It has been more than 1,000 days since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine. Throughout this period, Ukraine has heavily relied on Western aid, while Russia set “red lines” that the West crossed without the escalation that the Kremlin had warned about.
However, former MI6 head, Sir Richard Dearlove, states that Europe is no longer in a “pre-war situation” with Russia but is already engaged in “a real war.”
“I think we must face the fact that the Russians believe they are at war with us,” said Sir Richard.
“Donald Tusk called it a pre-war situation. I think he is wrong. This is a real war,” he added.
“We have already clearly seen some very aggressive moves from the Russians in various European countries,” Sir Richard told Sky News.
When asked whether Western leaders should try to establish some form of communication with Putin in these challenging times, Sir Richard emphasized that he “has always believed in dialogue with opponents or enemies.”
“I think we’re in a very difficult situation, and it is probably better for Russia to have some form of dialogue with them than no contact at all. So, I do not rule it out,” he continued.
“However, I am not sure that Russia is currently in a position to engage, or that it will be very easy to talk to Putin,” Sir Richard concluded.
