A Trump-appointed former senior adviser to the Secretary of Defense says Russian forces have been ‘too gentle’ on Ukraine and called Zelensky a ‘puppet’

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained in Ukraine despite assassination attempts. 
• He called on Ukrainians to defend their country against invading Russian forces. 
• On Friday, a former Trump appointee called him a “puppet” and said Russia has been “too gentle.”

A Trump appointee said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a “puppet” and said the Russians have been too gentle in their attack on Ukraine. 

“The first five days Russian forces I think frankly were too gentle. They’ve now corrected that. So, I would say another ten days this should be completely over,” Retired Col. Douglas Macgregor, who former President Donald Trump appointed as a senior adviser to the Secretary of Defense, said in an interview with Fox Business’ Stuart Varney on Friday. 

—Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 5, 2022

Macgregor, who Trump also nominated in July 2020 as ambassador to Germany, said the war could have “ended days ago” if Zelensky had accepted what the Russians want, which he said is a “neutral Ukraine.”

“I think Zelensky is a puppet and he is putting huge numbers of his own population in unnecessary risk,” Macgregor said. 

Macgregor laughed when Varney was asked if he thought Zelensky was a hero for standing up and fighting. 

“I don’t see anything heroic about the man. I think the most heroic thing he could do right now is come to terms with reality. Neutralize Ukraine,” Macgregor said. “This is not a bad thing. A neutral Ukraine would be good for us and Russia. It would create the buffer that frankly both sides want but he’s I think being told I think to hold on and trying to drag this out, which is tragic for the people that have to live through this.” 

Varney ended the interview by telling Macgregor that he disagreed with him.

Zelensky has been applauded as a hero for remaining in Ukraine as Russia invades despite warnings that he is a target for assassination attempts. Zelensky has called on Ukrainians to take up arms and defend the country from Russian forces. 

Macgregor was also shut down by Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin last week after saying the US should not help Ukraine and that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be able to seize parts of the country.  

“We will not send our forces to fight, but we are urging Ukrainians to die pointlessly in a fight they can’t win. We’re going to create a far greater humanitarian crisis than anything you’ve ever seen if it doesn’t stop,” Macgregor said.

Griffin said Macgregor’s comments had many “distortions.”

“The kind of appeasement talk that Colonel Macgregor, who should know better — when he was in government, he was the one who was advising Trump to pull all troops out of Germany,” she said. “That projection of weakness is what made Putin think he could move into a sovereign country like Ukraine.”