Monday, August 04, 2025

Petraeus: The USA dragged help to Ukraine too much

From the Daily Mail, May 29:

"Former CIA chief reveals the European country he thinks Putin will attack next

Vladimir Putin will invade a Nato country if he succeeds in Ukraine, it was warned today.

David Petraeus, a respected former US general and CIA chief, also claimed Lithuania would be most at risk.

He said Russia could launch an incursion into that Baltic state to test Western resolve or as a precursor to a wider offensive.

Mr Petraeus, who headed the CIA after a stellar military career, also criticised US President Donald Trump for repeatedly granting second chances to Putin and took aim at predecessor Joe Biden for failures to adequately arm Ukrainian forces...

'The US also temporised far too long over individual decisions such as M1 [Abrams] tanks. A blind man on a dark night could see it had to be the F-16 [a multi- role fighter aircraft].

'There were no more MiGs anywhere in Europe we could provide them [the Ukrainians] with, it had to be F-16s. 

'The same with multiple-launch rocket systems, the improved conventional munitions and lifting the limits [on their use].

'This was very unhelpful to the Ukrainians. Each time they'd have to ask and wait, and then we'd say no, and then maybe, and then eventually they'd get it. 

'We should have done so much with the Ukrainians that they could change the dynamic on the battlefield to show Moscow they cannot achieve additional gains on the battlefield at an acceptable cost, knowing what is acceptable to them is quite astronomical.'

Mr Petraeus stated that Russia's aim was to topple president Volodymyr Zelensky in order to 'install a puppet leader and to control all of Ukraine'. 

He added: 'Once that's done, you are going to see them focus on one of the Baltic states."

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