Former NATO Commander Predicts How Putin’s War in Ukraine Will End

Former North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) commander James Stavridis predicted on CNN’s Smerconish on Saturday that the Russia-Ukraine war will end with Russian President Vladimir Putin taking 20 percent of Ukraine.

President-elect Donald Trump has previously said that if he were at the negotiating table with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the war between the two Eastern European nations would end “within 24 hours.”

Now that Trump won this year’s presidential election against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, the world will be looking to see how he handles the war.

Stavridis, a retired admiral who frequents TV networks to give his expertise on foreign affairs, told CNN’s Michael Smerconish on Saturday that if Trump can end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours, “I’ll be the first one voting for his Nobel Peace Prize.”

“What I hope he does, and I think he will, is put pressure on both sides to get to the negotiating table, and it comes out kind of like the end of the Korean War, Michael, which is to say, Putin, unfortunately, but in a real world, will end up with about 20 percent of Ukraine, the chunk that he currently holds, but the rest of Ukraine, the 80 percent, all those resources, vast majority of the population, they stay democratic, free,” Stavridis said.

He added that Ukraine will also get a “path to NATO, probably three to five years, realistically. It’s not the worst outcome in the world.”

Newsweek reached out to Stavridis; Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, and Ukraine’s foreign ministry via email as well as the Russian government via online form for comment Saturday morning.

Ukraine, currently a NATO partner, has long tried to join the military alliance, even before Russia invaded. But Zelensky has previously acknowledged that it would be “impossible” for that to happen before the end of the war.

Stavridis added that Ukraine might also get membership in the European Union (EU), which has put billions of dollars into helping Ukraine fight against Russia’s invasion, which began in February 2022.

“Putin will hate that part of it, just like the Ukrainians will hate the part of Putin holding onto 20 percent of their country. But it’s a negotiation,” the retired admiral told Smerconish.

Stavridis also said that the deal would probably include “some kind of demilitarized zone between the two parties, just like Korea. And maybe you patrol it with NATO soldiers, for example, not U.S., Europeans.”

Putin and Zelensky Congratulate Trump on Election Victory

Meanwhile, Putin on Thursday congratulated Trump on his election victory during an international forum conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his election as president of the United States of America,” the Russian leader said, adding that what Trump has said “about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserves attention at least.”

On Wednesday, Zelensky also congratulated Trump in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

“Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on his impressive election victory! I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against Ukraine,” he wrote. “I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together.”