General Hodges warns: Lack of US support for Ukraine strengthens authoritarian coalition

Insufficient support for Ukraine from the US side will strengthen the authoritarian coalition in the world, warned retired US General Ben Hodges, former commander of NATO’s Ground Forces in Europe, in an interview for the leading Estonian media Välisilm.

“Ukraine’s going to keep fighting no matter what. But we in the West are going to lose big if we don’t help Ukraine defeat Russia because what Russia is doing, the Chinese are watching. What Iran is doing through their proxies, Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah, the Chinese are watching,” Hodges emphasized. 

The lack of political will, the increase in the capabilities of the defense sector, and especially the lack of readiness to help Ukraine defeat Russia only strengthens Iran, North Korea, and China. “The Chinese need to see that we still can do all of that and deter them from making a terrible miscalculation. So this is what’s at stake here,” Hodges said. 

The US’ failure in Ukraine is going to have global implications. “Our failure to ensure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, for example, our failure to really stop Russia from these endless attacks on civilian targets, that encourages Iran, that encourages North Korea, and that encourages China,” the American general added.

2024 could be decisive for Ukraine if the USA and its allies decide accordingly. Hodges also believes that NATO countries could help Ukraine repel Russian attacks.

“And I think it is that Romania and Poland, for example, and other Eastern European NATO countries should consider being able to strike, to counter these missiles from inside their own airspace. So we’re not talking about NATO forces engaging Russian forces, but we are talking about doing exactly what the U.S. Navy is doing in the Red Sea, knocking down missiles that are being aimed at cargo ships,” Hodges said. 

Hodges emphasizes that the world must understand that Russia can be defeated. “Russia started this war nine years ago with every advantage, every advantage, and after nine years, soon to be 10 years, they still control only about 17 percent of Ukraine,” the general said. 

Read the full interview at the link.