© Franck Fife / AFPFrance's former prime minister Dominique de Villepin.
Following the release of his latest book A Reminder of Peace in Wartime last month, Dominique de Villepin, who has served France in a variety of leading positions, including as prime minister and foreign minister in the government of Jacques Chirac, has spoken to RT France. He believes that international relations today are paralyzed by a lack of dialogue - a crisis which Europe is able to change.
"One of the biggest mistakes made in recent years is the cessation of all dialogue. You cannot hope for peace and stability on the world stage if you impose sanctions with such ease, isolating and pushing others aside. The deterrence policy pursued by the United States and Europe with regard to Russia and China is essentially a strategic mistake, which stems from a misunderstanding of the real international situation. In the case of the mentioned regimes, it does not lead to anything other than them tightening their positions," the politician believes.
"We have punished our farmers [with sanctions against Russia]. What for? For what results? Can sanctions change Russian policies? We live in a time when sanctions, branding, and penalties, on the contrary, paralyze the balance of power, and sometimes reinforce the relationship between the people and their authorities. Never before has Russia stood so united around its leader," Villepin noted.
Comment: It would be interesting to know if Villepin understands the current Western one-way ticket to unipolarity and the psychopathic forces at work to make this a reality. He puts forth a pragmatic way of solving problems, but these problems were set in motion by those he suggests revise their approach. Unless there is a rapid and dramatic turn-around, it is unlikely the epiphany will come, nor global relations find its Hakuna Matata. Can/will Trump make this difference a possibility? Villepin entertains this hope.