Putin praises Kissinger as wise and pragmatic statesman

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed his condolences over the death of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, saying in a telegram to Kissinger's widow Nancy that he was a "wise and farsighted statesman".

"The name of Henry Kissinger is inextricably linked with a pragmatic foreign policy line, which at one time made it possible to achieve detente in international tensions and reach the most important Soviet-American agreements that contributed to the strengthening of global security," Putin said.

"I had the opportunity to personally communicate with this deep, extraordinary man many times, and I will undoubtedly retain the fondest memory of him."

Kissinger, who died on Wednesday at the age of 100, pursued dialogue between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1970s that led to the first major nuclear arms control treaties between the two Cold War superpowers.

Five decades on, the war in Ukraine has raised tensions between Moscow and Washington to their most acute point since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, and the Kremlin has described the current state of relations as "below zero".