Good that Trump’s security strategy scared Europe, David Petraeus says

The White House’s new national security strategy gave Europe a scare last week as it warned the region faced “civilizational erasure” and questioned whether it could remain a geopolitical partner for America.

The document shocked allies on the continent as it criticized its leaders as “weak” and slammed the region’s stance on immigration, democracy, freedom of speech, while adding its waning economic and military power was waning.

“It is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies,” it said, adding that the region suffered from a lack of self-confidence. The document also called for the U.S. to re-establish “strategic stability” with Russia, despite its war against Ukraine.

But David Petraeus, the former CIA Director and four-star US Army general, told CNBC it was no bad thing for European nations to get a wake-up call to look after their defense and security.

The strategy was, “in a way, going after the Europeans but, frankly, some of the Europeans needed to be gotten after because I watched as four different presidents tried to exhort the Europeans to do more for their own defence and now that’s actually happening,” he told CNBC’s Dan Murphy in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Petraeus said President Donald Trump had been “very, very substantial” in getting the Europeans to spend more on defense.

“He’s gotten them to commit to what they should have done years ago,” Petraeus said. He pointed to European members of NATO agreeing earlier this year to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product, after sustained pressure from the Trump administration.

Petraeus’ comments come as diplomatic efforts continue to end the war in Ukraine, with U.S. officials holding talks regarding peace proposals with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in recent weeks.

Both Russia and Ukraine, and its European allies, have promoted different peace plans with contradictory demands and “red lines.” The biggest obstacles to peace remain disagreements over post-war security guarantees for Ukraine and Russian demands that Kyiv cede the eastern region of Donbas.

Washington is reportedly urging both sides to come to an agreement before Christmas, but there is also skepticism that this is possible. Russia, meanwhile, appears to be enjoying the increasing pressure that Europe and Ukraine are coming under from Washington.

Petraeus said he had little faith that Russia could compromise over a peace plan with Putin showing little sign of compromise over war objectives such as territorial control, regime change, and a “demilitarized” Ukraine with no prospect of NATO membership.

“I’m encouraged that there is an effort spurred by the United States and backed by President Trump, personally, in many respects, and his direct negotiators to try to bring the war to an end. I’m not encouraged by Moscow’s response,” Petraeus said.

“Vladimir Putin just continues to reiterate that his goals are the maximalist objectives he’s held all along, which essentially denies independence to Ukraine. He wants to get a pro-Russian president to replace President Zelenskyy … He wants to demilitarize Ukraine [and] … he wants to be given ground that is in the most fortified area of Ukraine,” he added.

Putin “is not going to budge,” Petraeus added.

Ukraine’s European allies have been looking at ways to continue funding its war against Russia, as well as considering its eventual post-war reconstruction, which is likely to cost over $500 billion, according to the United Nations, and Russian reparations.

The EU is believed to be close to a deal to mobilize a sizable chunk of the estimated 210 billion euros (around $244 billion) worth of Russian sovereign assets currently frozen in European financial institutions.

There are, however, concerns over the legal ramifications and the potential retaliation from Moscow; Russia’s security council chief warned last week that using Russian assets would be tantamount to a justification for war.

Petraeus said if the EU did go ahead with using frozen Russian reserves, it would be a “game changer.”

“We’ve heard a lot of game changers before. I’ve never bought into those. But … $200 billion or even 100 billion euros of money for Ukraine would be a game changer. It solves their fiscal and economic problems for a couple of years,” he said.