Powell said “we cannot turn that into an advantage for Putin”, adding that pressure on Putin was working “and that means we have to keep the pressure up”.<\/p>\n
“It will require some real hardship and difficulties on our parts,” he added. “But we will have to swallow that and we have to keep the economic, military, political and diplomatic support going for Ukraine.”<\/p>\n
While admitting that things in Ukraine did “feel a bit difficult at the moment”, with a lack of Patriot air defence missiles, strikes on businesses and the governments budget deficit, Powell insisted “there are strong reasons for optimism”.<\/p>\n
He said Trump \u2013 who has blown hot and cold on Ukraine \u2013 was “in a very different place”. <\/p>\n
“He sees that Ukraine is doing better and therefore he is not leaning in the direction of Putin in the way that he was previously. I think that’s a really big asset.”<\/p>\n
Powell said Russia was no longer claiming the US had agreed that Ukraine should give up territory and hopes of Nato membership at last year’s Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.<\/p>\n
“The so-called Anchorage compromise is firmly dead,” he said. “We can stop worrying about it. It’s finished.”<\/p>\n
This meant “we can look for serious ways of getting to a negotiated settlement, rather than waiting for the Ukrainian people to hand over territory the Russians have not been able to conquer”, Powell said.<\/p>\n
Ukrainian commanders had successfully held the front line on the ground while Russia had reached 1.5 million casualties, Ukraine had increasingly struck deep within Russian territory while Europe’s resolve remained solid, he noted.<\/p>\n
“The strategy is to apply enough pressure to make [Putin] want to get into negotiation,” Powell said.<\/p>\n
“And I think that the escalation we hear talk about is not a problem – it’s a sign of success, because what’s happening is the pressure that we are putting on Putin is finally paying off.”<\/p>\n
Putin himself has given little sign he is feeling under pressure, telling journalists earlier this month<\/a>: “I have no doubt that the enemy will crumble.”<\/p>\n