Former French president argues EU, Russia need each other

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Former French President Nikolas Sarkozy argued Wednesday that the EU and Russia need each other.

"Russia is Europe's neighbor and will remain so,” he said in an interview with the conservative Le Figaro newspaper. "Diplomacy, discussion, and talks remain the only way to find an acceptable solution. Nothing is possible without compromise.”

Sarkozy said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not irrational" and Europe can reach him with “the right kind of diplomacy.”

If Ukraine does not want to liberate areas occupied by Russia, “the choice will be between a frozen conflict or taking the path to referendums strictly overseen by the international community,” he said.

During the Russian-Georgian war in 2008, it was that kind of diplomacy that stopped Russia from further aggression, he said.

Sarkozy added that Ukraine should stay neutral and has no place in the EU or NATO.​​​​​​​