Former US Intel Officer Casts Doubt Over Trump's Claim That Russia is Ready For Peace: 'That Has Yet to Be Seen'

A former army colonel and intelligence official is casting doubt over President Donald Trump's claim that Russia is ready for peace with Ukraine, claiming that his recent decisions have been "based more on emotion than a deliberate decision-making process."

In an op-ed published on the Kyiv Post, Jonathan Sweet described the fallout that took place following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington last Friday, where he was ejected from the White House after getting into a tense exchange with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Sweet went on to reject Trump and Vance's argument that Zelensky had not shown gratitude for the U.S.'s military aid to Ukraine, citing a report detailing that he has said so 94 times since the start of the invasion in 2022. He added that the rare earth minerals deal proposed by the Trump administration "provided neither peace nor and end to the war," the "high-risk" assumption being that "Russia will respect the U.S. investment in Ukraine, which they call an 'economic security guarantee.'"

The former colonel assured that the deal will not stop Moscow's attacks nor it provides "accountability for war crimes, for the return of Ukrainian children kidnapped and taken to Russia or for the Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians tortured and killed at the hands of their captors."

Moreover, the flow of soldiers into the country will not be prevented by the deal, Sweet added, claiming that is the reason why "Zelensky stood his ground." "Pausing military aid and intelligence-sharing to Ukraine now will only enable and embolden Putin to continue his assaults with more lethality," he added.

Sweet further backed his argument about Russia's "unwillingness" to end the war by recalling that Moscow is not offering to reciprocate Kyiv's offer for a first step toward peace: "The release of prisoners and a truce in the sky – ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure – and truce in the sea immediately." "

Even though Trump told Congress the U.S. has had "serious discussions with Russia and have received strong signals they are ready for peace," Sweet showed skepticism. "That is yet to be seen," as "Russia has conceded nothing, only issued additional conditions."

In this context, the former colonel said that Until Washington puts the same pressure on Moscow is putting on Kyiv the war won't end. Instead, it echoed the course of action suggested by Gen. David Petraeus: "Put Ukraine in a position of strength relative to Russia... enable Ukraine so much that they are able to change the dynamics on the battlefield so that Putin cannot achieve additional gains at acceptable cost."

In conclusion, "Russia will likely have to be brought bloodied and screaming to the negotiation table" and that would "require "interdiction, no-fly zone, deep strikes," Sweet concluded.

Originally published on Latin Times