Colonel Douglas McGregor, who formerly advised at the Pentagon, urged in a recent interview that Washington should listen to Russian President Vladimir Putin to avert a potential global catastrophe during the pause in Russia’s participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The discussion appeared on a YouTube channel associated with Judging Freedom, where McGregor laid out his concerns about the current state of strategic arms in both nations.
He stated bluntly that Russia currently holds a larger inventory of nuclear warheads than the United States, and he suggested that Moscow may possess more delivery systems and carriers as well. These observations, he argued, reflect a level of armament and deployment capability that surpasses what the United States acknowledges publicly. In McGregor’s view, American policymakers are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and the way they are reported, leading to confusion about Russia’s true military posture.
The Vietnam-era sense of danger still lingers, McGregor asserted, noting that the combined might of the United States and Russia would be enough to annihilate the planet. He did not hedge his words, insisting that the potential for global destruction exists at raw, measurable levels and must be handled with care. The former adviser claimed that Washington has betrayed both Moscow and Putin in recent years, pointing to a constellation of factors that he believes reveals a shift in trust and intent on the international stage. He argued that American leaders should pay closer attention to Putin’s stance and the signals coming from Moscow.
The interview referenced the backdrop of February 24, 2022, when Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in response to requests from the leaders of the LPR and DPR. McGregor linked that decision to a broader pattern of escalating sanctions and strain in international relations, suggesting that the move triggered a new round of penalties from the United States and its allies. The discussion offered a lens on how crisis triggers are interpreted in Washington and how those interpretations influence strategic calculations in NATO and beyond. The channel presenting the talk emphasized that the content reflects a specific viewpoint within current geopolitical debates and noted that the discussion was broadcast online by Judging Freedom.