General Ben Hodges, the former commander of US forces in Europe, admitted that he was wrong about the prediction of the liberation of Crimea by the Ukrainian army.
He made the comment on his Twitter page after being asked about it by Zachary Pekin, a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Government, a Washington, D.C. think tank that advocates “restraint” in American foreign policy.
The organization is named after John Quincy Adams, one of the first presidents of the United States.
“Yes, I did (no, I was wrong). I mistakenly believed that this summer the US government would realize that Ukraine would win the war in our interests. I hope they (the US government) finally realize this,” wrote Ben Hodges.
So. I mistakenly believed that this summer the US government would realize that Ukraine’s victory in this war was in our interests. I hope they eventually come to this understanding. Criticize me for being wrong…but don’t bet against Ukraine. https://t.co/gPNzD3qg3m
— Ben Hodges (@general_ben) September 4, 2023
“Criticize me for being wrong… but don’t bet against Ukraine,” he added.
What the American general said about the liberation of Crimea
Hodges, who served as commander of US forces in Europe from 2014 to 2017, when he retired from active duty in the US military, said earlier this year that Ukraine would liberate Crimea from Russian occupation by the end of August 2023.
“By the end of August, Ukraine will liberate Crimea, and then everything else will happen,” he said in an interview with the Ukrainian RBC agency.
The American reserve general also said that Ukraine will never be safe and will not be able to rebuild its economy while Russia controls Crimea.
“That is why it is important for Ukraine to liberate Crimea, and I expect that it will be done by the end of August,” Hodges repeated.
Although Ukraine’s summer offensive has not had the expected results despite strong defensive lines built by the Russian army, it appears to have gained momentum in recent weeks in the country’s south, where Kiev’s forces have managed to liberate several seaside towns. the way to Melitopol and Mariupol.
The US Institute for the Study of War noted in its latest assessment of hostilities in Ukraine that the Ukrainian light infantry broke through the Russian defense line in the west of the Zaporizhzhia region, and Kyiv troops are expanding the already made breakthrough.
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Source: Hot News
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