Former U.S. Army generals warn that the United States’ approach in the Russia-Ukraine War risks undermining the principle of deterrence, making the invaded nation the scapegoat of an ongoing geopolitical battle.
President Donald Trump has blamed Ukraine for high diesel prices in the U.S. and has said it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president. On Friday, Trump struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to buy diesel from his country in an attempt to address high fuel prices negatively impacted by the Iran War ahead of U.S. midterm elections, while urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for weeks to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Washington’s response has triggered strong retorts from multiple retired U.S. generals, who argue that the administration is effectively helping Russia by shielding its economic assets. They warn that pressuring Kyiv to halt infrastructure attacks rewards aggression and hollows out Western deterrence.
Mark Hertling, a former three-star U.S. Army general, argued in a joint op-ed with Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) in the New York Times, that the U.S. is failing to contain threats from other countries by not pursuing a deterrence strategy adequately with Russia.
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Chairman Lt. Gen. (ret.) Mark P. Hertling delivers remarks during the agency’s centennial launch event at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., Dec. 14, 2022. Photo by Mike Shipman/American Battle Monuments Commission
“The enemies of liberal democracy increasingly think America is weak and fickle,” the pair wrote, arguing that there is “a lack of will in Ukraine” which makes China and Russia think “that we don’t have the stomach for a prolonged conflict.”
“This is the opposite of deterrence; it is closer to an invitation,” they wrote.
‘This is War’: Generals Urge Continued Support of Ukraine
Financial and tactical assistance to Ukraine has plummeted dramatically under the Trump administration.
In Fiscal Year 2026, Washington allocated $220 million to Kyiv—representing a 99% drop from the peak years of the conflict and when President Joe Biden’s administration urged continued U.S. financial and military assistance overseas.
“The potential adversary has to believe that the United States and its allies have the weapons and forces to hold them at risk, and, just as important, that we have the will to use that force when necessary,” Hertling and King wrote. “The effectiveness of deterrence depends entirely on what the adversary believes; if either our capacity or our will is in doubt, deterrence fails and catastrophe becomes more likely.”
US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg speaks on stage during a panel discussion with the title ‘Securing Europe: Transatlantic Strategies in a Time of War and Uncertainty’ on the second and last day of the Security Forum in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Ret. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, told Fox News on Saturday that Ukraine was putting pressure on Ukraine with its attacks on oil refineries.
“This is war. They are attacking correctly,” Kellogg said.
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, commander of the United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said on Monday that NATO is “ready to fight tonight” if it is attacked.
Without actually uttering the word “Russia” in his remarks, reporters in the room said it was evident that he was directing his remarks at the Warsaw Security Forum towards Moscow.
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, commander of the United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, smiles at the Warsaw Security Forum in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Attila Husejnow)
“If someone is foolish enough to attack us, we will fight,” Grynkewich said, according to Reuters. “We will stop the attack and deny them the ability to achieve their objectives, whatever those might be. We will, in short, ensure any attack, against any ally, proves utterly futile.”
He added that if any adversary attacks, that force plus all of its assets would be attacked.
Russian Bot Farm Attacks, Oil Refineries
This development comes as Ukrainian drone strikes disable substantial Russian oil refining capacity, while coordinated cyber operations reportedly dismantled massive pro-Kremlin bot farms and resulted in a decrease in social media posts.
The impact of those strikes on Yandex data centers remains unknown, with some outlets saying the traffic dip was temporary and minimal at best.
Mashable reported that automated traffic and bots are separate categories, and that other European countries like Latvia are also purveyors of spitting out fake pro-Russia content online.
Last weekend, the Financial Times reported that U.S. officials explicitly threatened to cut off vital intelligence feeds and suspend the PURL weapons procurement mechanism. This pullback includes a proposed U.S. diesel deal allowing restricted Russian exports, aimed at stopping Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Earlier this year, Trump said he was pulling American troops from Europe.