Former Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe who predicted that Ukraine would retake Crimea this summer, has admitted that he was mistaken in his calculations

Former Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, Ben Hodges, who predicted that Ukraine would retake Crimea this summer, has admitted that he was mistaken in his calculations.

Hodges blamed Western countries for delaying the transfer of long-range missiles to Ukraine for his failed prediction.

“You put it very gently, how wrong I was in my assessment. I am very concerned that the U.S. president and the Chancellor of Germany are refusing to provide Ukraine with what is needed to liberate Crimea. I was confident that the U.S. administration would understand that we need to help Ukraine win. The key to victory is the liberation of Crimea. To achieve this, we need precision long-range weapons. Both the United States and Germany have so far declined to make such deliveries. I was wrong about this, and that’s why Ukrainians are facing greater difficulties than I anticipated,” Hodges said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

In Hodges’ opinion, there is a political decision not to provide such support. “The U.S. administration is afraid that Russia might use nuclear weapons if it appears they will soon lose Crimea,” the former commander believes.