George Kent, former United States Ambassador to Estonia, a diplomat with over three decades of experience, stated that the Ukrainian army possesses a level of expertise in warfare that no NATO country’s army holds. He believes that Ukraine’s fate primarily depends on itself, and Russia will not change even after Putin’s death unless it reaches a situation similar to that of Germany and Japan after World War II.
George Kent is considered one of the top experts in Washington on Ukraine and post-Soviet region issues. He has served under five American presidents, held leadership positions at the State Department, and was the U.S. Ambassador to Estonia from 2023 to 2024. Previously, he worked in Ukraine, including as the Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission in Kiev.
Currently retired from his official duties, Kent remains close to Ukraine. He continues to visit the country, supporting it in less formal but equally effective ways - from organizing a bike ride with his family in the United States to raise funds and raise awareness among the American public, to building bridges between Ukrainian initiatives and foreign partners, and promoting networks between Ukrainians and international actors who can contribute to the country's recovery and resilience, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
Ukraine must not yield to anyone's pressure
In an interview with a Ukrainian publication, Kent stated that Ukraine's fate and future depend on Ukrainians, and Kiev should not yield to "pressures from anyone who wants Ukraine to make concessions and reach an agreement just to feel good that they have somehow reached an agreement."
On the other hand, the reality shows that "countries must negotiate not with their best friends, but with their adversaries," he emphasized. "But it is also clear that Russia under Putin wants to destroy the current Ukrainian state in terms unacceptable to the Ukrainian people. Therefore, you must talk, you must defend your interests, but you must not capitulate."
According to the diplomat, many officials in Washington, even before Donald Trump returned to the White House, did not understand the reality of Ukraine or the reality of the Russian army.
"In 2022, many people believed that Kiev would fall in three days. They did not understand the Ukrainian will to fight. They did not understand the capabilities of the Ukrainian army and society in the eight years since the Revolution of Dignity. And they overestimated the abilities of the Russian army. It was a massive failure of intelligence and analysis services," Kent emphasized.
No NATO state has an army like Ukraine's
In his opinion, Kiev should not currently focus its efforts on joining NATO.
"I believe the most important thing for Ukraine's future as a European country is to first ensure its membership in the European Union, which has both institutional and economic benefits. The economic benefits are evident when you are part of a much larger common market, and institutional reforms are essential for a successful modern European society.
Therefore, I think that for Ukraine's success in the future, European standards and EU membership should be the clear short-term goal, even though the medium and long-term aspiration is to become a full member of the Euro-Atlantic security community, NATO," he said.
"I believe that the developments in the Middle East and the Gulf, the war with Iran, show that Ukraine now has a great technical and military expertise that the broader European and transatlantic community desperately needs. Ukraine and, unfortunately, the Russian army, are fighting in a way that no NATO army can fight at this moment," added the former ambassador.
Kent highlighted the "tremendous benefit" that Ukraine brings to European and transatlantic security, as well as to the broader Middle East region, mentioning the transfer of Ukrainian drone experts to the Gulf, considering that Shahed drones were created with Iranian technology and have come to integrate Russian technology.
"There are a lot of downsides to the current conflict in the Gulf. But what it shows is that Ukraine has something to offer, not just asking for help. It can actually help countries that cannot fight like Ukraine and do not have the technology that Ukraine has developed," Kent emphasized.
Will Russia change post-Putin?
According to him, the average American admires Ukraine. "Ukraine fights for freedom. For Americans, this is a theme that resonates," he said.
When asked if there is any chance for Russia to change after Putin's death, the American diplomat said that the challenge for Russians who would like to see a better future for their country is to avoid victimization and understand that, "just as they have asserted their cultural superiority for so long, they must also take responsibility for what Russia has done."
"Germany accepted this after World War II, Japan accepted this after World War II. They emerged from autocratic environments to become democratic societies, and a part of this mental transformation was based on accepting their collective responsibility for what their countries and societies did. If this doesn't happen, I don't think we will see a fundamentally transformed Russia," Kent said.
T.D.