Former NATO Secretary General calls President Putin a 'cautious person'

Ria Novosti (Russia) quoted an interview of former NATO Secretary General and senior EU leader, Javier Solana, with El Pais (Spain) newspaper, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin is someone who carefully considers his words before making a statement.

"He (Putin) is a colder person than the first President of Russia Boris Yeltsin. He is someone who thinks a lot about everything before speaking; he is someone who carefully prepares every topic; he knows that 'revenge' is a dish that tastes best when eaten cold" - former NATO Secretary General Javier Solana said.

On October 25, when commenting on the ideas about a new world order mentioned by the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it showed "hypocrisy and double standards".

In his recent memoirs, former NATO Secretary General Javier Solana offers his assessment of the current international context, based on his extensive experience as a witness and architect of history.

Commenting on the Middle East hotspot, the former NATO Secretary General expressed concern about the character of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Israel has been led for too many years by a man I have little respect for. Netanyahu is a failure. He is one of the most hardline politicians, and is responsible for not complying with the two-state agreement," said Javier Solana.

Previously, Javier Solana held various ministerial positions in the Spanish Government. From 1995 to 1999, he was Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). From 1999 to 2009, he was Secretary General of the Council of the European Union.