Holt to Newsmax: Russia-Ukraine War Was 'Deterrable'

The Russia-Ukraine war was “deterrable,” says retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt.

“We started by exhibiting weakness with our disastrous pullout of Afghanistan that basically told [Russian President Vladimir] Putin green light here we go,” Holt told Newsmax TV’s “The Chris Salcedo Show.”

“We could have repelled him through diplomacy at that point. We didn't do it. And then after the war began, a month after Istanbul, the U.K. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, blew up the talks by telling [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, ‘Hey, listen, we're whatever it takes.’ Well, whatever it took was endless money and endless weapons, but the weapons came incrementally because there was no strategy. So, they just did the exact same playbook that [former Secretary of Defense Robert] McNamara did in Vietnam,” he added.

McNamara, who played a major role in the nation's military involvement in the Vietnam War, is considered a key figure in the decision-making process that led to the deepening of the conflict. He later expressed regret for his actions and stated that the U.S. was "wrong" in its approach to Vietnam.

Holt said this war has “about a 2,000% increase in casualties … without end.

“And they're still at it today. They're doubling down on this strategy right now. So where are we? Putin needs access immediately to European markets because the Russian economy is dying out. And Europe needs the exact same thing because they have a deindustrialization going on. Those are the elements or the seedlings of this negotiation that inevitably is coming, and they're all going to lock in their military gains before [President-elect Donald] Trump comes in and starts to lay this all out,” he added.

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!

• Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
• Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com

• The Time for Talk Will End Soon, WW III Looms
• Blaine Holt to Newsmax: No Crying at the State Department