The latest attempt at a ceasefire to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine may not work unless Russian President Vladimir Putin is forced in some way to accept the deal, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker told Newsmax on Thursday.
"Putin will not agree to any peace," Volker told Newsmax's "American Agenda."
"He wants to eliminate Ukraine as an independent state."
Volker said the idea that Putin will simply agree to the latest plan and end his invasion of Ukraine is a terrible mistake.
"He wants to eliminate Ukraine as a national identity and language and people, and so he's not going to agree."
He said it is going to take tremendous leverage from the United States and European Union member nations to force the issue.
"Therefore, the only thing that we can do is put enough pressure — especially economic pressure — on Putin that he feels a need for a ceasefire himself."
Volker pointed to the latest economic sanctions on Russia as having an effect and said the pressure needs to be even more forceful.
"The Russian economy is getting shakier and shakier, and we just need to keep piling on that till Putin is ready to say, OK, let's just stop fighting."
The former ambassador said Putin is a master at manipulating language and that when he suggested the new plan could serve as a basis for negotiations, he likely meant the opposite.
"That means he has no intention of agreeing to anything reasonable," Volker said. "When he says it's a basis, it means that the proposal itself is not acceptable, and he needs to change it.
"And we already know what he wants to change. He wants to take more Ukrainian territory," he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukrainian and U.S. delegations are to meet this week to work out a formula discussed at talks in Geneva to bring peace and provide security guarantees for Kyiv.
"Our team, together with American representatives, will meet at the end of this week to continue to bring closer the points we have as a result of [talks in] Geneva in a form that will lead us on the path to peace and security guarantees," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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