Henry Kissinger, the former secretary of state, wheeled on Ukraine late Monday in remarks made by video to the parley in Davos, saying Ukraine must give some territory to Russia and warning that the West risks disastrous consequences if it tries to inflict a crushing defeat on Moscow’s forces in the embattled country.

“Negotiations need to begin in the next two months before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome,” Mr. Kissinger said, adding: “Ideally, the dividing line should be a return to the status quo ante. Pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine, but a new war against Russia itself.”

Going down that path would in Mr. Kissinger’s estimation be grave mistake. As the Daily Mail reported, he said it would be “fatal” for the West to get swept up in the “mood of the moment” and forget Russia’s position of power within Europe.

The Times of London reported that Mr. Kissinger told the Forum that Russia had been an essential part of Europe for 400 years and had been the guarantor of the European balance of power structure at critical times. European leaders should not lose sight of the longer-term relationship, nor should they risk pushing Russia into a permanent alliance with China.

President Zelensky, who like Mr. Kissinger addressed the Davos forum by video call, will likely be no fan of such a stance, even if it has been gaining traction in some diplomatic circles — and has been backed by the New York Times. “This is the year when we learn whether brute force will rule the world,” Mr. Zelensky said, adding that if it does then gatherings like the one at Davos would be pointless.

Mr. Kissinger, for his part, cautioned against opening the door to drama for which he believes no one in the West — not even Washington — is truly prepared. 

“Ukraine should have been a bridge between Europe and Russia, but now, as the relationships are reshaped, we may enter a space where the dividing line is redrawn and Russia is entirely isolated,” he said, adding, “We are facing a situation now where Russia could alienate itself completely from Europe and seek a permanent alliance elsewhere. This may lead to Cold War-like diplomatic distances, which will set us back decades. We should strive for long-term peace.”

Mr. Kissinger’s warning about the risks of a wider war did not discount the bravery of Ukraine’s army, but also came with the gentle prodding of an elder statesman: “I hope the Ukrainians will match the heroism they have shown with wisdom,” he told the forum. 

While reports in newspapers such as the London Times and Daily Mail highlighted Mr. Kissinger’s statements about territorial compromise, they did not get into the particulars, nor were salient details immediately found on the Davos forum’s official report on Mr. Kissinger’s speech. On Tuesday, though, the Greek newspaper Protothema reported on a peace plan floated by Prime Minister Draghi of Italy.

That, it reported, would include an immediate ceasefire and a recognition of the autonomy of Donbas and Crimea, but without changing borders. The paper reported that Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Andrei Rudenko, had received and was evaluating the proposal.

As an éminence grise of American foreign policy, Mr. Kissinger, now 98, is one of the world’s leading practitioners of Realpolitik. He was an architect of detente during the Nixon administration.