Russia is viewing a call for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine as an opportunity for Ukraine to rebuild its defenses, so what it really wants is to get to the end game of the peace talks, retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax on Thursday.
"They just moved Ukraine out of Kursk," Holt told Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "They've cut those defenses so badly that there are hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers that could be mounted into an offensive... the way they're looking at it is, 'we're about to win the war and take the entire country if we want to.'"
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday that he had spoken to national security adviser Mike Waltz, stating the position that the ceasefire, which Ukraine has agreed to, is a "temporary respite" and that Russia wants a long-term settlement taking its concerns into account.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said that Russia is open to Ukraine coming out as not being victorious, but with the country still in existence, said Holt.
"They don't have an intent to take the whole country," he said. "But with every kilometer taken by the Russians, that leverage decreases."
Meanwhile, proceeding without a ceasefire means "more butchery on the battlefield," said Holt.
"Finally, diplomacy is showing up and what I pray is, is that Ambassador [Steven] Witkoff can just drive this thing right to its end solution. The Europeans will scream bloody murder, but the killing has to stop because there's no military solution in front of Ukraine right now."
Witkoff also can't leverage the threat of sanctions on Russia, as it is "bulletproof" on them, said Holt.
"The material leverage that the ambassador has is Russia fundamentally needs above board, white light access to European markets across a whole range of products," Holt said. "They need those oil and gas lines turned back on into reliable customers like Slovakia and Hungary. And so that's where he's got to be. That's where he's got to start with the deal."
All parties do agree, including Russia, that the situation can't evolve into World War III, said Holt.
He also noted that the potential for an impasse will likely result in a direct conversation between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, "and the ambassador is probably working very hard to get it to that level."
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