Former NATO head: Russia, Ukraine will have ‘moment for potential negotiation’ after 2024 election

by Tara Suter - 01/28/24 7:00 AM ET

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis said Russia and Ukraine are both exhausted by the ongoing war, which could create a potential window for negotiations at the end of this year, during a Sunday interview.

“I think toward the end of this year, probably after the U.S. elections, we’ve got a moment for potential negotiation,” Stavridis told radio host John Catsimatidis on “The Cats Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM.

Despite both sides facing challenges, Ukraine and Russia are both receiving aid from outside sources, but will likely delay any potential agreement, Stavridis added.

Stavridis then said he thinks the war between Ukraine and Russia will end “like the Korean War, meaning that Russia will probably still have control of some portion of Ukraine, Crimea, the land bridge to Russia.”

“On the other hand, I see Ukraine coming into NATO,” Stavridis continued. “I think the outline of that deal will probably become more clear as this year goes on.”

Last month on the same show, Stavridis made a plea for more aid to Ukraine and called the Eastern European country’s cause “just.”

“It’s a very dangerous situation and here, the real action is actually not in Kyiv. The real action is in Washington,” Stavridis said. “We’ve got to provide the military support to Ukraine. Their cause is just.”

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) recently pushed for more aid to Ukraine in remarks on the Senate floor.

“This isn’t a choice between sending funding to Ukraine or not sending funding to Ukraine,” Cardin said. “The choice is between sending American dollars to fight [Russian President Vladimir] Putin now or sending American soldiers to fight him later. If we want to preserve America’s credibility with our allies, it’s up to us.”

“If we want to show our partners we’ll be there to help when times are tough, it’s up to us,” Cardin continued. “If we want to make sure the United States stands on the right side of history, it’s up to us.”