Pricey Mr. President:
I hope you bear in mind me. I spent about 90 minutes with you and far of your cupboard within the Oval Workplace within the spring of 2017, once I was requested to satisfy with you to debate points associated to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Federation.
I’ll always remember the expertise of talking with you, the President of the US, and can all the time bear in mind what it was like sitting throughout from you within the Oval Workplace – probably the most highly effective chief on the earth (and a fellow New Yorker). Most CIA Officers by no means get the chance to spend time within the White Home briefing the Company’s primary “shopper” and I used to be deeply grateful for the chance.
There have been many moments that struck me as important throughout our assembly that I’ll always remember. Whereas discussing one thing – that I can’t talk about publicly – associated to Russian President Vladimir Putin, I informed you that I didn’t agree with some extent you made. As an alternative of getting indignant or kicking me out of your workplace, you requested me to clarify why I disagreed and after I did, you thanked me for sharing my insights. Mr. President, given what’s taking place with Russia proper now, I really feel compelled to show to you once more to reinitiate our dialogue.
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Lots has modified since 2017. Since retiring from the CIA in Might 2023, I’ve traveled to Ukraine a number of instances and have seen firsthand, the horrible impression that Vladimir Putin’s battle in opposition to Ukraine has had on the Ukrainian individuals. The vast majority of Ukrainians right this moment help your want to deliver this unprovoked battle to an finish. However it’s now clear that Putin is stringing the world alongside by claiming he needs to debate “peace” whereas persevering with to wage battle. It additionally appears clear now that the one solution to deliver an finish to this battle is to power Putin to barter by considerably rising stress on the Kremlin.
Earlier than your re-election in November 2024, many Ukrainians I spoke with expressed the view that solely you might finish the battle due to the 2 U.S. Presidential candidates, you have been the one Putin feared since you had already demonstrated your willingness to take decisive motion in opposition to the Kremlin. They believed that you simply had each the need and the energy to face as much as Putin and clarify to him that if he continued to pursue his aggression in opposition to Ukraine – killing harmless individuals – he would pay a big worth.
I agreed with these Ukrainians and sometimes reminded interlocutors and commentators that in my 34-year profession within the U.S. Authorities, you have been the primary President who I believed was keen to carry the Kremlin accountable when it threatened U.S. and allied pursuits. I argued to audiences within the U.S. that in your first time period within the White Home you took decisive motion in opposition to Russia when obligatory. You have been smart sufficient to know when to face as much as Russian threats, reply to Moscow’s aggressive habits and terminate U.S. participation in treaties and agreements that Moscow refused to abide by.
Sadly, Putin has refused to hearken to your appeals to discover a peaceable resolution to finish the combating in Ukraine. Regardless of your repeated efforts to interact, he isn’t taking the steps wanted to help the beginning of great negotiations. The Russian president refused to journey to Istanbul in mid-Might to satisfy with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regardless of your greatest efforts along with the efforts of Turkish President Erdogan. As an alternative, he despatched a low-level delegation to Türkiye, even after you supplied to amend your journey to the area and journey to that nation to help a gathering between the Ukrainian and Russian Presidents. He then expanded his assaults on Ukraine, destroying extra civilian infrastructure and killing harmless individuals.
Putin is attempting to persuade you that he’s extra highly effective than he actually is. The Russian financial system is struggling beneath Western sanctions. Russian society is feeling the strains of the battle, which has price their inhabitants dearly. Whereas it’s true that the Russians could have “a excessive threshold for ache”, they’re nonetheless moms and dads who’re rising uninterested in seeing their youngsters despatched off to die on the battlefields of Ukraine whereas they face rising hardships at dwelling.
Historical past has proven that the Russian individuals even have a “breaking level” and won’t tolerate incompetent and egocentric leaders ceaselessly.
The outcomes of the latest “Victory Day” celebrations in Moscow demonstrated how remoted Putin is internationally and his continued insistence on attacking Ukraine and the wakeup name you have got delivered to our European allies has resulted in even larger decision of the a part of lots of them to face as much as Putin’s aggression.
The Ukrainian individuals need peace however are keen to proceed combating to guard their sovereignty. Putin shouldn’t be able of energy and is bluffing when he acts as if there will likely be no adverse penalties if he doesn’t signal a ceasefire settlement with Kyiv.
As an alternative of respecting your efforts to safe a peaceable settlement to the battle, Putin is difficult your authority and insulting you every time he launches new assaults on Ukrainian villages and cities. He is not going to cease killing civilians.
It’s insulting to the American individuals each time he launches air strikes in opposition to Kyiv when U.S. officers journey to Ukraine as your representatives or when your Particular Envoy travels to Russia or we host Russian emissaries within the U.S. whereas Moscow continues to kill. Every time Putin permits his Armed Forces to launch assaults, he’s sending the world a message that he doesn’t respect the U.S.
Mr. President, on January 20, you made clear that if Putin didn’t comply with critical negotiations to finish the battle, you’d introduce secondary sanctions on the Russian financial system and considerably improve stress on the Kremlin. Putin’s refusal to satisfy in Istanbul and his continued large-scale assaults on Ukraine must be seen because the “crimson line” that he has crossed, triggering the decisive and robust response that the American persons are hoping to see.
To finish the battle, it’s time so that you can transfer ahead with the introduction of these sanctions, improve U.S. navy help to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and place larger stress on these nations that proceed to commerce with Moscow to finish that commerce till Moscow is able to make peace.
As soon as Putin sees that you’re able to name his bluff, then he’ll begin displaying an actual willingness to make peace and finish this horrible battle and the individuals round him will understand he’s squandering a possibility to cease the battle and make their nation extra affluent and safe for the longer term.
After our assembly Mr. President, lots of my colleagues and members of the family requested me what it was like to satisfy with you and the way you handled me throughout our dialogue. I informed them that all through the assembly you have been extraordinarily gracious, requested glorious questions and appeared sincerely all in favour of listening to my perspective on points I used to be introduced to debate with you. My sense was that you simply appreciated the truth that I had not simply studied Russia academically however had spent a few years working in Russia and dealing immediately with Russians on a spread of points. You took the time to ask me about my earlier assignments and background. I additionally pressured that earlier than I left the Oval Workplace that day, regardless of your very busy schedule, you took the time to ask me to relay your due to my spouse and sons for all of the sacrifices that they had made all through my profession working for the CIA. This final level was extraordinarily essential for me, as a result of it demonstrated, opposite to the claims of lots of your opponents within the media, that you simply worth those that serve our nation.
Mr. President, you have got made clear that you really want Putin to cease the killing. On the subject of Russia, now’s your time to behave on what you worth most.
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