Ben Hodges is one of the most well-known retired US generals in Ukraine. He served as the commander of the US Army in Europe from 2014 to 2018, during several Russian operations in its armed aggression in Donbas.

Since 2022, he has been publicly advocating for arming Ukraine and criticising the US government for not providing sufficient support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Hodges had previously made optimistic predictions about the liberation of Crimea which did not come true, but here he explains why this was. This interview also covers the key mistake the Biden administration made regarding Ukraine and why Biden continues to insist on this mistake. What should the turning point be that guarantees Ukraine's victory? Why does the United States believe that Russia will not risk a nuclear strike?

Watch the full interview we recorded during the Warsaw Security Forum or read the full version - Ben Hodges: During This War, Biden Failed to Do the Most Important Task – To Define US's Objective.

Hodges is convinced that Ukraine will win. In his opinion, the key to victory for Ukraine is to make Crimea untenable for the Russian forces.

This attack on Crimea over the last four weeks, all of these things together, this was not a coincidence. This was a very sophisticated approach to remove radar, to attack and destroy a logistics maintenance site, and then to destroy the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet.

Hodges acknowledges that his optimistic predictions about Crimea's liberation by the end of this year have not come true. However, he noted that he always had the caveat: if the West provides everything that's needed.

"We didn't do that," the retired US general said.

At the same time, Hodges thinks that his president has done a very good job in so many ways to help keep the 50-plus nations together [in the Ramstein format], and of course, what the US has provided is not inconsequential.

However, in Hodges' opinion, the most critical thing President Biden did not do is to set an objective: "My president has got to say: "We want Ukraine to win. We want Ukraine to eject Russia back to the 1991 borders."

Hodges believes that the American president and his inner circle are afraid to make such a statement.

"So many more people get killed, there’s so much more destruction, when it really could be over much faster if the US and Germany in particular would say: "We want Ukraine to win. Here – this is what you need. Take this."

He adds that Crimea is the only thing that matters. If Ukraine liberates Crimea, then it's over.

Hodges also explains that to liberate Crimea, Ukraine needs to have forces that can isolate Crimea, cut the land bridge, cut the Kerch Bridge, and then make Crimea untenable for Russian forces.

"You need long-range precision fires to do that," says the former commander of the US Army in Europe.

He adds that if Ukraine acquires these capabilities in sufficient quantities, the Russians will no longer be able to stay in Crimea.

Hodges also does not believe that Putin will resort to using nuclear weapons.

Furthermore, he believes that the United States should support the idea of Ukraine's NATO membership. "This will improve security and stability in Europe much better than what it is now, by having Russia see that because of what they've done, they now have NATO from Finland to Türkiye, all the way, and in the Black Sea," the retired general asserts.

Read the full version - Ben Hodges: During This War, Biden Failed to Do the Most Important Task – To Define US's Objective