Ukraine should be able to attack military targets on Russian territory without restrictions imposed on it by the United States or other states, says former US general and former commander of US forces in Europe Ben Hodges.
Points of attention
- Ben Hodges supports Ukraine's right to attack military targets in Russia without restrictions to prevent further aggression and destruction of the Putin regime.
- Hodges calls for backing Ukraine's membership in NATO and the European Union to enhance regional security.
- The former US general criticizes Joe Biden's policies and emphasizes the need for Western unity in supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.
- Hodges highlights strategic cooperation between the West and Ukraine as crucial in winning the economic competition with Russia.
- He believes that Ukraine should be given the freedom to strike deep into Russia's territory to dismantle important military infrastructure.
- He predicts a collapse of the Putin regime and stresses the importance of holding Russia accountable for war crimes and helping Ukraine rebuild post-conflict.
Hodges called for giving Ukraine carte blanche to strike Russia
Ukraine should be able to attack targets deep in Russia's rear without restrictions imposed on it by the United States or other states, the former general believes.
The large Russian mass—headquarters, artillery, logistics—must be destroyed by precise strikes.
This opinion was expressed by retired US General, former commander of US forces in Europe, Ben Hodges.
Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russian aggression since February 2022, should be admitted to NATO and the European Union to prevent further aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a guest article for the journal Europäische Sicherheit & Technik, published on February 7, Hodges writes that among a number of global challenges, “Russia with its war of conquest against Ukraine and its aggression against all of Europe” is today “the first and most dangerous threat in the short term.” The former general considers China, Iran, and North Korea to be other threats.
In Hodges' view, "Putin's war against Ukraine has reduced the Russian economy to rubble," and much of the Russian military "is showing itself to be incompetent and corrupt." He believes that we should prepare for the collapse of the Putin regime — "organize ourselves for victory."
In his view, “victory” means pushing Russian armed forces back to Ukraine’s internationally recognized 1991 borders. It also includes the return of tens of thousands of abducted Ukrainian children, holding Russia accountable for war crimes at the International Criminal Court, and using Russian funds to rebuild Ukraine.
If we, the global West, especially the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and France, act together, I remain optimistic that Ukraine will indeed win this war.
Ben Hodges
Former US general
At the same time, he considers a nuclear response from Russia unlikely.
If Ukraine loses its military defense campaign, Hodges warns, the risk will increase that “Russia will also attack NATO countries using conventional means.”
He also criticized the policies of former US President Joe Biden. The latter, according to Hodges, “failed to explain to the American people that it is in our strategic interests for Ukraine to defeat the aggressor Russia,” and “this has led to inconsistent, contradictory policies and piecemeal support for Ukraine.”
Hodges noted that 2025 should be "the year of industrial competition," and the West, together with Ukraine, can win it from Russia, "given that the economic power of the West is many times greater than that of Russia."
Meanwhile, regardless of how the war in Ukraine ends, the West needs a fresh strategy to contain Russia, the author believes. Kyiv could become “a bulwark against Putin’s clearly articulated plans for further conquest of Europe,” the former general writes.
