Russian President Vladimir Putin is overextending his military by staging a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and might be endangering his own future, former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster says.
Appearing Thursday on Fox News' "The Story," McMaster told host Martha MacCallum that the United States has not done enough to aid Ukraine, which Russia invaded Wednesday.
"What you want to do by building up military capabilities is to deter by denial, to convince your potential that that enemy cannot accomplish their objectives through the use of force," he said. "That has failed already in Ukraine."
It remains to be seen what cost Russia will pay on the ground, McMaster added, noting that when Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and annexed Crimea, Putin went to great lengths to conceal its casualties. Burials of soldiers took place in the early morning hours and their families were told not to talk about how their loved ones died, he said.
McMaster, who served in the Trump administration, said the Russians are likely in for a tough fight in Ukraine, and that's what could spell the end for Putin. McMaster is also a retired lieutenant general who served in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I don't know if Vladimir Putin realizes how much he's taken on," McMaster said. "I don't want to predict this, but this could be the beginning of the end for him. I think he's going to be overextended based on this operation and, of course, the economic and financial ramifications associated with, I think, just the beginning of sanctions that were announced today."
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