The West and the entire world should get used to the idea of Ukraine winning the war against Russia by fighting on the battlefield and not through negotiations, according to former Commanding General of United States Army Europe, Ben Hodges.
Hodges has been very vocal on Twitter calling out his former boss General Mark Milley about negotiation talks. Hodges tweeted on Sunday, “Why would Chairman Milley or others with access to more intel than me press Ukraine to negotiate now to ‘cement their gains.’ Finish this.”
Hodges thinks that Ukraine will win the war “the old-fashioned way” on the battlefield, and added that pressure to negotiate comes from people who don’t understand Moscow.
On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin and Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a press briefing to give an update on the war in Ukraine. Milley reiterated his position for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia saying, “There could be a lot of activity in the winter, but typically speaking, because of the weather, the tactical operations will slow down a bit. President Biden and President Zelensky himself has said that there’ll be a…political solution.”
Milley added: “The president of the United States has been very, very clear to us: that it’s up to Ukraine to decide how and when or if they negotiate with the Russians, and we will continue to support them as long as it takes.”
Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, told Newsweek on Saturday, “I think negotiations are only possible when there are those who will follow through on agreed conditions and clear guarantees. Putin’s Russia cannot provide it. They are war criminals & pathological liars.”
This week, Ukraine faced a large missile attack from Russia while world leaders met at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. NATO leaders responded to the attack by saying, “We condemn the barbaric missile attacks that Russia perpetrated on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure on Tuesday.”
Ukraine in winter
Above, people view destroyed Russian vehicles and tanks in Mykhailivs’ka Square as snow falls on November 19 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The West and entire world should get used to the idea of Ukraine winning the war against Russia by fighting on the battlefield and not through negotiations, according to former commanding general of United States Army Europe, Ben Hodges.
Also on Tuesday, a missile landed in Przewodówon, Poland, killing two people. The missile strike is the first incident from the Russian war in Ukraine, which began in late February, that directly impacted a NATO member. Initial reports from the Associated Press indicated that it was a Russian missile, prompting NATO allies to convene. However, President Joe Biden and Polish President Andrzej Duda have since acknowledged that it was likely a Ukrainian missile that was fired at an incoming Russian missile.
Biden took to Twitter after reports of the incident saying, “I spoke with President Andrzej Duda of Poland to express my deep condolences for the loss of life in Eastern Poland. We will remain in close touch to determine appropriate next steps and it proceeds.”
On Friday, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Russian Telegram channels are actively discussing a second wave of mobilization from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ISW referred to social media chatter, which noted a draft summons received by a St. Petersburg resident who was reportedly asked to appear for mobilization in January.
Rajan Menon, director of the Grand Strategy program at Defense Priorities, told Newsweek on Saturday, “The concerns about this war dragging on, spinning out of control, perhaps even leading to Russia’s use of nuclear weapons, are understandable. That said, Putin has made it clear that Russia will not withdraw from any of the Ukrainian territories it has occupied.”
Menon continued: “Ukraine’s leaders are therefore understandably opposed to negotiating what would amount to a partition of their country—especially because, as they see it, the battlefield momentum now favors them.
