# Helmut Kohl, Russia-Europe Relations and Troops in Ukraine - Original post: https://www.twitter.com/i/status/2121552009258230006 - Source account: [@maikpi70](https://x.com/maikpi70) - Source language: Russian - Target language: English - Duration: 2:31 - Published: 2026-11-15 - Machine translated. Check the original before quoting. - Canonical URL: https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine - Original-language version: https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/ru/%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%82-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B8-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%8B-%D0%B8-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5.md ## Transcript [0:00](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine) It was, like, uh, this is how they say it in Germany, today's authorities say that they follow, um, follow the course of the former leadership, um, of Germany. [0:11](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=11) Helmut Kohl's name is mentioned, among others. [0:14](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=14) I knew Kohl. [0:18](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=18) I can firmly as—assert: he didn't have views like those— vi—views held by today's CDU leadership. [0:25](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=25) He simply didn't. I spoke with him when he was still chancellor, and after he stopped being chancellor, he came to visit us. [0:34](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=34) He believed that the future of Europe, of the Federal Republic, would be secure only if there were close, good- neighborly, allied relations with Russia. [0:47](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=47) “We must complement each other,” he said. [0:50](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=50) Only then will European civilization be able to survive as an independent center, uh, an intellectual, humanitarian force, and, consequently, with all the other implications for politics and the economy. [1:02](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=62) That is what, uh, Mr. Kohl told me. But today's elites in Europe hold different views. [1:11](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=71) Today they frighten their populations with the imaginary threat of the Soviet Union— uh, of Russia, supposedly arising from the Soviet Union's time. [1:20](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=80) But there is no such threat, and there never was. [1:22](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=82) We do not threaten European countries, nor do we intend to. [1:26](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=86) Why would we? No one even considers that we have no reason for any kind of conflict with Europe. [1:33](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=93) All issues were settled as a result of the Second World War. [1:37](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=97) And what happened afterward, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, was done with, uh, the consent of the Russian Federation as the successor to the Soviet Union. [1:46](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=106) Anything that runs counter to these agreements runs counter to our interests and does not conform to the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter. [1:56](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=116) That's the whole point. And they're insisting precisely on that, on some kind of changes. [2:01](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=121) What changes? Do they want to revise the results of World War II? [2:07](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=127) What are they pushing their— uh, their— the people of their countries toward now? [2:11](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=131) Toward war with the Russian Federation? Now they're saying that they are thinking about how to send troops into Ukrainian territory. [2:17](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/hOEaXPcakfPI/en/helmut-kohl-russia-europe-relations-and-troops-in-ukraine?t=137) That means war with Russia. And I, uh, understand that, uh, the citizens of European countries understand what's happening.