Kissinger in 1992 speaking of his fears of growing nationalism in the Russian republic, and the need to speak with the newly free republics as equals, not subordinates of Russia.
“I met no leader of the Russian republic who accepted the break up of the Soviet Union as anything but a temporary phenomenon.
I met nobody who said, for 300 years we Russians have been exhausting ourselves in imperialistic adventures and thank god that now for the first time since Peter the Great we can devote ourselves to our own resources.
…
We should make clear to the Russian people that we respect them, within their borders. They have 20,000 nuclear weapons. They don’t have to worry about foreign invasions anymore. They don’t need the buffers of territory.”
“I met no leader of the Russian republic who accepted the break up of the Soviet Union as anything but a temporary phenomenon.
I met nobody who said, for 300 years we Russians have been exhausting ourselves in imperialistic adventures and thank god that now for the first time since Peter the Great we can devote ourselves to our own resources.
…
We should make clear to the Russian people that we respect them, within their borders. They have 20,000 nuclear weapons. They don’t have to worry about foreign invasions anymore. They don’t need the buffers of territory.”
A question is asked to Kissinger about how likely the 3 new nuclear republics are to turn over their nuclear weapons to Russia, since that gives those in Russia with an imperialistic mind a significant tool.
Kissinger:
> “My impression is that the new republics are a little puzzled by our passion to get these weapons under Russian control, because they are not threatening the United States…”
He finally states that he thinks the republics will eventually deliver their weapons to Russia. Partly because of American pressure.
Kissinger:
> “My impression is that the new republics are a little puzzled by our passion to get these weapons under Russian control, because they are not threatening the United States…”
He finally states that he thinks the republics will eventually deliver their weapons to Russia. Partly because of American pressure.
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