Richard Haass

Extraordinarily difficult. Europeans can only do so much. They don't have the defense industries. They don't have the large inventories to transfer. But Ukraine can hold on. The problem is without the United States supporting Ukraine, it's quite probable that Vladimir Putin will not have the incentive to compromise, to accept a ceasefire, except on terms that are quite draconian.

Extraordinarily difficult. Europeans can only do so much. They don't have the defense industries. They don't have the large inventories to transfer. But Ukraine can hold on. The problem is without the United States supporting Ukraine, it's quite probable that Vladimir Putin will not have the incentive to compromise, to accept a ceasefire, except on terms that are quite draconian.

Right, and that's what's missing. I don't understand about the president's approach. He says he wants to be a peacemaker here. Well, the best way to get a peace is to persuade Vladimir Putin that the United States and the West will stand by Ukraine, so continued war by Russia will not lead Mr. Putin to anything that resembles success. We've done just the opposite.

Right, and that's what's missing. I don't understand about the president's approach. He says he wants to be a peacemaker here. Well, the best way to get a peace is to persuade Vladimir Putin that the United States and the West will stand by Ukraine, so continued war by Russia will not lead Mr. Putin to anything that resembles success. We've done just the opposite.

Right, and that's what's missing. I don't understand about the president's approach. He says he wants to be a peacemaker here. Well, the best way to get a peace is to persuade Vladimir Putin that the United States and the West will stand by Ukraine, so continued war by Russia will not lead Mr. Putin to anything that resembles success. We've done just the opposite.

So Vladimir Putin's sitting in the Kremlin going, why should I compromise?

So Vladimir Putin's sitting in the Kremlin going, why should I compromise?

So Vladimir Putin's sitting in the Kremlin going, why should I compromise?

If by win this war, you mean recover all of its territory going back to 1991, you're right. And that was actually a good strategic insight of this administration that militarily recovering all Ukraine had lost in 2014 and 2022 was not realistic. And the Biden administration refused to do that. But the other way to define success is you have a ceasefire.

If by win this war, you mean recover all of its territory going back to 1991, you're right. And that was actually a good strategic insight of this administration that militarily recovering all Ukraine had lost in 2014 and 2022 was not realistic. And the Biden administration refused to do that. But the other way to define success is you have a ceasefire.

If by win this war, you mean recover all of its territory going back to 1991, you're right. And that was actually a good strategic insight of this administration that militarily recovering all Ukraine had lost in 2014 and 2022 was not realistic. And the Biden administration refused to do that. But the other way to define success is you have a ceasefire.

Ukraine keeps what it has now, which is 80% of its territory. The war stops. And then you have the ability over years or decades to negotiate. And maybe you come up with a new relationship between Ukraine and, say, a post-Vladimir Putin Russia. So again, I think there's all sorts of possibilities. But success should not be defined either as Ukraine recovering all of its territory militarily.

Ukraine keeps what it has now, which is 80% of its territory. The war stops. And then you have the ability over years or decades to negotiate. And maybe you come up with a new relationship between Ukraine and, say, a post-Vladimir Putin Russia. So again, I think there's all sorts of possibilities. But success should not be defined either as Ukraine recovering all of its territory militarily.

Ukraine keeps what it has now, which is 80% of its territory. The war stops. And then you have the ability over years or decades to negotiate. And maybe you come up with a new relationship between Ukraine and, say, a post-Vladimir Putin Russia. So again, I think there's all sorts of possibilities. But success should not be defined either as Ukraine recovering all of its territory militarily.

That's a non-starter. Or giving Vladimir Putin everything he wants.

That's a non-starter. Or giving Vladimir Putin everything he wants.

That's a non-starter. Or giving Vladimir Putin everything he wants.

To put it bluntly, the post-war order is on life support. It's a tragedy. I've never seen this before in history. I'm used to empires or orders crumbling. I'm used to them being overwhelmed. I've never seen the side, the country that created it and maintained it dismantling it. And that is exactly what we are doing.

To put it bluntly, the post-war order is on life support. It's a tragedy. I've never seen this before in history. I'm used to empires or orders crumbling. I'm used to them being overwhelmed. I've never seen the side, the country that created it and maintained it dismantling it. And that is exactly what we are doing.

To put it bluntly, the post-war order is on life support. It's a tragedy. I've never seen this before in history. I'm used to empires or orders crumbling. I'm used to them being overwhelmed. I've never seen the side, the country that created it and maintained it dismantling it. And that is exactly what we are doing.