'Putin Doesn't Look Isolated': US General Says 'Team America' Needs To Find Way Out Of 'Ukraine Mess'

Last Updated:September 01, 2025, 23:10 IST

Sharing a photograph of leaders from the SCO Summit in China, General Michael Flynn urged the Trump administration to "make the right decision" on US involvement in the Ukraine war

Leaders of SCO member nations pose for a group photo during the summit in Tianjin on September 1. (Image: Sergey Bobylev/AFP)

A former national security adviser and US army general, who has received a presidential pardon in the past from Donald Trump, called out European leaders for making a “mess" over the “Ukraine war".

Sharing a photograph of world leaders from the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in  China, which was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, General Michael Flynn said it does not look as if Moscow has been “isolated" by the grouping and urged the Trump administration to find a way out of this “war" and “make the right decision".

“Putin doesn’t look very isolated here whatsoever! I honestly am at a loss for words to say about this losing “war" in Ukraine," General Flynn said in a post on X.

In what can be interpreted as mild criticism of US involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Trump’s efforts to broker a peace deal to stop the war, he said the President’s advisers are driving America “into a war we don’t need", “cannot afford", and one that can “end badly for the entire world".

“All the brilliant NEOCON and Geopolitical advisors pushing @realDonaldTrump to do the exact opposite of what he should be doing are going to drive America into a war we don’t need, a war we cannot afford, and a war that could end very badly for the entire world," he said in the post.

In his appeal to “Team America", the general blamed European leaders for being responsible for “more killing, more dying, more spending" in the war.

“If the European Union wants this mess, let them have it. Ukraine has already lost over 1.5M in the past three years alone. More killing, more dying, more spending, more hard headed arrogance on the part of European leaders will not win the day. Team America needs to find a way out of this mess and very soon. We The People are with you. Make the right decision," he said.

His comments come as Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit, where the two leaders took a swipe at the West during a gathering of Eurasian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for a showpiece summit aimed at putting Beijing front and centre of regional relations.

The SCO comprising China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, is touted as a non-western style of collaboration and seeks to be an alternative to traditional alliances.

Putin used his speech to defend Russia’s Ukraine offensive, blaming the West for triggering the three-and-a-half year conflict that has killed tens of thousands and devastated much of eastern Ukraine.

“This crisis wasn’t triggered by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but was a result of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West," Putin said. “The second reason for the crisis is the West’s constant attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO."

Xi, meanwhile, told the SCO leaders that the global international situation was becoming more “chaotic and intertwined", while slamming the “bullying behaviour" from certain countries – a veiled reference to the US.

“The security and development tasks facing member states have become even more challenging," Xi said in his address. “With the world undergoing turbulence and transformation, we must continue to follow the Shanghai spirit…and better perform the functions of the organisation."

Putin, Xi and Modi were seen on live footage chatting, the three leaders flanked by their translators. This is significant amid the intensifying tariff tussle between India and the US. Modi and Putin, who were photographed holding hands, held talks in the afternoon.

(With agency inputs)

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

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