Ukraine has been ‘humiliating’ Vladimir Putin

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]and show you the danger the whole West really is in for not spending enough to prepare for the danger that we're now in since China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have formed an alliance that's behind these wars that we're now struggling to win like Ukraine. Now, the the war in U Iran has taken attention and weapons away from the war in Ukraine and that's caused the crisis.

[00:00:27]Ukraine this year was humiliating Russian President Vladimir Putin who was slowly pushing back Russian troops, killing huge numbers of soldiers. In fact, the head of Britain's spy agency GCHQ said yesterday almost half a million Russian soldiers have been killed in this war. That's more than in any war since World War II. Ukraine is also destroying Russian oil depots and refineries. more this week. One in tou and Putin's army and economy is so devastated that he's now lashing out madly in desperation. On Sunday, Russia fired about 90 missiles and deployed 600 strike drones and mainly civilian targets in Ukraine, including a hypersonic missile was fired as well.

[00:01:11]And Putin seems close to bullying his ally Bellarus on Ukraine's northern border into joining in.

[00:01:19]You can imagine where this is going. The barrage is already so huge that Ukraine is running out of anti-missile defenses and this week begged the US for more Patriot anti-missile defenses. But here's the problem. The US and Ukraine's European allies, they are short of exactly that because they've sent so many Patriot missiles to defend Gulf countries from Iranian attacks. I spoke earlier to General Jack Keane, a former vice chief of staff of the United States Army, now chairman of the Institute for the Study of War. General Keane, great to see you again. How serious is the situation in Ukraine? Ukrainians have been punching into deeper into Russia, taking down oil storage facilities and industrial base capability that's supporting the war and also reaching into Moscow with multiple uh long range strikes. And then uh Russia had to appeal to the United States for a ceasefire so that they could conduct a Mayday parade because they feared the Ukrainians would intervene with it. I don't think Zilinski had any intention of doing that. But the fact that uh Russia felt that kind of intimidation, I think all of this together has sparked Putin to conduct this massive attack on Keev to kind of demonstrate largely for his domestic audience, but also somewhat for his international audience that they really are dominating the war, which is a complete falsehood. They they are not.

[00:02:50]I'm not suggesting that the air campaign that they are conducting is not threatening. it is uh certainly that's the case but overall the momentum has shifted truly to the Ukrainians.

[00:03:02]>> That said the fact that Ukraine is running out of patriots uh defenses particularly against ballistic missiles they can handle the drones the ballistic missiles are something else and as for the hypersonic missile that's something else again. Doesn't this show, General, something I think that uh well, we've both been talking about before that all these wars are related. The war in Iran, the war in Ukraine, the war in Lebanon, and China's threat of a war in Taiwan.

[00:03:31]And not just because they involve the same hostile alliance, China, Russia, Iran, but because they are draining the weapons of the West. What is happening here in the States and not particularly visible to people is we're on a path that we haven't been on since World War II. We've got uh scores of non-defense uh industry companies bu uh manufacturing missiles of all sorts of descriptions. Uh, and some of them are are the same capability as our very expensive multi-million dollar missiles deliver pretty much the same capability, but not necessarily exactly for, you know, 30 40% less less of the price. And being able to get them developed that much faster. Uh so we're we're in a full throttle here with kind of a World War II mentality in in terms of bringing the United States up to the kind of depth and readiness that we need. I mean what what happened here with the Trump administration came into office and they inherited a mess. I mean this alliance that you referenced China, Russia, Iran, North Korea saw vulnerability in the United States. says no, it's not an isolated event. Putin invaded Russia during that administration uh believing that the United States leadership was weak and therefore vulnerable and they saw an opportunity. It's not isolated that uh Iran urged its proxies to move on Israel during this time frame and and and that's the reality of it and President Xi's activities during the Biden administration doubled. But yeah, we got a major lesson learned here and it's something we've been talking about for a number of years, but there's nothing like the real pressure of what's taking place uh in terms of potential serious weapons degradation and the fact that uh we're moving with resources, new authorities from the Congress and new companies uh to help do it. As an example, in full disclosure, General Motors, a company I provide some advice to uh to the CEO, Mary Barrett, nothing had to I don't know how to run General Motors, but I I I do know how to describe the world to a person that runs an international company and uh she went to see the deputy secretary of war over another issue and and he said, "Mary, I know you used to do things in World War II. I know you're build building tactical vehicles for the army. Uh I would like you to uh to start manufacturing missiles for us. Uh and and get back to some of the things they used to do in the past. So it we are making a major major turnaround here to face the reality of what previous administrations have done and not and not musling up the way we should have based on what the threat is.

[00:06:31]>> That's an extraordinary anecdote. an extraordinary as you say sounds almost like a World War II footing. I'm afraid General that that is not the same uh here. Here we are hastening very slowly.

[00:06:43]In fact, I think the next financial year's new report come out suggests that our defense spending will actually fall next uh the next financial year before going up again. It's really a very different mindset, I'm afraid. Finally, Donald Trump a week ago implied a peace deal with Iran will be signed within hours and a week later still hasn't happened. How long do you think before the president loses patience, realizes Iran's hardliners are yet again stringing him along and starts the bombing again?

[00:07:17]To be quite frank about it, I do think the the president was in a position to initiate combat operations again.

[00:07:28]I along with with other observers and and advisers certainly thought that was the correct path and had stated so privately and publicly.

[00:07:39]But he was approached uh by Pakistani leadership, Qatari leadership and other Arab leaders who really believe that there was an opportunity here to make a deal with the Iranians based on some feedback they were getting from the Iranians and and also to be quite frank about it, some of the Gulf states who own oil and gas infrastructure were worried about the destruction of that gas and oil infrastructure if if we went back to combat operations. But all that said, the president thought there was an opportunity here and he has jumped on it. Uh I I do think the I think you're absolutely correct in your assessment.

[00:08:19]The Iranians uh when they shut down the straits of moves, their objective was to stop the war and they achieved that. And then their second objective uh certainly was to string out uh negotiations as much as possible to elongate the war and and and as a result of that the political e economic pressure on the president and the administration would mount. So much so that they think that now after we have a 60-day negotiating window following on to what is has been a 6- week window uh they believe the likelihood of the president going back to combat operations you know in the end of July say when our elections take place the first week in November I think the Iranians are calculating that to be slim to none but then again they have miscalculated this president and he said today uh at a cabinet meeting uh with the media present, therefore talking to the American people, I'm expecting a perfect deal or I'm going to have to choose the alternative. And of course, that's return to combat operations. He's trying to tell the Iranians he has patience. He's not succumbing to what they think is the pressure of midterm elections. I suspect if this deal doesn't come to fruition, he'll live up to his word here and return to combat operations.

[00:09:44]>> Yes, I think you are right about there being uh divisions in the Iranian leadership. You've got some talking peace. You got others saying let's lay some minds in straight form. So clearly they're at war with each other as well as with the US. General Jack Keane, thank you so much for your time.

[00:10:04]>> Always good talking to you, Andrew.

[00:10:05]Thank you.