Former US General Hodges warns NATO countries to hesitate when it comes to deliveries to Ukraine. The West should work towards Putin's downfall.
Delphi/Greece – Is Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) afraid of a Donald Trump presidency? According to former US general Ben Hodges, this even explains Ukraine's declining support, he told
Al Jazeera
. According to Hodges, Scholz is particularly concerned that Trump could remove the nuclear shield for Europe if he is elected president again. This means that Germany, in contrast to countries like France or Great Britain, would face Russian President Vladimir Putin without the protection of nuclear weapons.
That is also a reason why the Chancellor has so far refrained from delivering Taurus cruise missiles, said Hodges. But this reticence poses a much greater danger for Ukraine itself. If NATO were to “continue what we are doing right now,” it would have a massive impact on Ukraine’s fate, said Hodges. The country needs every support, especially with the strategically important Crimean peninsula.
“We should hope for it” – Former US general urges fall of Putin regime
But Scholz is not the only one who is skeptical about hasty reactions to the Ukraine war. According to Hodges, the US government under President Joe Biden is also “unduly frightened”. It is assumed that the liberation of Crimea will either lead to the use of nuclear weapons by the government in Moscow - or that the Putin regime will be overthrown.
Hodges believes the fears are unjustified. “I hope that it actually leads to the collapse of the Putin regime,” he told the broadcaster. This is not something the West should be afraid of: “We should plan for that.”
The American historian Michael Kimmage had already made a similar forecast at the beginning of 2023. According to the historian, a loss of the Crimean Peninsula would be the "biggest defeat" for Putin, he told
Newsweek
. But Kimmage's assumptions go far beyond Putin's political downfall. If the Russian ruler loses Crimea, he could even pay for it with his life. “He would face generals and his government as well as the oligarchs who are demanding his resignation,” Kimmage said. “Or they poison him, or someone shoots him, as is common in Russia when there is a change of power.”
Scholz continues to oppose Taurus deliveries – “Border that I don’t want to cross”
Receiving Taurus cruise missiles would give Ukraine a significant advantage in the war against Russia. The missiles have an extremely long range of more than 500 kilometers and are considered highly precise. The Ukrainian army could even hit targets in Moscow - which could perhaps be the reason for Scholz's reluctance.
According to the Chancellor, the use of cruise missiles would only be possible with the deployment of German soldiers, including outside Ukraine. “That is a limit that I do not want to cross as Chancellor,” said Scholz during a questioning in the Bundestag in March. German soldiers are involved in determining which targets are targeted and “where the shots are fired”.
US general believes Ukraine's victory over Russia is possible
For Hodges, one thing is certain: Crimea could represent a turning point in the Ukraine war, as Russia could control every part of southern and eastern Ukraine from there. In order for Ukraine to achieve its goal here, the country must receive all the help that Western states can provide. “Stop making excuses and stop our self-deterrence and hesitation,” he told
Al Jazeera
.
(nhi)