TO KEEP ZELENSKYY AND HOPE
ALIVE.
GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS, FORMER
CIA DIRECTOR IN AFGHANISTAN
COMMANDER JOINS ME NOW.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE
ZELENSKYY STAYS ALIVE AS LONG AS
POSSIBLE, GENERAL?
>> WELL, WHAT I’M VERY CONFIDENT
THAT WE ARE DOING, JESSE, JESS T
CLIP CALLING HIM CHURCH CHILLIAN
AND SO FORTH IS ABSOLUTELY
CORRECT.
WE HAVE AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS
THAT EXIST TO COLLECT
INTELLIGENCE FROM ALL DIFFERENT
SOURCES AND USING ALL DIFFERENT
METHODS AND I’M ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THAT ALL OF THOSE ARE
CONFIDENT THAT ALL OF THOSE ARE
BEING EXPLOITED, FOX NEWSED AND
UKRAINIAN PARTNERS.
IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF THE
ENTIRE WORLD THAT ZELENSKYY STAY
ALIVE.
THANKFULLY IT’S HIS SECURITY
SERVICE THAT AS YOU NOTED FOILED
THE PLOT OF THE CHECHENS WHO
WERE SENT TO ASSASSINATE HIM.
WE KNOW FROM REPORTS OF THOSE
WHO HAVE MET WITH HIM THAT JUST
TO GET TO HIM APPROPRIATELY
REQUIRES CHANGING VEHICLES.
PUTTING HOODS OVER ONE’S HEAD,
BEING UNCLEAR ABOUT WHERE HE IS.
ONLY DOES THE PRESIDENT APPEAR.
HE IS MOVING REGULARLY OF COURSE
IN BUNKERS A GOOD BIT OF THE
TIME AND SO FORTH.
SO I THINK, AGAIN, NOT ONLY DOES
HE, NOT ONLY DO WE, AND NOT ONLY
DO HIS PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT
IMPORTANCE, AGAIN, I DO THINK
THAT OTHER AGENCIES AROUND THE
WORLD ARE ALSO DOING THE SAME
THING.
WE ALWAYS WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR
INTELLIGENCE PARTNERS.
OUR DEFENSE PARTNERS.
AND I’M SURE THAT THAT IS THE
CASE IN THIS SITUATION.
>> THAT GIVES MEE GREAT
CONFIDENCE FOR YOU TO SHARE THAT
HERE ON "JESSE WATTERS
PRIMETIME."
DO YOU KNOW THAT THE WINDOW IS
CLOSING FOR THE WEST TO GET
WEAPONS TO THE UKRAINIANS?
WE ARE HEARING REPORTS THAT FIVE
CITIES ARE SURROUNDED, THE
CIRCLE IS CLOSING IN ON THE
CAPITAL.
WHEN IS IT OVER WHERE WE CAN’T
GET ANY MORE WEAPONS IN AND DO
WE HAVE A STRATEGY TO FIX THAT?
>> WELL, AGAIN, I’M ALSO
CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN GET
WEAPONS IN.
THE QUESTION REALLY IS CAN WE
GET THEM TO KYIV?
CAN WE GET THEM TO KHARKIV.
CAN WE GET THEM TO THE CITIES IN
THE SOUTH THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY
UNDER SIEGE ALREADY?
WE CAN STILL DO THAT, I’M FAIRLY
CONFIDENT AGAIN WHAT WE’RE DOING
IS FLYING THE WEAPONS IN AS
CLOSE TO UKRAINE AS WE CAN AND
THEN TRANSLOADING THEM AND
GETTING THEM INTO THE COUNTRY.
THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION
THROUGH LVIV ARE STILL VERY
SOLID.
CAN YOU STILL PUSH WELL INTO THE
COUNTRY FROM THERE.
AGAIN, HOW LONG YOU CAN DO THAT
I’M NOT SURE.
IT OBVIOUSLY DEPENDS ON THE
SUCCESS OF THE RUSSIANS TRYING
TO ENCIRCLE KYIV AND EVENTUALLY
REALLY LAYING SIEGE TO KYIV.
BECAUSE IT’S VERY CLEAR THAT
THEY’RE UNABLE TO ACHIEVE THE
KINDS OF COMBINED ARMS EFFECTS
OF INFANTRY ARMOR, ARTILLERY
ENGINEERS ALL TOGETHER WITH AIR
ASSETS INTEGRATED WITH THAT.
AND THE WAY YOU WOULD NORMALLY
WANT TO ENTER A CITY AND ATTACK
THOSE AREAS AND ONLY THOSE AREAS
THAT ARE THE SOURCE OF THE
RESISTANCE.
INSTEAD WHAT THEY’RE DOING, OF
COURSE, IS JUST INDISCRIMINATELY
SHOOTING MISSILES AND ROCKETS
AND ARTILLERY INTO THESE CITIES
ENORMOUS SALVOS OF THEM ALREADY
KILLING INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND
AS YOUR PIECE ALSO NOTED, AGAIN,
I THINK THAT PUTIN CLEARLY HAS
CROSSED THE LINE TO BECOME A WAR
CRIMINAL.
THERE WAS A MOMENT IN MY CAREER
A YEAR, ACTUALLY, WHEN I WAS A
ONE-STAR GENERAL AND ASSIGNED TO
BOSNIA WHERE IN ADDITION TO THE
NATO JOB THAT I HAD I WAS ALSO
PART OF A CLANDESTINED JOINT
TASK FORCE OF ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT AGENCIES INTELLIGENCE
SERVICES AND SPECIAL MISSION
UNITS, TRACING DOWN AND
DETAINING WAR CRIMINALS AND
SENDING THEM TO THE HAGUE FOR
THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
TO DEAL WITH THEM.
