Bob Gates: Even if We Had Provided More Weapons to Ukraine Earlier, Putin Would Still Invade

KILMEADE Let s bring ░░░░░░░░ our next guest He ░░░░░░░░ served 8 presidents in ░░░░░░░░ security roles and helped ░░░░░░░░ the Cold War He ░░░░░░░░ the only secretary of ░░░░░░░░ in history to serve ░░░░░░░░ on both sides of ░░░░░░░░ aisle working with George ░░░░░░░░ Bush 43 and continued ░░░░░░░░ his service to President ░░░░░░░░ Joining me now who ░░░░░░░░ the way might be ░░░░░░░░ s premier Soviet and ░░░░░░░░ expert Bob Gates Secretary ░░░░░░░░ thanks so much GATES ░░░░░░░░ you Brian KILMEWADE Well ░░░░░░░░ see that you have ░░░░░░░░ in the past this ░░░░░░░░ Vladimir Putin s biggest ░░░░░░░░ In what respect GATES ░░░░░░░░ think he expected a ░░░░░░░░ fractured response by NATO ░░░░░░░░ think he thought that ░░░░░░░░ west thinks that the ░░░░░░░░ is decadent That we ░░░░░░░░ not muster the unity ░░░░░░░░ the will to impose ░░░░░░░░ consequences on Russia economic ░░░░░░░░ otherwise I think he ░░░░░░░░ the Ukrainians to fold ░░░░░░░░ quickly I think that ░░░░░░░░ one reason why they ░░░░░░░░ had logistical problems They ░░░░░░░░ t plan on a ░░░░░░░░ campaign I think he ░░░░░░░░ don t think he ░░░░░░░░ the Biden Administration to ░░░░░░░░ as tough as they ░░░░░░░░ been whether it s ░░░░░░░░ sanctions or providing additional ░░░░░░░░ assistance to the Ukrainians ░░░░░░░░ mustering NATO So I ░░░░░░░░ he s had a ░░░░░░░░ of miscalculations For a ░░░░░░░░ who in the past ░░░░░░░░ been a very very ░░░░░░░░ hearted rational risk taker ░░░░░░░░ calculator of risk For ░░░░░░░░ both in Georgia and ░░░░░░░░ he took Crimea in ░░░░░░░░ he s made a ░░░░░░░░ s made several really ░░░░░░░░ mistakes in this in ░░░░░░░░ he has done now ░░░░░░░░ If you look at ░░░░░░░░ he probably feels those ░░░░░░░░ good moves If you ░░░░░░░░ what he did in ░░░░░░░░ just taking it and ░░░░░░░░ taking the Donbas regions ░░░░░░░░ would think that s ░░░░░░░░ good move Is the ░░░░░░░░ that we didn t ░░░░░░░░ hard enough early set ░░░░░░░░ up for this GATES ░░░░░░░░ think that the only ░░░░░░░░ thing we could have ░░░░░░░░ earlier that might have ░░░░░░░░ an impact was to ░░░░░░░░ more weapons earlier to ░░░░░░░░ Ukrainians But I don ░░░░░░░░ think we just can ░░░░░░░░ underestimate his obsession with ░░░░░░░░ and his determination to ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine back under the ░░░░░░░░ umbrella and and as ░░░░░░░░ as a colony if ░░░░░░░░ will of Russia itself ░░░░░░░░ s been determined to ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine back for a ░░░░░░░░ time at this point ░░░░░░░░ we look back at ░░░░░░░░ speeches and the things ░░░░░░░░ said So my my ░░░░░░░░ would be even if ░░░░░░░░ had done more to ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine earlier in terms ░░░░░░░░ their defenses I think ░░░░░░░░ would have acted anyway ░░░░░░░░ is determined to bring ░░░░░░░░ back.”