Expensive Mr. President:
I hope you keep in mind me. I spent about 90 minutes with you and far of your cupboard within the Oval Workplace within the spring of 2017, after 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 USA, and can all the time keep in mind what it was like sitting throughout from you within the Oval Workplace – probably the most highly effective chief on this planet (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 vital throughout our assembly that I’ll always remember. Whereas discussing one thing – that I can’t focus on publicly – associated to Russian President Vladimir Putin, I advised you that I didn’t agree with some extent you made. As a substitute of getting offended or kicking me out of your workplace, you requested me to elucidate why I disagreed and after I did, you thanked me for sharing my insights. Mr. President, given what’s occurring with Russia proper now, I really feel compelled to show to you once more to reinitiate our dialogue.
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So much has modified since 2017. Since retiring from the CIA in Could 2023, I’ve traveled to Ukraine a number of occasions and have seen firsthand, the horrible influence that Vladimir Putin’s warfare towards Ukraine has had on the Ukrainian individuals. Nearly all of Ukrainians at this time help your need to carry this unprovoked warfare 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 warfare. It additionally appears clear now that the one option to carry an finish to this warfare is to pressure Putin to barter by considerably growing stress on the Kremlin.
Earlier than your re-election in November 2024, many Ukrainians I spoke with expressed the view that solely you would finish the warfare 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 towards the Kremlin. They believed that you simply had each the need and the power to face as much as Putin and clarify to him that if he continued to pursue his aggression towards Ukraine – killing harmless individuals – he would pay a big value.
I agreed with these Ukrainians and infrequently 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 prepared 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 towards Russia when essential. You have been sensible sufficient to know when to face as much as Russian threats, reply to Moscow’s aggressive conduct and terminate U.S. participation in treaties and agreements that Moscow refused to abide by.
Sadly, Putin has refused to take heed to your appeals to discover a peaceable answer to finish the combating in Ukraine. Regardless of your repeated efforts to interact, he’s not taking the steps wanted to help the beginning of great negotiations. The Russian president refused to journey to Istanbul in mid-Could to satisfy with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regardless of your finest efforts along with the efforts of Turkish President Erdogan. As a substitute, he despatched a low-level delegation to Türkiye, even after you provided 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 making an attempt to persuade you that he’s extra highly effective than he actually is. The Russian economic system is struggling below Western sanctions. Russian society is feeling the strains of the warfare, which has value their inhabitants dearly. Whereas it’s true that the Russians might have “a excessive threshold for ache”, they’re nonetheless moms and dads who’re rising bored with seeing their kids despatched off to die on the battlefields of Ukraine whereas they face growing hardships at dwelling.
Historical past has proven that the Russian individuals even have a “breaking level” and won’t tolerate incompetent and egocentric leaders perpetually.
The outcomes of the current “Victory Day” celebrations in Moscow demonstrated how remoted Putin is internationally and his continued insistence on attacking Ukraine and the wakeup name you might have delivered to our European allies has resulted in even higher decision of the a part of lots of them to face as much as Putin’s aggression.
The Ukrainian individuals need peace however are prepared to proceed combating to guard their sovereignty. Putin isn’t able of power and is bluffing when he acts as if there might be no destructive penalties if he doesn’t signal a ceasefire settlement with Kyiv.
As a substitute of respecting your efforts to safe a peaceable settlement to the warfare, Putin is difficult your authority and insulting you every time he launches new assaults on Ukrainian villages and cities. He won’t cease killing civilians.
It’s insulting to the American individuals each time he launches air strikes towards 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 warfare, you’d introduce secondary sanctions on the Russian economic system and considerably enhance stress on the Kremlin. Putin’s refusal to satisfy in Istanbul and his continued large-scale assaults on Ukraine must be seen because the “purple line” that he has crossed, triggering the decisive and robust response that the American persons are hoping to see.
To finish the warfare, it’s time so that you can transfer ahead with the introduction of these sanctions, enhance U.S. navy help to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and place higher 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 exhibiting an actual willingness to make peace and finish this horrible warfare and the individuals round him will understand he’s squandering a possibility to cease the warfare and make their nation extra affluent and safe for the long run.
After our assembly Mr. President, lots of my colleagues and relations requested me what it was like to satisfy with you and the way you handled me throughout our dialogue. I advised them that all through the assembly you have been extraordinarily gracious, requested glorious questions and appeared sincerely serious about 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 straight with Russians on a spread of points. You took the time to ask me about my earlier assignments and background. I additionally burdened 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 because of 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 necessary 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 might have made clear that you really want Putin to cease the killing. In the case of Russia, now’s your time to behave on what you worth most.
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