I SUSPECT THAT THEY’RE ALREADY
LOOKING AT WHAT KIND OF CHARGES
COULD BE BROUGHT AGAINST HIM,
THERE IS CLEARLY A NUMBER OF
THOSE AND CERTAINLY AGAINST THE
COMMANDERS WHO ARE A PART OF
THIS AS WELL.
>> Jesse: WORST CASE SCENARIO
THE RUSSIANS DO ENCIRCLE THE
CAPITAL AND THEY SHELL THE HELL
OUT OF IT AND THEY INSERT TEAMS
OF PEOPLE TO GO HUNT THE
PRESIDENT DOWN AND INNOCENT
PEOPLE ARE BEING SLAUGHTERED AND
IT’S JUST WAR CRIME AFTER WAR
CRIME, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE
ON TELEVISION, IT’S GOING TO BE
IN EVERYBODY’S iPHONE ALL OVER
THE GLOBE, I KNOW THEY ARE NOT A
NATO ALLY, WHAT KIND OF PRESSURE
IS GOING TO BUILD FOR THE WEST
TO DO SOMETHING MORE THAN WE
HAVE BEEN DOING RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, I’M SURE IT WILL BE
CONSIDERABLE.
I THINK YOU RAISED SOMETHING
THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT
HERE.
THE RUSSIANS HAVE DONE THIS
BEFORE.
IT’S WELL KNOWN WHAT THEY DID TO
GROZNY WHEN THEY ARE FIGHTING IN
CHECHNYA AND ALSO WHAT THEY DID
IN ALEPPO AND SYRIA.
AGAIN WHEN THEY MET RESISTANCE
THAT THEY COULDN’T DEAL WITH
NORMAL A MILITARY FORCES WOULD,
THEY BASICALLY, QUOTE,
DEPOPULATE THE CITY, DESTROY IT
TO SAVE IT, THAT IS WHAT THEY
DID IN THOSE TWO CASES.
IN THOSE CASES, HOWEVER, YOU
HAVE THE MEDIA OF THE WORLD
FOCUSED ON IT.
THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTROL THOSE
BATTLE FIELDS MUCH MORE THAN
THEY OBVIOUSLY CAN CONTAIN
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE HAS MANY, MANY
JOURNALISTS FROM ALL DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.
AND THERE WILL BE A ENORMOUS
PRESSURE ON COUNTRIES TO TAKE
ADDITIONAL MEASURES.
I DO THINK THAT SOME OF THE
ECONOMIC MEASURES THAT HAVE
TAKEN ARE SO DRACONIAN THAT IT
LITERALLY COULD BE A RACE
BETWEEN HOW QUICKLY THE ECONOMY
JUST COLLAPSES IN CERTAIN
RESPECTS.
YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THE
CENTRAL BANKS RESERVES OF WHICH
THEY ARE VERY PROUD, THEIR
FOREIGN RESERVES, THEY ARE IN
FOREIGN BANKS AND THEY’RE NOW
ALL FROZEN, THE FACT THAT THEY
CAN’T EVEN OPEN THEIR STOCK
EXCHANGE FOR FEAR THAT IT WILL
COMPLETELY PLUMMET, THEY ARE ON
THE PRECIPICE OF VERY, VERY DIRE
SITUATION IN THEIR FINANCIAL AND
ECONOMIC MARKETS.
AND, AGAIN, THEY ARE GOING TO BE
IN A SERIOUS WORLD OF HURT IN
THAT REGARD EVEN AS THEY ARE
TRYING TO, AGAIN, LAY SIEGE TO
KYIV AND ALSO TO KHARKIV, THE
TWO THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT.
BUT IT’S ALL REALLY ABOUT THE
ZELENSKYY GOVERNMENT EJECTING
IT, DISPLACING IT, KILLING IT,
AND REPLACING IT WITH A
PRO-RUSSIAN REGIME.
>> Jesse: THAT TIMELINE IS
QUICKER THAN I HAD IMAGINED.
THAT IS DEFINITELY INTERESTING.
REAL QUICK BEFORE WE LET YOU GO,
GENERAL, THE TEST, THE NUKE TEST
THAT WE PUT OFF IN ORDER TO CALM
THINGS DOWN WAS THAT A SMART
MOVE FOR THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION OR WOULD HAVE YOU
GONE FORWARD WITH IT.
>> LOOK, I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT
THE READINESS OF OUR
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC
MISSILES, OUR SUBMARINE LAUNCH
BALLISTIC MISSILES AND OUR
STRATEGIC BOMBER FORCE THAT
WOULD ALSO BRING NUCLEAR WEAPONS
TO BEAR.
NOR SHOULD ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY
DOUBTS ABOUT THAT.
THAT’S A PURELY SYMBOLIC ACTION.
I THINK TRYING TO SHOW THAT THIS
WHOLE RATCHETING UP OF THE
NUCLEAR CHAIN IS SOMETHING THAT
WE’RE NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE
IN.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A POKER
GAME IN WHICH WE SEE RAISE THEM
ONE AND IT GOES BACK AND FORTH
AND DEAF CON LEVELS.
SO I HAVE NO QUALMS ABOUT THAT.
>> Jesse: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.