“Putin has failed and is investing in the strategy of terror”

“There is no doubt that his primary mission Vladimir Putin it failed so the Russian President has launched a war of terror to demoralize the Ukrainians and defeat the will of the US and NATO. For this reason, our main task is to remain determined and united in support of Kiev,” points out former CIA director and former US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

“There is a sense that it would be in the interests of both Ukraine and the rest of the world for Putin to begin negotiations on the end of war. However, he himself does not seem willing for such a thing. And Kyiv, apparently, is not interested, except on the condition that its occupied territories return to Ukraine. It is difficult at the moment to see an exit, but the winter months may show whether there is a possibility of negotiations,” he notes.

Leon Panetta in his interview with Corriere della Sera, which is broadcast by the Athens News Agency, notes: “The Ukraine is facing a difficult winter and has been forced to evacuate some areas. Putin is still testing his increasingly depleted military forces and firing missiles at all sorts of targets. Even if the negotiations lead to an agreement that would give him control over certain areas, for example in the Donbass, his goal of conquering Ukraine has failed.”

“The support for Ukraine, however, remains cross-party”

“The only way to achieve a peaceful solution is for the Russian President to realize that his position is at risk if he continues the war. Ukraine, the United States and NATO cannot allow him to succeed, because that would send the message that tyrants can undermine sovereign democracies. There are, of course, those who try to break up the unity of the West, such as the far-right Freedom Caucus parliamentary group. Support for Ukraine, however, remains cross-party,” says the former CIA director.

“That said, it is true that the Republican Party, which expects to return to the White House in 2024, is “looking for it.” This is a party traditionally very strong on national security issues that believes in global leadership. Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump’s secretary of state, shared this position. Trump himself, however, supported the “America First” position that weakened Washington’s role,” he explains.

“The will is also common in the US that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons. If the US and its allies in the Middle East and Europe continue to support economic sanctions against Tehran, I believe that the problems inside Iran will continue. The protests show that the government has lost control: If they continue, Iran may end up self-destructing,” the former CIA director emphasized.

“As for President Biden’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart, it was important because it showed that there can be cooperation even when there is competition. I believe that Xi has learned from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and will not do anything stupid that can threaten China’s position in the world,” he concludes.