A journalist asked Hodges which events he believes had the greatest impact on the war of 2024.
"I think the most significant factor was the West's unwillingness – and I specifically mean the administration of [U.S. President Joe] Biden and Germany – to commit to helping Ukraine win. And because we, in the West, led by the United States and Germany, did not commit to helping Ukraine win – we did not provide adequate weapons and ammunition and had too many restrictions – I think that is what prevented Ukraine from actually defeating Russian forces. We should have been able to do that. That's the first thing," Hodges responded.
Another reason cited by the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe was the failure of the U.S. Congress to approve a aid package in a timely manner, which led to Ukraine not receiving assistance from the U.S. for an extended period.
"Now, of course, part of this is due to the fact that the Biden administration did not present the case well enough, which allowed several opponents to halt it. That's it," he said.
Hodges also noted that the West and the world are all "impressed by how Ukraine managed to stop Russia, even though the West has not fully committed to helping it achieve victory."
"Yes, they did this with the help of Western countries, but really thanks to their own perseverance, innovation, and ability to fight. I think that every time I talk to Ukrainians and marvel at how they managed to do what they did, they respond: 'We had no choice.' That is also impressive," he stated.
According to the former military official, "too many people in the West have grown indifferent to Russian war crimes."
"It’s almost unheard of in the news now that Russians are executing Ukrainian prisoners of war. There are videos of this, as well as daily targeted attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure using precision weapons. These are war crimes. Aside from the horrific images that may appear on social media, there has been no condemnation from the United Nations or other international bodies or countries," he emphasized.
Hodges believes that the West "is not even using economic tools."
"Russia is still able to export oil and gas to China and India, which is how it funds its war. So for me, that’s a bit surprising," he said.