General Petraeus on Peace Prospects Between Russia and Ukraine

Gen. David Petraeus, the former CIA director and U.S. Central Commander, expressed on Sunday his skepticism regarding any peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. He suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to pursue peace unless it results in territorial gains for Russia.

During an interview on ABC News, Petraeus conveyed little hope for a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which has been advocated by former President Trump. He noted that, even if a meeting were held, there wouldn’t be strong reasons to believe it would yield positive results.

“In a couple of weeks, Jonathan, what should become clear to everyone—and I think it’s already clear to President Trump,” Petraeus remarked, suggesting a lack of optimism about the situation.

He further explained that the territory Putin seeks from Ukraine is critical for him, indicating that Russian troops would continue to fight hard to secure these areas, which they have been aiming for over the years. Reports suggest that Putin is eyeing territories in Donetsk and Luhansk, including regions not currently under Russian control, while appearing willing to maintain the frontlines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Despite Trump’s assertions about progress in negotiations, Petraeus pointed out that Russia’s fundamental demands remain unchanged, which includes Ukraine’s total political and military capitulation.

“Putin aims to oust President Zelensky, replace him with a pro-Russian figure, and ultimately blame Ukraine for the conflict,” he added.

He highlighted that under Ukrainian law, Zelensky lacks the authority to cede any territory to Russia without a referendum, strengthening Ukraine’s legal stance in the negotiations.

Moreover, Petraeus noted that Putin has been pressuring U.S. and Ukrainian allies to prolong negotiations by maintaining barriers to peace and enhancing support for Ukraine.

“It’s clear that the main obstacle to peace right now is Putin,” he stated. “To change this dynamic, we need to support Ukraine more extensively than before—lifting restrictions, unlocking $300 billion of frozen Russian assets in Europe for Ukraine, imposing sanctions on Russia, including Gazprom Bank, and reducing oil exports to Russia.”