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 america, and can all the time keep in mind what it was like sitting throughout from you within the Oval Workplace – essentially the most highly effective chief on the 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 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 offended 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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Loads 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 folks. Nearly all of Ukrainians right now assist your want to convey 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 technique to convey an finish to this warfare is to drive Putin to barter by considerably rising strain on the Kremlin.
Earlier than your re-election in November 2024, many Ukrainians I spoke with expressed the view that solely you possibly can 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 just 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 towards Ukraine – killing harmless folks – 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 mandatory. 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 resolution to finish the preventing in Ukraine. Regardless of your repeated efforts to interact, he isn’t taking the steps wanted to assist the beginning of significant 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 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 assist a gathering between the Ukrainian and Russian Presidents. He then expanded his assaults on Ukraine, destroying extra civilian infrastructure and killing harmless folks.
Putin is making an attempt to persuade you that he’s extra highly effective than he actually is. The Russian economic system is struggling underneath Western sanctions. Russian society is feeling the strains of the warfare, 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 kids despatched off to die on the battlefields of Ukraine whereas they face rising hardships at house.
Historical past has proven that the Russian folks 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’ve got delivered to our European allies has resulted in even higher decision of the a part of a lot of them to face as much as Putin’s aggression.
The Ukrainian folks need peace however are prepared to proceed preventing to guard their sovereignty. Putin just isn’t ready of energy and is bluffing when he acts as if there shall be no damaging 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 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 folks 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 conform to severe negotiations to finish the warfare, you’d introduce secondary sanctions on the Russian economic system and considerably enhance strain on the Kremlin. Putin’s refusal to satisfy in Istanbul and his continued large-scale assaults on Ukraine needs to be seen because the “purple line” that he has crossed, triggering the decisive and robust response that the American individuals 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 assist to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and place higher strain 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 folks round him will understand he’s squandering a chance to cease the warfare and make their nation extra affluent and safe for the long run.
After our assembly Mr. President, a lot 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 curious about listening to my perspective on points I used to be introduced to debate with you. My sense was that you just 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 variety of points. You took the time to ask me about my earlier assignments and background. I additionally harassed 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 they’d made all through my profession working for the CIA. This final level was extraordinarily vital for me, as a result of it demonstrated, opposite to the claims of a lot of your opponents within the media, that you just worth those that serve our nation.
Mr. President, you’ve got made clear that you really want Putin to cease the killing. Relating to Russia, now’s your time to behave on what you worth most.
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