between Ukraine and Russia cannot be determined through negotiations or on the battlefield, then the possibility of resorting to the principle of self-determination should be explored. Referendums could be held under international supervision in areas that have changed hands repeatedly over the centuries,” he says, among other things, adding:

“The goal of the peace process should be twofold: to reaffirm the freedom of Ukraine and to define a new international structure, especially for Central and Eastern Europe. Ultimately, Russia will have to find its place in this new context.”

However, he himself emphasizes that the possible collapse of Russia will increase the risks of a nuclear catastrophe:

“For some, the desired result is a Russia weakened by the war. Disagree. Despite its propensity for violence, Russia has played an important role in global balancing and balance of power for more than half a millennium. Its historical role cannot be underestimated. Russia’s military failures have not eliminated its global nuclear power, allowing it to threaten escalation in Ukraine. Even if this capacity is reduced, the disintegration of Russia or the elimination of its capacity for strategic politics could turn its vast territory into an arena of contention.

“The internal rivalry of its population may lead to the resolution of their differences through violence. In addition, other countries may try to extend their claims to him, including with the use of force. All of these risks could be made even greater by the presence of thousands of nuclear weapons, which make Russia one of the two largest nuclear powers in the world,” he further argues.

according to The Spectator