The former director of the CIA, Petraeus, says that Putin is ‘the obstacle to peace’ in Ukraine

The former director of the CIA and the retired general from the army, David Petraeus, said Sunday that it is doubtful that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet to discuss the completion of the war in Ukraine.

“There is not so much at this time that it will lead us to believe that,” Petraeus told ABC News “This Week”, Jonathan Karl. “I do not believe, in fact, of the last two weeks, in reality, Jonathan, I think that what should be clear to everyone, and I think it is even clear for President Trump, is that despite all his efforts, again, what we applaud to end the war, to stop the murder, Vladimir Putin clearly has no intention of doing that unless he has given him an additional territory, what is strong, what is strong, what is strong, what is strong. Russians would have to do the Russian forces that would have to make the years have the top of the years. “

Petraeus’s comments occur after the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met with President Trump last week in Washington along with a contingent of other European leaders in search of gathering more support to negotiate a high fire between Russia and Ukraine.

The Ukraine Air Force said that Russia launched 72 drones and an ISKANDER-M ballistic missile in the country in its last flood during the night, of which 48 drones were intercepted or suppressed, since the country marked the anniversary of its declaration of independence of 1991 of the Soviet Union. Ukraine continued his own long -range attacks against Russia during the night, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, who said he demolished 95 Ukrainian drones in 14 regions during the last exchange.

Petraeus said that currently the “obstacle to peace” is Putin. He says that the United States should reconsider restrictions on some weapons that will not send to Ukraine and send more help to finally end the 3 1/2 -year war.

“And what we must do is change those dynamics helping Ukraine much more than we have so far. Raising restrictions on them, taking advantage of the $ 300 billion of frozen reserves and European countries of Russian money, giving Ukraine. More sanctions on Russia, even including the Bank of the Gazprom, and reducing the export of oil beyond what we already have,” Petraeus said.

Petraeus referred to a Wall Street Journal report that the Pentagon is limiting the use of long -range missile ukraine made in the United States against objectives in Russia.

“This is another case in which it seems that the Pentagon is carrying out policies that come into conflict with the inclination of President Trump. Now, I can understand why they would limit the use of certain long -range systems against Russia when they think that Russia could be willing to make an agreement. But that should be very clear to not be the case, at this time, and I hope there is a review of that policy,” Petraeus said.

However, Petraeus said that it knows that war cannot last forever, saying that the war has so far killed and injured 1.06 million Russians, including more than 500,000 who have not been able to return to the first line due to the seriousness of their injuries, and is also having a “very substantial impact” on its civil workforce.

“This has to have, over time, a very, very substantial impact on Russia’s ability only to find a civil workforce as well. In fact, it is reported that they were actually looking for women in Africa who can really replace some of the men in Russia, in various industries,” Petraeus said.

Petraeus also responded to the Trump administration on Sunday, whether shooting or reassigning 16 senior military officers, seven of whom are women, so far in their second term. The latest moves occurred on Friday, including the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, just weeks after supervising a preliminary report that contradicts Trump’s statement that Iran’s nuclear sites were erased by US strikes in June.

“I think it has to be a concern. Obviously, it is not precedents. There has never been something like this,” said Petraeus. “There have been cases in the past in which the people who have crossed in a cross form with the president or with the Secretary of Defense, generally in a political issue in which they should not have spoken and, in fact, were replaced. But the numbers here are obviously much more significant than that.”