Vladimir Putin will go on to threaten to attack a NATO country if he is not stopped in Ukraine, Russia’s former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov has warned.
He told GB News: “I think that's very evident that the next step is to stay in part of Ukraine and then Moldova.
“That is Russian territory, he believes in his so-called lectures of history. He is building up himself, the history, and if it's allowed, I would say if there’s no adequate response to that then he will try to test article five of the NATO charter.
“That is, a small NATO country could be a subject to, not necessarily an invasion, but some kind of provocation.”
In a discussion with Mark Dolan, he was asked if the West bears some responsibility for the invasion of Ukraine: “I think to a certain extent, yes.
“The point is you have been keeping Putin satisfied with the economic projects like pipelines to continental Europe, and other very profitable transactions. Western leaders believed that Putin will be preoccupied with this and will never pose a threat to neighbouring countries.
“But Putin believed differently and understood that it is allowed to for him to do this, Georgia, Crimea and then Ukraine. If he is not stopped in Ukraine, he would go on.”
Kasyanov, who was prime minister between 2000 and 2004, was asked if Putin had changed as a person; “Oh, completely. He’s a completely different person.
“Now we can understand that at that time he pretended to be a democratic and a devoted person, but he's really a KGB agent and ruling the country. That is the awful situation for my country.”
He did not think that there would be a rapid solution to the Ukraine conflict if Donald Trump becomes US president again: “If Putin is allowed to go further on, that will be his victory. We shouldn't allow this.
“I don't think that President Trump if in office again would find a solution quickly, because we should press Putin so that he will stop this aggression. We need consistency and predictability but it doesn't seem that Donald Trump treads on that line.”
On whether Putin is evil, he said: “Not necessarily, but we should regard him like a fanatic blinded by his impunity. That is a very dangerous position.”
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