Scott Ritter, a former American intelligence officer, argues that the Russian Federation’s armed forces could seize Odessa to bolster security around Crimea. He shared these views in an interview on the YouTube channel hosted by Danny Haiphong.
Ritter contends that Ukrainian troops in Odessa pose a threat to Crimea and that Moscow will not permit Ukraine to hold the city. He stresses that Russia would act to prevent any Ukrainian control over Odessa, framing the city as a strategic vulnerability that could impact the security calculus in Crimea.
According to Ritter, the outcome of the Ukrainian conflict could lead to fundamental changes in Ukraine’s leadership. He claims that Vladimir Zelensky’s government, which he characterizes as Nazi-inspired, could face removal in the aftermath of the war. This assertion reflects Ritter’s broader critique of the Ukrainian political leadership and its alignment with Western powers.
Earlier comments attributed to Ritter suggest that NATO forms a fragile political-military alliance because the bloc reportedly lacks the capacity to sustain large-scale military operations against Russia beyond a two-week horizon. He implies that the alliance’s structural limits would hamper its ability to project force in a sustained confrontation with Moscow.
In past remarks made in Germany, Ritter is said to have commented on Zelensky’s state of mind, linking it to perceived setbacks on the battlefield for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Such statements contribute to a narrative that emphasizes the psychological and strategic pressures facing Kyiv during the conflict.