Petraeus: Putin remains the ‘obstacle to peace’ in Ukraine
Retired U.S. Army General and former CIA Director David Petraeus said Russian President Vladimir Putin remains the main barrier to ending the war in Ukraine, casting doubt on the possibility of peace talks.
Petraeus said there is little evidence Putin is willing to negotiate in good faith, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“Despite all of [President Donald Trump’s] efforts to end the war, Vladimir Putin clearly has no intention of doing that unless he’s given additional territory, which is heavily fortified,” Petraeus said. “The obstacle to peace at this point in time is President Putin.”
Petraeus stressed that Putin’s demands — a pro-Russian government in Kyiv and Ukraine’s demilitarization — remain unchanged. To shift the balance, he argued, the U.S. and allies must boost support for Ukraine by lifting restrictions on weapons, seizing $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, tightening sanctions, and further curbing Moscow’s oil exports.
His remarks follow a flurry of recent diplomacy. On Aug. 15, Trump met with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside European leaders, traveled to Washington on Aug. 18 to push for stronger security guarantees. Trump later suggested a Zelenskyy-Putin summit could take place within two weeks, but Russian officials have signaled that such a meeting is unlikely.
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