Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie told Newsmax on Tuesday that the biggest obstacle in emerging Ukraine-Russia peace talks is the expectation that Kyiv should surrender territory the Russian military has repeatedly failed to seize — a concession he warned would expose the Ukrainian capital to future assault.
Appearing on “Wake Up America Early” with host Alex Kraemer, Wilkie explained that any land transfer would cost Ukraine far more than political pride.
“Looking at it as a military person … if the Ukrainians give that up, they give up masses of fortified positions,” he said. “They give up the natural obstacles that exist between Russian forces and Kyiv itself. And that would open an open plain for Russia to return — and they would have a straight shot to the capital of Ukraine.”
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