Moscow’s demands for a peace agreement with Ukraine remain "obviously unrealistic," casting doubt on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about reaching a deal, retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Chris Eddy told Newsmax Sunday.
"That's his opening gambit," Eddy said on Newsmax's "Sunday Report. "What it really comes down to is, Does Putin want a deal at all, or does he want to continue to grind this out on the ground?"
He added that it does not look like either side can win "without some exceptional help from outside parties, so it's going to be a slog for the foreseeable future."
Putin, Eddy continued, likely does not want that as his legacy.
"I think he would rather declare victory and try to obtain some territory," he said. "If Ukraine is willing to cede, rather than just continue to slog out for the next several years. Both sides have to be getting tired at this point, and it's going to have to come to some mutual agreement."
And without that agreement, Eddy added, "I don't think there's any purpose" for Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet "other than symbolism."
Putin’s terms include ceding the entire eastern Donbas region, formally abandoning Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, prohibiting Western troops from being stationed on Ukrainian soil, and granting Russia influence over Kyiv’s future security guarantees.
Analysts say such conditions would effectively lock Ukraine into a diminished security posture under Moscow’s control.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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