Kissinger: Putin Sees in Ukraine a Rehearsal for Regime Change in Russia

February 4, 2014 · Adam Bondaruk, Baptists, Victor Belykh, AUCECB, Persecution, Interview, KGB, Books, Unregistered Pentecostals, Nikolay Kotyakov, On Emigration, United Church of Evangelical Christians, Vestibule, Petr Saenko, Pentecostals, Religious Mafia, Slavik Radchuk, Contemporary Persecution, Security Services

Russian President Vladimir Putin sees the events in Ukraine as a dress rehearsal by the United States for an attempt at regime change in Russia, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has stated.

“I think he sees this as a dress rehearsal for what we would like to do in Moscow. Regime change. And because all of this is happening so close to the Sochi Games, his suspicions are only heightened,” Kissinger said in an interview with CNN, a translation of which was published on the InoTV website.

“But Putin considers the dissolution of the Soviet Union to be a great historical catastrophe. Obviously, the largest republic that gained independence is Ukraine, with its 50-million population. And he cannot remain indifferent to that,” the former secretary of state said.

In his view, “the Obama administration tends to make public statements about dramatic events as if everything could be resolved on a Sunday talk show.”

“It’s not that I disagree with the administration’s course, but I do not consider it necessary to do it so publicly. And one needs to have a better grasp of long-term historical development,” he said.

“Building relations between Russia and the rest of the world, between Russia and us, is a huge problem. Because throughout its history, the country has been an empire, and its self-awareness rests on imperial achievements. They border China—a strategic nightmare. They border Islam—an ideological nightmare. And they have a border with Europe, historically a very shaky one,” he said.

“On the other hand, Russian rulers throughout history have governed by creating an impression of their own importance abroad. So how do you rally the country by presenting yourself as formidable abroad, while understanding that major compromises are possible—and necessary? I think that is the main difficulty Putin faces. And it is not in our interests to drive them into a ‘besieged fortress’ mentality, where they decide they need to show what they are capable of,” Kissinger stated.

In Ukraine, large-scale protests have been ongoing for more than two months. Initially provoked by the authorities’ refusal to sign an association agreement with the EU, the unrest flared up with renewed force after the adoption of a series of laws tightening penalties for mass disorder.

During the clashes, at least three protesters and three law enforcement officers were killed. According to unofficial reports, the number of victims is higher.

Protesters seized buildings of regional administrations in several cities in western and central Ukraine, as well as the Kyiv city hall and several ministry offices in the capital.

As a result of agreements between opposition representatives and the authorities, the “repressive” laws were repealed, and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned.

The opposition is preparing to introduce into the Verkhovna Rada a proposal to return to the 2004 constitution, which limits the president’s rights and expands parliamentary powers. The Party of Regions has proposed putting the return to the old constitution to a referendum.

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