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Kissinger says crisis around Ukraine escalated after it was invited to join NATO

Kissinger said he had already "expressed serious doubts" in 2014 about inviting Ukraine to join NATO

BERLIN, May 24. /TASS/. Henry Kissinger, a former US secretary of state, said he believes the invitation to Ukraine to join NATO was the reason that set off a series of events that culminated in Russia’s special military operation in that country, according to an interview to German weekly Die Zeit, an excerpt of which was published on Wednesday.

Kissinger said he doesn’t approve of the special operation and supports "Ukrainian and Western resistance" to Russia’s actions.

"I don't think that all the blame lies with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," he said.

Kissinger said he had already "expressed serious doubts" in 2014 about inviting Ukraine to join NATO.

"This was the beginning of a series of events that culminated in" the special military operation, he said.

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