David Petraeus is confident that if NATO and Western countries continue to provide resources at the current rate, Kyiv will be able to prevent the further advance of Russian troops.
The former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and former head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) David Petraeus considered it possible for Ukraine to return the territories seized by Russia during a full-scale war. The American general expressed this opinion in an interview with the Bild newspaper, which the publication publishes on Saturday, July 30.
“In fact, it seems increasingly likely that Ukrainian forces will retake most, if not all, of the territory gained by Russian forces in recent months,” Petraeus said.
“If NATO and Western countries continue to provide resources at the current rate … I think that Ukrainian forces will be able to stop further Russian advances and begin to recover the territories that the Russians have captured since February 24,” the source said.
“The victory of the Russian Federation will be disastrous for the security of Europe”
The former CIA chief also warned about the consequences of a possible Russian victory for Europe, and said that the North Atlantic Alliance had already realized this.
“A Russian military victory in Ukraine – which I consider unlikely – would be disastrous for European security,” the general insisted.
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“Frankly, I think the leaders of NATO – and Western countries outside of it – recognize this and are taking the necessary steps to prevent Russia from succeeding,” he added.
The risk of using Russian nuclear weapons is considered low
In an interview with DW in early May, Petraeus, answering a question about the possibility of Russia using nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, called for a serious assessment of Moscow’s threats, but the risks are considered low.
“I tend to believe, and there is a consensus, that the use of nuclear or chemical weapons is unlikely, because crossing these red lines would have very significant consequences,” the general explained at the time.
Speaking about the opportunities for peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow, the former head of the CIA said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should play the main role in this process, “after all, his country will have to endure Russia’s destructive actions. .”
According to Petraeus, Western countries should be guided by Kyiv in this matter: “I think that if he (Zelensky – Ed.) and his entourage want to negotiate, then we, of course, will will cooperate and help him here.”
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“We must remember that Vladimir Putin needs negotiations not because of what is happening in Ukraine, but for the sake of mitigating the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy,” the general said.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.