Retired U.S. Army General Jack Keane, who served as vice chief of staff of the United States Army from 1999 to 2003, speculated on Fox News on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will wait until President Donald Trump leaves the White House before taking over the government in Ukraine.
Note: Keane is chairman of The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which publishes daily updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and he sits on the Defense Policy Board, which provides the Secretary of Defense (currently Pete Hegseth) “independent, informed advice and opinions concerning matters of defense policy.”
Addressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio‘s scheduled meeting with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war, Keane said Putin might accept a peace agreement and a ceasefire.
“But he’s not given up on his strategic goal to topple the government in Ukraine and take over the country,” Keane said, adding: “So, where is he coming from? He’ll wait out President Trump, I suspect, and attack.”
TRUMP’S PUSH FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE: Paul Gigot interviews Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.) #JER pic.twitter.com/qHa3vxqoiL
— JER on FOX News (@JERonFNC) February 15, 2025
Keane said Putin didn’t anticipate either the level or length of the resistance with which Ukraine has responded.
Assessing Putin’s position at this juncture in the war, Keane said: “Listen, everything is on the line for him. He has strategic failure here. He thought this was going to take place in two to three weeks, that people would capitulate. It did not happen.”
“And here we are going into a third year,” Keane continued. “The reality is, his presidency is at stake. And I think also his personal life is at stake if all of this blows up on him.”
[Note: During the first Trump administration in March 2020, Keane received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the White House. He was also the first military leader to be honored with the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award in December 2018. ]