Zelenskyy’s Reckless Military Moves Condemned as Counterproductive by U.S. Veteran

By Jim Mishler | Tuesday, 16 June 2026 04:44 PM EDT

Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt has condemned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent military actions as reckless and counterproductive, warning that they have failed to secure diplomatic engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin while escalating regional tensions.

Kimmitt, speaking on Tuesday at the “American Agenda” program, stated there is virtually no chance Putin will agree to a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy. He explained that Putin still holds strategic initiative due to Russian forces stationed within Ukraine.

“President Putin unfortunately still thinks he has got the initiative,” Kimmitt said. “He’s got troops inside of Ukraine. They aren’t going anywhere.”

Kimmitt noted that despite Ukraine forces appearing on the offensive with new drone strikes deep into Russia’s borders, the impact remains minimal and largely an embarrassment for Putin.

“The effect on Putin in terms of the fact that the drones are attacking into Russia may be generally an embarrassment,” Kimmitt added. “But the fact remains is that if the Russian people don’t push him to that meeting, he’s not going to [any] meeting.”

Additionally, President Donald Trump stated that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine “has no impact” on the U.S. “other than we sell weapons.” Speaking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, Trump emphasized that ending the conflict remains a humanitarian concern for his administration but not a core U.S. national interest.

“We have nothing to do with it,” Trump told reporters when discussing the conflict.