Jack Keane warns US that 'triumphant' Putin confident he'll take Ukraine after Alexei Navalny's death

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Fox News strategic analyst Gen Jack Keane appeared on the February 16 episode of 'Fox & Friends' to share his reaction to the death of Russian opposition leader and and top critic of Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, 47, while being imprisoned.

Navalny was being held at the IK-3 penal colony, also known as 'Polar Wolf,' in Kharp in northern Russia. The Federal Prison Service shared in a statement that Navalny felt unwell and lost consciousness after a walk, and died as the ambulance arrived to rehabilitate him. The retired general highlighted the importance of keeping Putin in check, warning that the future may otherwise see Russia, along with China and Iran, as aggressors, with the United States being on the defensive.

Gen Jack Keane says 'Putin is triumphant right now' 

Speaking with co-hosts Lawrence Jones, Ainsley Earhardt, and Brian Kilmeade, Keane stated, "Putin is somewhat triumphant right now. He really believes that what he has predicted is coming to pass, that the United States is literally taking a knee here on supporting Ukraine and the Europeans, while not doing so right now, will eventually do so."

"And he looks at the United States in terms of it having political weakness at the national level and also a dysfunctional Congress, all of which he believes is playing into his hands," General Keane added. 

"As such, on the battlefield, Russian forces are more aggressive than they have been in the past and are likely to take the town of Avdiivka, here in the next several days, while the Ukrainians, quite naturally husbanding their resources, not knowing what the future is going to be in terms of arms and assistance," he continued.

"And they're obviously in more of a defensive mode than they have been, for two years as a result of the speculation surrounding that, the doubt and skepticism that they're going to continue to be supported. What we're facing here, so people really understand: Yes, it's about the survival of Ukraine, but it's stopping Putin," he said. 

General Jack Keane warns Putin preparing for 'hybrid warfare' 

Keane went on to share his concern for the balance being tipped on the global scale of power, saying, "Putin is preparing his forces for hybrid warfare in Eastern Europe, likely focused on the Baltics, similar to what we saw in 2014 in Crimea and then in eastern Ukraine. He is making those preparations. Why? Because of the confidence that he has, that he's going to be able to take Ukraine, that the political will of the United States and Europe has broken and he has broken it, and that is what he is doing."

Putin is a man of his word, the General mentioned, claiming that the Russian president was working towards rebuilding the Soviet empire.

"We've got to wake up and take this issue seriously," he warned, enquiring, "And do many people in the United States really want to see Europe blown up like we're talking about here? Do we really want to live in a world where Russia, Iran, and China are calling the shots, where they are the aggressors, they have the initiative, they have the momentum, and we're back on our heels?" he questioned. 

"You can see what's happening in the Middle East as a result of it. You can see what's happening in the political will of the United States concerning Ukraine and President Xi's aggression has increased significantly in the last two to three years. This is all related. We have to wake up to recognize the threat that we're facing simultaneously from China, Russia, and Iran," he warned.