Retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt criticized a recent gathering of European parliamentary leaders in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Newsmax Tuesday, saying the meeting centered on "solidarity" rather than efforts to negotiate peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Holt added that the European leaders' meeting also aimed to show support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"You got to be clear on what the meeting was about," Holt said on "Finnerty." "All it was is solidarity ... let's get around President Zelenskyy to show his domestic audience that he has European support."
On Tuesday, representatives from 17 European countries and the European Parliament arrived in Kyiv, according to Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Countries represented included Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Croatia, Czechia, and Sweden, The Kyiv Independent reported.
The visit coincided with the third anniversary of the liberation of Bucha, a town in Kyiv Oblast where Russian forces killed hundreds of civilians during their occupation in 2022.
Holt said the high-level visit lacked substantive progress toward peace.
"Here's what they didn't do," Holt said. "They didn't talk about peace. They talked about more money, more weapons, more of the same. Guess what? That's gotten over a million people killed."
When asked about the fractured relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, Holt said Ukraine's stance on negotiations with Russia remains a significant hurdle.
"That's a problem, because President Zelenskyy has already put it into their constitution that as long as Putin is president, they can't negotiate with Russia," Holt said. "That is problematic, actually."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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