US Ret.Gen.Hodges Says is Not Time For Germany to Hide Like a Turtle
Lt. General Frederick Ben Hodges, the former commander-in-chief of the US Army in Europe urges the governments in Berlin and Washington to make a clear commitment to a Ukrainian victory - excerpts from his interview for the Swiss magazine Finanz u. Wirtschaft (link in the comment under the post)
Q: Is Europe sending a signal of weakness when we think of the dispute over Nato ground troops in Ukraine, which is not currently up for debate?
Gen. Hodges: It is mainly Germany.
Most European countries have recognized the threat. Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania are not sending out weak messages. Neither are France and Great Britain.
And even if the United States fails, and we are going to regret this for a long time, I am confident that Europe will not fail.
Q: Was it a mistake for Chancellor Scholz to draw a clear red line when it comes to sending in ground troops?
Gen. Hodges: Of course, it is a huge mistake. We are living in the year 2024 and so I do not want to hear any German tell me «Never again» again if you are not willing to make sure it never happens again. But Scholz is also very concerned about Trump coming back into power and Germany being unable to rely on an American nuclear deterrent. That explains why Scholz is concerned about Germany being directly involved in the conflict with Russia. But I think that he has not been honest. You don’t have to have German troops on the ground to use Taurus rockets.
Q: You were often too optimistic about the course of the war. What do you say today? What will this year bring for Ukraine?
Gen. Hodges: That is a fair question. My biggest mistake was that I expected the US and German governments to finally say, «Yes, it is in our interest for Ukraine to win, so we will give it what it needs». But that did not happen. And because we do not have a clearly defined strategic outcome, it is very difficult to make good policy decisions. Month after month the decision-making drags on and neither the US nor the Europeans have delivered long-range weapons that would help Ukraine offset the Russian advantage of mass.
Q: And what do you expect for 2024?
Gen. Hodges: Neither side is in a position to knock out the other. That is why the Ukrainian armed forces will try to stabilize the front line this year. There may be local tactical successes, such as the capture of a village. However, a massive breakthrough is unlikely, especially as the Russians do not have this capability right now. Of course, the situation could become worse for the Ukrainians if Europe or the US do not come through with ammunition.
A link to the full interview is in the comment under the post.
«Whoever controls Crimea at the end of the day is going to win this war,» says Lt Gen Ben Hodges
Here is a photo of him when he as the then Commander of the 327th Infantry Regiment, was slightly wounded in the leg and arm after a soldier threw grenades into the HQ sleeping tents.
Hodges said he was "not hurt too badly." JOHN PARTIPILO/THE TENNESSEAN
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