Former CIA Director and retired Army Gen. David Petraeus mentioned Sunday that he is doubtful that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet to debate ending the battle in Ukraine.
“There’s not that a lot proper now that may lead us to imagine that,” Petraeus advised ABC Information’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “I do not assume, in reality, out of the final two weeks, actually, Jonathan, I feel what ought to be clear to all, and I feel it’s even clear to President Trump, is that regardless of all of his efforts, once more, which we applaud to finish the battle, to cease the killing, Vladimir Putin clearly has no intention of doing that except he is given extra territory, which is closely fortified, and Russian forces must struggle for years on the tempo that they are going.”
Petraeus’ feedback come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Trump final week in Washington alongside a contingent of different European leaders in pursuit of gathering extra assist to dealer a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air drive mentioned Russia launched 72 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile into the nation in its latest overnight barrage, of which 48 drones had been intercepted or suppressed, because the nation marked the anniversary of its 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. Ukraine continued its personal long-range assaults on Russia in a single day, in line with Russia’s Protection Ministry, which mentioned it shot down 95 Ukrainian drones over 14 areas through the newest alternate.
Former CIA Director and retired Military Gen. David Petraeus seems on ABC Information’ “This Week” on Aug. 24, 2025.
ABC Information
Petraeus mentioned that at the moment the “impediment to peace” is Putin. He says that the U.S. ought to rethink restrictions on some weapons that it will not ship to Ukraine and ship extra support to in the end convey an finish to the three 1/2-year battle.
“And what we have to do is change these dynamics by serving to Ukraine way over we have now up to now. Lifting restrictions on them, seizing the $300 billion of frozen reserves and European nations of Russian cash, giving it to Ukraine. Extra sanctions on Russia, even together with the Gazprom financial institution, and curbing the export of oil additional than we have now already,” Petraeus mentioned.
Petraeus referred to a Wall Avenue Journal report that the Pentagon is limiting Ukraine’s use of U.S.-made long-range missiles in opposition to targets in Russia.
“That is one other case the place it seems that the Pentagon is finishing up insurance policies that battle with President Trump’s inclination. Now, I can perceive why they might restrict using sure long-range programs in opposition to Russia once they assume that Russia would possibly nonetheless be prepared to make a deal. However that ought to be very clear to not be the case, at this second, and I hope that there will likely be a assessment of that coverage,” Petraeus mentioned.
Nonetheless, Petraeus mentioned he is aware of the battle can not final without end, saying that the battle up to now has killed and wounded 1.06 million Russians, together with greater than 500,000 that haven’t been in a position to return to the entrance traces because of the severity of their accidents, and can also be having a “very substantial influence” on its civilian workforce.
“This has to have, over time, a really, very substantial influence on the flexibility of Russia simply to discover a civilian workforce as effectively. In actual fact, it is reported that they had been truly trying in Africa for ladies who can truly exchange a number of the males in Russia, in varied industries,” Petraeus mentioned.
Petraeus additionally responded Sunday to the Trump administration both firing or reassigning 16 high navy officers, seven of whom are girls, to date into his second time period. The latest removals occurred Friday, together with the top of the Protection Intelligence Company, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, simply weeks after he oversaw a preliminary report that contradicted Trump’s assertion that Iran’s nuclear websites had been obliterated by U.S. strikes in June.
“I feel it needs to be a priority. Clearly, it is unprecedented. There’s by no means been something like this,” Petraeus mentioned. “There have been circumstances prior to now the place people who’ve gotten crosswise with the president or with the secretary of protection actually, normally on a coverage concern wherein they need to not have spoken out and certainly had been changed. However the numbers right here clearly are far more important than that.”
