Ukraine's incursion into Russian territory has changed the narrative about the war, Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO and special representative for Ukraine, said on Newsmax Saturday.
"Up until now, everyone was talking about how this war is a stalemate, that Russia's victory is inevitable and it's just a matter of time before Ukraine has to decide that it's going to give up territory," Volker told Newsmax's "America Right Now."
But now, "It's a bit more of a trade [after] Russia has also been invaded," said Volker. "Now this is going to be a trade-off in some way. This is a very positive development."
Volker, though, said he does not think Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for talks or concessions to Ukraine, particularly before this fall's U.S. presidential election.
"I think Putin wants to see the outcome of our election," he said. "They want to see who is the new president in the United States and what kind of posture the West has at that time. Sometime in 2025, though, I think we will get to that point of some kind of solution."
Retired U.S. Army Ranger Jim Lechner, the author of the book "With My Shield," who was also on Saturday's program, pointed out that the Ukrainian military got only about 10 miles into Russian territory, which is "very small," considering the more than 200 miles of territory the Russians have captured.
"What's significant in the media does not significantly report is that the Russians continue to advance in the South and the East," Lechner said. "So this is a positive thing for the Ukrainians, but it's a very, very small penetration.
"It also demonstrates that they've not mastered combined arms operations. They were able to easily penetrate the border, but they weren't able to exploit it."
However, he said he does think the Ukrainians will be able to hold the territory and use it as a bargaining chip against Russia in the future.
Volker, meanwhile, said he questions why there is never news about peace talks between Russia and Ukraine when there is always news about the negotiations to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
A peace summit for Ukraine was held in Switzerland in June that included representation from approximately 90 countries, Volker said.
He added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a plan that outlines the elements of a peace agreement.
"They're all based on the U.N. charter, which includes the withdrawal of Russian forces," said Volker. "People just seem to be reluctant to put pressure on Russia to withdraw in the way that we are, unreasonably in my view, putting pressure on Israel."
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
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.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.