General David Petraeus: Donald Trump can guarantee Ukraine's security even without US troops on the ground

The US can guarantee Ukraine's security without the physical presence of troops on its territory. This was stated by retired US General David Petraeus in an interview with Channel 24.

There are also a number of other non-military deterrence mechanisms.

Petraeus stresses the importance of absolute security guarantees for a lasting peace and hopes to resolve disputes between the US and Ukraine.

Some European countries have already expressed their readiness to send a peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine. However, the current White House administration has repeatedly stressed that it will not send troops as part of such an initiative.

Petraeus emphasizes that the so-called peacekeeping mission is not necessary to achieve peace in Ukraine. If Russia stops its shelling, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are capable of ensuring peace.

"I spent a year in Bosnia, and also in Haiti, etc., where there was a real need for forces to intervene and control the various warring parties to stop fighting. There is no need for that here, the Ukrainian police, security services and other forces can cope with this task“, commented the general.

If the ceasefire is violated, these forces will be able to react. This could even be done with the help of extensive intelligence with platforms for observation, surveillance, reconnaissance and other capabilities.

"I would like the United States to be the backbone of this mission, and all of this is entirely possible without American troops on the ground", Petraeus said.

The United States is opposed to a physical presence on Ukrainian territory, but the ceasefire could be monitored remotely. For example, it could be monitored from the sky, with constant communication with Ukrainian security forces on the front lines. Response mechanisms could be deployed in neighboring countries, and these could be ground-to-air or air-to-ground systems.

"Deploying ground troops is something we did during the Cold War when we didn't have the capabilities we have now. When I was a young lieutenant, we had to land in eastern Turkey and other places that could be attacked by Soviet troops. "To be honest, some of us died to ensure that the United States adhered to Article 5 of NATO, but that is not necessary now," Petraeus said.

The United Kingdom is ready to send Typhoon fighter jets to Ukraine to properly patrol the ceasefire zone if Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement.

"Yes, we need to have air forces that can become a serious part of the mission, but these forces do not need to be deployed in Ukraine, but in Poland, Eastern Europe, the Baltic states, for example," the retired general commented.