Kissinger wanted mutual understanding between Russia and the United States
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
Former Ogonyok editor-in-chief Vitaly Korotich, who lived in the United States for 10 years, with KP.RU political commentator Alexander Gamov
… – Henry Kissinger, former United States Secretary of State, died. Vitaly Alekseevich, you met him.
– I knew.
– Tell me when it was. You told me many stories about him.
– You know, in America there is a kind of mythology, perhaps, of American omnipotence, which greatly spoils the impression of meeting many prominent Americans.
Kissinger was one of those who met and communicated with completely different people on equal terms and always tried to understand the interlocutor. You know, now I don’t remember exactly the year we met. Yeah, I don’t think it matters.
It was in Hamburg, where the editor of a local newspaper (I think Die Welt) gathered people who seemed quite authoritative to her. People – very different.
Among the Russians, he suddenly called my friend, the good economist, academician Nikolai Shmelev, and me.
We stayed in a hotel and Kissinger was staying there. Then there were some seminars, some meetings… It lasted about a week.
And then one day Kissinger, with whom we co-chaired one of these seminars, suddenly says, “You know, come to my room.”
Well, Shmelev and I went…
-How did Kissinger greet you?
– Friendly, he took out a bottle of good whiskey, we sat down and talked about everything in a very interesting way.
– Do you remember more specifically?
– Kissinger expressed nothing more than the desire for people to live normally (well, in the sense of not shooting each other). He was just trying to understand what was happening… Why did it come to this, to shoot?
And he also thought something like this: why can’t the State of the United States of America establish good relations with a great country, the Soviet Union, which lives differently?… With completely different standards, with different economic levels , politicians, cultural principles…
– What impression did it make, in purely human terms?
– It was just interesting with Kissinger. I repeat: he spoke to us as equals.
He was already about 70 years old. And drinking a bottle of whiskey (even for three – AG) at that age – with two relatively young people – was not very easy. I know this when I myself have already passed this age. He drank with us, as equals, this bottle of 0.7 whiskey. And we talk, we talk, we talk…
And… suddenly I saw in front of me a Secretary of State, although retired, who regrets not having done during his lifetime everything he could have done for the mutual understanding of our country with the United States of America. …
– You started to disappear… Something is wrong with the connection! What did she regret?
– After all, the Secretary of State is a position that is not independent, it expresses the opinion of its leadership, the position of the President, the Congress and the Senate. And so Kissinger became one of those who came to power and the leadership of the very active Reagan. They said about Reagan: oh, the actor, this, that. And he turned out to be a man who was not at all afraid of people smarter than him.
– That’s all, right?
– Not so much smarter, but people who could help you, well, or something like that, to keep up with modern requirements. This is what Kissinger was like for Reagan…
– A guide?
– No! Advisor, consultant.
After a while, I asked Reagan himself if he was satisfied with his work. He replied: “No. All I tried to do was be who I am. I didn’t try to be smarter, stronger, or better than I was. The main thing I was striving for was to make up for my shortcomings by having people in my leadership who could help me and fill those niches.”
Vitaly Korotich
Photo: Alexander GAMOV
– Vitaly Alekseevich, what will American politics and world politics lose with the death of Kissinger?
– You know, in our country I don’t remember the retired politicians, after whose resignation – let’s say – we would regret their absence in the government sphere. Kissinger is one of those who, even after leaving public office, preserved his good name and preserved his reputation. How many years have passed since he stopped being Secretary of State, and they kept asking him: what will happen, and what will happen?
You see, it is very important for a person to be himself and keep in his luggage what is called reputation, a good name. Now we can’t remember the names of the American secretaries of state of recent years. Maybe you remember it, maybe you don’t. The fact is that among his individual decisions there were hardly any brilliant decisions. I think Blinken has been to Israel four times. So what, the war is over? No. Were there brilliant proposals? Oh… And when Kissinger moved, when he did something, it was memorable.
– What do you remember about his last statements?
– Now I cannot give exact quotes… But I remember well that in all negotiations aimed at improving relations with our country, Kissinger actively participated.
– But, you must admit, with all this, it was difficult to call him a friend of the Soviet Union.
– Of course. Rather, he was one of the creators of the humane atmosphere and mutual understanding that emerged between the United States and the USSR.
In short, Kissinger remained a man who really wanted to be understood and did everything he could to make the leaders of our countries understand each other. He did everything he could for this.
– Tell me, how did our leaders treat Kissinger? You knew Yeltsin and Gorbachev closely…
You see, it is difficult for me to talk about Yeltsin’s attitude; many factors “participated” in the development of his personal position on this matter…
– And Gorbachev?
– And Gorbachev was respectful. In general, after his service in Stavropol, he remained a somewhat provincial person, and several of those metropolitan things had a great effect on him. In Moscow there were Muscovites who seemed more authoritarian to him.
– Do you remember some Kissinger cases?
– I can only say that Gorbachev remembered Kissinger as a person with whom you could talk and negotiate.
And so Kissinger was constantly remembered, not even as Kissinger personally, the former Secretary of State, but as the kind of person who lived up to his purpose.
This was a politician who, although he held the position, in our language, of Foreign Minister of a great power, did everything possible to ensure that this power lived comfortably for others, so that, so to speak, not only acted from a position of strength, but at the same time negotiated with dignity, and thus the world became a better place.
– Will they declare mourning in the United States?
– No, I’m not sure. You see, Kissinger was talking too much now, again about mutual understanding and everything else. He valued human life.
Biden does not value human lives. At the end of his own life, he is completely indifferent to dozens, hundreds of human lives in Ukraine, in the Middle East, wherever, where thousands, tens of thousands of Americans and non-Americans die.
And Biden believes this is the fuel of our time.
* * *
-How much time did you spend drinking with Kissinger then?
– Between 8 and 24 hours.
– How will you remember it today?
– Well, I remember that there was such a unique person. And I will also think about the fact that we know nothing about what happens to us after death.
God willing, maybe one day we can see each other and talk again. And it would be very interesting to see a person like that and think that life is infinite.
– If you meet, what will you tell him?
– You know, I once asked Reagan: “You have become an authoritative person, a great politician and also a rich person. Do you think your life has been a success? I would ask Kissinger the same question: “Now that you have finished your hundred years of life, do you think this life was a success?”
It seems to me that he did everything possible to make this life remembered without being ashamed of his decisions and realizing that it was a fairly coherent life.
He did not jump from one point of view to another, but always tried to act so that the countries understood each other better and could reach an agreement.
– Thank you very much, Vitaly Alekseevich. Please accept my condolences for the fact that one of his heroes has left this world for another.
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS