This weekend, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was interviewed by Ted Koppel on CBS This Morning on the eve of his 100th birthday, where they discussed foreign policy, his life, and the war in Ukraine, among other topics, CBS News reported.
Koppel asked Kissinger what he thinks would happen if his aide called Chinese President Xi Jinping or Russian President Vladimir Putin and told them that Kissinger wanted to speak with them. The 99-year-old former top diplomat said he believes both Putin and Xi would take his call.
When asked if the president asked him to travel to Moscow to meet with Putin, would he agree to go, Kissinger said he would probably agree but only as an advisor and not in an official capacity.
In discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine, Kissinger suggested that we may be reaching a turning point in the conflict now that China has gotten involved in negotiations. He predicted that the situation in Ukraine will likely “come to a head” by the end of the year with the focus turning to the “negotiating processes” or even “actual negotiations.”
While discussing the upcoming presidential elections, Koppel asked the 99-year-old Kissinger to comment on the possibility that the two nominees will be Joe Biden, who will be 82 in 2024, and Donald Trump, who will be 78.
Rather than express support for the old men, Kissinger pointed out that a certain physical capacity is required in being president. He said while there are some advantages to being older, there are also dangers, including “exhaustion and a limited capacity to work.”
Koppel also asked Kissinger how he would react if he believed that America’s foreign policy was being “manipulated” for political purposes. Kissinger said he would publicly resign. He explained that US foreign policy must reflect the values of the American people, and for that to continue, it must be free of partisan policy.
