General Hodges said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive failed due to the slow actions of the West
The West has not provided Ukrainian troops with the weapons they need to implement their plans. Now the war will go on for at least another year. However, we cannot say that Kyiv has already lost.
This was stated on the Silicon Curtain YouTube channel by former Commander of US Forces in Europe, General (retired) Ben Hodges, according to Censor.NO with a link to Focus.
“Of course, I was disappointed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive did not lead to the results we all hoped for and that I predicted. It was we, the West, who failed, not Ukraine,” the general said.
According to the general, the West has not provided Ukraine with “long-range precision weapons.” As a result, “the war has been extended for at least a year.”
The world’s media focused on the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces failed to recapture tens or thousands of kilometers. However, Hodges suggested paying attention to the losses suffered by the Russian Armed Forces during these months – the destruction of “Russian artillery, tanks, combat vehicles.” In addition, the Russians lost about 300 thousand of manpower in total, including 20 thousand during the autumn assaults. At the same time, they “conquered” several square kilometers on the outskirts of Avdiivka.
Meanwhile, the general reminded, Ukraine used Storm Shadow missiles to destroy the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and before that, warships in a dry dock in Sevastopol. Hodges emphasized that the West had long refused to provide long-range missiles, and when it did, it was in small numbers and with a number of restrictions.
“If we provide long-range missiles, it will be a significant increase in capabilities for Ukraine. But it seems that the West is regulating or even tying Ukraine’s hands behind its back,” the American officer said.
In particular, Hodges explained, Ukraine is prohibited from using these missiles to strike the headquarters of the Russian Armed Forces in Russia. In his opinion, this should not be the case.
“We are basically telling them that they cannot strike at the territory of Russia, they can only strike at the occupied territories. Of course, then it becomes easy for Russia to place part of its logistics command and control, etc. beyond the reach of Ukraine,” the general noted.
