Lech Wałęsa ready to meet Putin

“I want to ask Putin to meet and talk. Not in order to convince him, but to present arguments that will approach the problem from a different angle,” Wałęsa told Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

Wałęsa, a Nobel peace prize laureate, added that he does not know whether Putin would agree to a meeting, but believes that “wisdom is not the prerogative of only one person”.

“Any time of day or night, I am ready to start a dialogue with Putin. Privately or publicly,” he stressed.

“I believe that we need to give Putin a chance to present his arguments and remember that Russia has its own interests, which should be respected,” Wałęsa said, but stressed that such respect should use "intellect, rather than tanks and occupation.”

Wałęsa also said that Russia "is needed, because without Russia, neither we, nor Europe, will take any steps in the world".

When asked whether it is possible for an agreement to be reached between Russia and Ukraine, about the occupation of Crimea, he answered "Poland and Germany lost more blood than Russia and Ukraine, yet there are [currently] no borders” between the two countries.

Wałęsa added that Russia should "follow the example of Europe", and aim to eliminate boundaries with Europe.

He admitted that Russia "can be a leader without forcing its will".

The former Polish President also stressed that even if Putin sees the West as Russia’s greatest enemy, "democracy consists of three parts: laws, the Constitution and the size of the checkbook”, and Putin should understand he cannot win.

Wałęsa said that countries oppressed by Russia will intensify resistance against the policy of force and Moscow. (ua/rg/rk)

Source: Wprost