Putin is 'obstacle to peace,' retired US General Petraeus says
In an interview with ABC News on Aug. 24, former CIA Director and retired U.S. Army General David Petraeus cast doubt on both the likelihood of a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and on Putin's willingness to negotiate in good faith.
"There's not that much right now that would lead us to believe that," Petraeus said when asked if such a meeting might take place.
"In fact, out of the last two weeks... I think what should be clear to all, and I think it is even clear to President Trump, is that despite all of his efforts...to end the war, to stop the killing, Vladimir Putin clearly has no intention of doing that unless he's given additional territory, which is heavily fortified, and Russian forces would have to fight for years at the pace that they're going."
He added that Putin's core demands — including a pro-Russian government in Ukraine and its demilitarization — have not changed.
"The obstacle to peace at this point in time is President Putin," he said.
Petraeus argued that the U.S. and its allies need to shift the balance of power by increasing support for Ukraine.
"What we need to do is change those dynamics by helping Ukraine far more than we have so far," he said.
"Lifting restrictions on them, seizing the $300 billion of frozen reserves in European countries of Russian money, giving it to Ukraine. More sanctions on Russia, even including the Gazprom bank, and curtailing the export of oil further than we have already."
Petraeus' comments follow an eventful two weeks of diplomatic activity. On Aug. 15, Trump and Putin met face-to-face in Anchorage, Alaska — their first meeting in years.
With Ukraine excluded from the Alaska summit, Zelensky, accompanied by a delegation of European leaders, traveled to Washington on Aug. 18 to meet with Trump and press for concrete security guarantees in the event of a future peace deal with Moscow.
Following the meetings, Trump said a bilateral summit between Zelensky and Putin could happen within two weeks. However, recent statements from Russian officials suggest such a meeting remains unlikely.
