Brussels, 03/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Chris Patten of Britain, who held the post of European External Relations Commissioner from 1999 to 2004, is mentioned in US diplomatic despatches published this week by WikiLeaks. In a note written by the former US ambassador to the EU, Rockwell Schnabel, on 28 April 2004, Patten is cited on several matters, including: - The “real power” of the EU. “To be a real power, a country must be ready and able to adopt and implement a policy, even if the rest of the world considers it unwise”. The United States is able to act in this manner but “the EU will never be a real power because there is always someone in the room who is overly cautious, and will insist on looking at matters sensibly”, Patten told Schnabel. - The character of Vladimir Putin. Patten is reported to have expressed “serious doubts” about the character of the former president and current prime minister of Russia. “He seems a completely reasonable man when discussing the Middle East or energy policy, but when the conversation shifts to Chechnya or Islamic extremism, Putin's eyes turn to those of a killer”, Patten is reported to have said. - Turkey. Personally very much in favour of Turkey's membership to the EU, Chris Patten is said to have affirmed that the real problem for Ankara is not France but the conservative political parties in Germany (CDU/CSU) and in Spain. (H.B./transl.jl)