Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt in the interview to the German channel has criticised EU attempts to expand at the expense of Ukraine and Georgia.

"Try to make wider European Union at the expense of Ukraine and Georgia, and most likely due to the Armenia - all this nonsense, geopolitical childish," he said, adding that "mess" began long before the current Ukrainian fall. Ukraine, in his view, is as long as still " very young country With changeable history ".

Helmut Schmidt also expressed understanding of Russia's policy, saying that Vladimir Putin is not a " warmonger ". From the position of the ex-Chancellor, any leader of a major power is perceived as a threat, " even if he doesn't want it ".

Schmidt has previously called for the West to show more understanding about the policies of Russia. In March, in interview to the newspaper Bild, he said that the Russian President's policy may not suit the West, but somehow need to be taken seriously.

sections: Politics