David Petraeus: ‘It’s Going To Be a Long, Cold, Dark, Hard Winter for Ukraine’

TAPPER You told CNN ░░░░░░░░ February of this year ░░░░░░░░ the U S aid ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine is not charity ░░░░░░░░ we do around the ░░░░░░░░ is not out of ░░░░░░░░ goodness of our heart ░░░░░░░░ s out of a ░░░░░░░░ calculation I don t ░░░░░░░░ if it s been ░░░░░░░░ to President Trump in ░░░░░░░░ terms but what do ░░░░░░░░ think would happen if ░░░░░░░░ stopped that aid PETRAEUS ░░░░░░░░ first of all I ░░░░░░░░ we should be very ░░░░░░░░ that what we do ░░░░░░░░ one part of the ░░░░░░░░ has reverberations in others ░░░░░░░░ for those that say ░░░░░░░░ need to ensure deterrence ░░░░░░░░ whatever China might contemplate ░░░░░░░░ against Taiwan or in ░░░░░░░░ South China Sea if ░░░░░░░░ don t continue to ░░░░░░░░ a partner who s ░░░░░░░░ against a common enemy ░░░░░░░░ the most important alliance ░░░░░░░░ re a member of ░░░░░░░░ what message does that ░░░░░░░░ Keep in mind the ░░░░░░░░ is a function of ░░░░░░░░ potential adversary s assessment ░░░░░░░░ your capabilities on the ░░░░░░░░ hand and your willingness ░░░░░░░░ employ them If you ░░░░░░░░ not willing to help ░░░░░░░░ I think that undermines ░░░░░░░░ out there very very ░░░░░░░░ Then there s the ░░░░░░░░ effect on Ukraine itself ░░░░░░░░ is in a very ░░░░░░░░ position right now I ░░░░░░░░ just there again a ░░░░░░░░ weeks ago my 4th ░░░░░░░░ in the last 18 ░░░░░░░░ And the pressure on ░░░░░░░░ front lines is quite ░░░░░░░░ and the Russians have ░░░░░░░░ carrying out systematic attacks ░░░░░░░░ or destroying every single ░░░░░░░░ power plant hydroelectric power ░░░░░░░░ and then the transmission ░░░░░░░░ transformer infrastructure that supports ░░░░░░░░ nuclear power plants So ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ long cold dark hard ░░░░░░░░ for Ukraine And then ░░░░░░░░ this assistance were to ░░░░░░░░ cut off in some ░░░░░░░░ or limited I think ░░░░░░░░ would be very very ░░░░░░░░ As the congressman also ░░░░░░░░ correctly Russia won t ░░░░░░░░ in Ukraine They ll ░░░░░░░░ on to Moldova Then ░░░░░░░░ ll be Lithuania Bigger ░░░░░░░░ then something with NATO ░░░░░░░░ we need to do ░░░░░░░░ we can to enable ░░░░░░░░ to stop them here ░░░░░░░░ really in my view ░░░░░░░░ change the dynamic on ░░░░░░░░ battlefield so that Russia ░░░░░░░░ realizes Putin realizes that ░░░░░░░░ can t achieve additional ░░░░░░░░ at an acceptable cost ░░░░░░░░ casualties have been staggering ░░░░░░░░ 000 killed and seriously ░░░░░░░░ so far The inaudible ░░░░░░░░ day are just almost ░░░░░░░░ for someone who commanded ░░░░░░░░ different wars and wrote ░░░░░░░░ of condolence to America ░░░░░░░░ mothers and fathers almost ░░░░░░░░ night of those commands ░░░░░░░░ we need to get ░░░░░░░░ point across to him ░░░░░░░░ then could Ukraine negotiate ░░░░░░░░ the position of reasonable ░░░░░░░░ and get an outcome ░░░░░░░░ would be one that ░░░░░░░░ be acceptable to them ░░░░░░░░ I think by the ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t just be ░░░░░░░░ the violence and the ░░░░░░░░ It would also need ░░░░░░░░ have a security guarantee ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine That is very ░░░░░░░░ clear and probably would ░░░░░░░░ U S commitment and ░░░░░░░░ NATO commitment to Ukraine.”