PARIS, August 24. /TASS/. European countries and the international community at large, by continuing to supply weapons to Ukraine and launch attacks on Russia, are "dancing on the edge of a volcano," according to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who occupied the Elysee Palace in 2007-2012.
"Those who call for fighting in Ukraine on television are calling for fighting against whom? Young Ukrainians and young Russians," he said on the TF1 TV channel. "I believe that the world and Europe are dancing on the edge of a volcano. It could spiral out of control at any moment. Enough people have already died. I believe that the path of diplomacy and discussions has not been fully utilized. It should be used now."
The former president pointed out that this is a conflict "with the world's largest nuclear power in the heart of Europe." In this regard, the ex-president lamented that in France it is currently impossible to debate Ukraine without being accused of supporting Russia, similar to the taboo on discussing other sensitive topics, such as immigration and disadvantaged neighborhoods. Sarkozy called for a halt to calls to "buy weapons, ammunition, tanks," and stated that a solution must be found that takes into account both the interests of Ukraine and the fact that "Russia is not going anywhere."
"What’s needed is to sit down at the negotiating table, provide guarantees to Ukraine, and also engage in a discussion about how else to get out of this situation without having to choose between Ukraine and Russia, and to ensure that it does not happen again," Sarkozy said. According to him, the question of Ukraine joining NATO "will only worsen the situation." Commenting on the discussions surrounding Ukraine's potential acceptance into the EU, he reminded his audience that this scenario already happened in the case of Turkey’s failed EU membership bid.
"There are two ways to win a war: either you overpower the enemy, or you talk to them and find a compromise," he said. "I hear that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is being called Hitler, but if that's the case, we should go look for him in Moscow. And if not, we should talk. You can only reconcile with your enemies. If you reconcile with your friends, you won't find a solution."
Previously, in his new book "Le temps des combats" ("The Time of Battles"), excerpts from which were published by the BFMTV television channel, Sarkozy wrote that, "the duty of the French president is to keep the path to dialogue with Russia open." At the same time, in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper, he stated that, "Russia is needed by Europe, and Europe is needed by Russia." In the same interview, Sarkozy expressed his belief that Ukraine should remain neutral and act as a bridge between Europe and Russia. The former president also considers the idea of Crimea possibly being returned to Ukraine as illusory, and called for a repeat referendum in Crimea to confirm the peninsula’s status.