'The attitude [Hodges] suggests is simply for allies to adopt Ukraine’s strategic objective – restoring the 1991 borders.
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“‘We’re going to do what it takes’. That’s a statement of a strategic aim that then allows the development of a policy.”
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Restoring Ukraine’s 1991 borders would include winning back Crimea, the territory Putin annexed in February 2014. “Whoever controls Crimea wins,” said Hodges.''On the day Hodges spoke to Al Jazeera, Ukraine’s parliament passed a new mobilisation law that aimed to raise about 300,000 new troops and bring the standing army to 1.2 million.
Contrary to the punitive measures for avoiding the draft that had circulated, Ukraine doubled down on incentives in the new law, such as free downpayments and lower mortgage rates for front-line soldiers, and a payout of $400,000 if they are killed.
In what may be groundbreaking practice for a European army, Ukraine is also offering incentives for battlefield successes.
“If you damage a Russian weapon you can get from 12,000 hryvnias ($300) to 900,000 hryvnias ($22,700) depending on the weapon and whether you destroyed or took it,” Ukrainian parliamentarian Yulia Klymenko told Al Jazeera.
“For example, if you get a Russian tank, you get [almost] a million hryvnias. And we have enough tractors to steal things.”
In the early days of the war, images of Ukrainian soldiers towing Russian tanks that had run out of fuel using farming tractors were shared widely on social media. These were reconditioned to fight for Ukraine.
Hodges wants Ukraine’s Western allies to closely participate in Ukraine’s bravery and innovative spirit, rather than merely cheerleading it.
The attitude he suggests is simply for allies to adopt Ukraine’s strategic objective – restoring the 1991 borders.
“Nobody believes” the US president any more when he often encourages Ukraine with phrases such as “We’re with you for as long as it takes”, said Hodges.
“‘We’re going to do what it takes’. That’s a statement of a strategic aim that then allows the development of a policy.”
That policy should include giving Ukraine immediately any available old inventory and diverting some new weapons under construction for export.
For instance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently said Ukraine needs 25 Patriot launchers to cover air defence gaps across the entire country.
“The Swiss are the next in line to buy 12 different [Patriot] launchers. The president can say to Raytheon, ‘I’ll protect you in terms of liability, we’ll work with the Swiss, tell them to stand fast, prioritise to Ukraine’,” suggested Hodges.
Russia appears to have done something similar with India, holding back two S-400 air defence systems it was to deliver to New Delhi this year.
Restoring Ukraine’s 1991 borders would include winning back Crimea, the territory Putin annexed in February 2014. “Whoever controls Crimea wins,” said Hodges.
“From here the Russians … can control any part of southern or eastern Ukraine.”
Russia has demonstrated this repeatedly, launching missile and drone attacks on Odesa, Kherson and Zaporizhia from airfields in Crimea.
Hodges clearly believes this war is winnable.
He summed up his attitude: “Stop coming up with excuses, and stop our self-deterrence and hesitating.”'
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'..Western powers should overcome their fears of supporting Ukraine towards victory,' April 19, 2024
Context'Must laugh at us': Putin succesfully scared the West into self-deterrence with empty nuke threats, April 21, 2024
'..make 2024 a year that Ukraine can use not just to hold on, but also to prepare to win the war.'Prometheus .. the rebel against the tyrant .. the champion of man