Former CIA Director and commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, believes that the West has two key moves at its disposal to force Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
According to Petraeus, using Russia’s frozen assets to aid Kyiv and crippling Russia’s war economy with additional sanctions would simply make Moscow incapable of continuing its aggression, reports the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
“As a commander in two wars, I can say that no one knows the true cost of a conflict and wants it to end more than those involved. The key is to end it in a sustainable, fair, and reasonable way,” Petraeus emphasized.
“Russian Maximalist Demands Are Blocking Peace”
Petraeus is skeptical about an immediate peace through negotiations, primarily due to Russia’s stubbornness. “We know little about what the Russians are willing to accept: so far, their demands have been maximalist, including replacing Zelensky with a pro-Russian figure and heavily demilitarizing Ukraine,” he explained.
He added that Russia is seeking and surrendering territories in the southeast that it neither controls nor has approached. “These are fortified cities that are very well defended and extremely difficult to capture, considering the extraordinary number of Russian casualties to seize places like Pokrovsko and achieve modest strategic results over two years.”
Two-Step Plan to Change the Course of War
The general proposed a two-step plan he believes could change the course of the conflict.
- Use Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine: Europe should use $200–$250 billion in frozen Russian reserves as collateral to issue bonds, directing the proceeds to Ukraine. “With weapons and munitions systems they cannot produce themselves, such as ballistic missile defense and Patriot systems, this could also double drone production from 3.5 million to 7 million per year, helping them overcome financial and economic challenges for two to three years,” Petraeus said.
- Destroy Russia’s War Economy: “The Russian economy is more fragile than people think: the national welfare fund will run out next year because it has been diverted to the military industry. We need to hit those supporting Russia’s war economy by purchasing oil, gas, chips, engines, magnets, most of which come from China,” he stressed.
Petraeus believes that with these two actions, Putin would be forced to end hostilities because he would be unable to continue. Meanwhile, Ukraine is actively striking back. “Every night, even though Russia inflicts significant air damage, Ukraine targets Russian refineries and fuel depots: it has hit 30% of them, with some estimates at 50%. It is also adding Flamingo missiles to its arsenal, with a significantly greater range than Tomahawks,” Petraeus noted.
On Security Guarantees for Ukraine
Regarding security guarantees such as NATO’s Article 5, Petraeus said such a guarantee would need to be “impenetrable.” However, he believes there is a better alternative than sending troops not on the front line.
“I think the best persuasion is to ensure massive arms, munitions, and technical capabilities Ukraine does not yet have, especially anti-air and anti-ballistic defense, rather than a ground presence unless it is truly on the front line and shedding blood alongside Ukrainians,” he stated.
Petraeus also addressed Russian claims of nearly capturing all of Donetsk. “No, they didn’t even approach the fortified area; in some zones, they are nearly at the border. To get there, they fought for two years and suffered losses I could hardly imagine—even as a commander in two wars who wrote condolence letters to American mothers and fathers almost every night,” concluded General Petraeus.
