Ret Col. Douglas Macgregor said a neutral Ukraine would be good for us and good for Ukraine as it would create a buffer both sides want in an interview on Fox Business with host Stuart Varney. Macgregor called Zelensky a "puppet" and said he is "dragging this out" and using civilians as a shield by sending armed forces into populated areas. "Surprisingly little damage, frankly. Much less damage than we inflicted on Iraq when we went into it in '91 and again in 2003," Macgregor said of Russia's shelling of Ukrainian cities. "Mr. Zelensky, I think, is postponing the inevitable in the hopes that we are going to rescue him, and we are not coming. President Biden has made that very clear." "Zelensky is a puppet, and he is putting huge numbers of his own population at unnecessary risk," Macgregor said. "Quite frankly, most of what comes out of Ukraine is debunked as lies within 24-48 hours. The notions of taking and retaking airfields, all of this is nonsense. It hasn't happened." "He's not a hero? Standing up for himself and his own people, you don't think he's a hero?" an incredulous Varney asked. "No, I do not," Macgregor chuckled. "I don't see anything heroic about the man. And I think the most heroic thing he can do right now is to come to terms with reality. Neutralize Ukraine. This is not a bad thing. A neutral Ukraine would be good for us as well as for Russia. It would create the buffer that, frankly, both sides want. But he's, I think, being told to hang on and try to drag this out, which is tragic for the people that have to live through this." "I am inclined to disagree with you, Colonel, but, you know, we'll see how this works out," Varney replied. <blockquote>STUART VARNEY: Putin attacks a nuclear power plant. What's the strategy behind that? Is it just to intimidate innocent civilians?. DOUG MACGREGOR: The strategy was not to attack any power plants or the power grid. The Russians have very carefully avoided interrupting any power. No damage to communications, no damage to any of the things that are essential like the water supply. What you're seeing is that the Russians have now driven what is left of the Ukrainian forces who are taking refuge in population centers, cities because they have no mobility, no air defense, no air cover, no logistical infrastructure. They are now mingling with the population much as we've seen in the Middle East whenever we drove the Islamists out of business, they ran into cities, used people as shields, the civilian population, and tried to avoid being annihilated. And I think that's essentially what's happening today with the population being used by the Ukrainian forces to avoid destruction. STUART VARNEY: Do you think Putin will pull what I would call a Grozny? DOUG MACGREGOR: No. STUART VARNEY: Grozny was the capital of a breakaway republic. He flattened out when the civilians resisted. Is he going to flatten Ukraine? DOUG MACGREGOR: No, absolutely not. In fact, he's worked hard to capture most of it intact. Surprisingly little damage, frankly, Stuart. Much less damage than we inflicted on Iraq when we went into it in '91 and again in 2003. No, I think they're just surrounding the Ukrainian forces, and they are annihilating them. And this is inevitable. And Mr. Zelensky, I think, is postponing the inevitable in the hopes that we are going to rescue him, and we are not coming. President Biden has made that very clear. STUART VARNEY: Do you think the end is in sight? DOUG MACGREGOR: Well, the end of this phase is still a few days away. The first five days Russian forces, I think, frankly, were too gentle. They've now corrected that. So I would say another ten days this should be completely over. But the question is, what is it that Zelensky is going to do. The Russians have made it very clear what they want is a neutral Ukraine. This could have ended days ago if he accepted that, and then they could adjust the borders. But the eastern part of Ukraine is firmly in Russian hands. Again, the Russians are not seizing territory, they're destroying Ukrainian forces. That's their focus. STUART VARNEY: Colonel, it sounds like you don't approve of Zelensky's stand. DOUG MACGREGOR: Oh, I think Zelensky is a puppet, and he is putting huge numbers of his own population at unnecessary risk. And, quite frankly, most of what comes out of Ukraine is debunked as lies within 24-48 hours. The notions of taking and retaking airfields, all of this is nonsense. It hasn't happened. STUART VARNEY: He's not a hero? Standing up for himself and his own people, you don't think he's a hero? DOUG MACGREGOR: No, I do not. I don't see anything heroic about the man. And I think the most heroic thing he can do right now is to come to terms with reality. Neutralize Ukraine. This is not a bad thing. A neutral Ukraine would be good for us as well as for Russia. It would create the buffer that, frankly, both sides want. But he's, I think, being told to hang on and try to drag this out, which is tragic for the people that have to live through this. STUART VARNEY: I am inclined to disagree with you, Colonel, but, you know, we'll see how this works out. </blockquote>