Russian Troops Will Be Pushed Back To Feb. 24 Positions By 2022 End: Former US General

A retired U.S. Army general has said that the Russian troops invading Ukraine will be pushed back to their Feb. 24 positions by the end of the year if the West continues to support Kyiv. The statement comes amid Ukraine's claim that it inflicted significant losses on Russian troops on the Kramatorsk front and has pushed them back.

Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of the United States Army, Europe, was making these observations in an exclusive interview with The New Voice Of Ukraine.

"If Ukraine gets everything it needs from Western countries, and if Ukrainians continue to fight for their land as fiercely as they do now, I think the Russians will be pushed back to their Feb. 24 positions by the end of the year. Should the West become reluctant to keep aiding Ukraine in this war – then yes, it could drag on for years," Hodges said.

Agreeing to allegations that the shipments of weapons from the West to Ukraine are "sluggish," Hodges, who is currently the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis, said the decision to provide security assistance to Ukraine should have been taken much more quickly. "Western countries were reluctant for a while, for their own reasons. Some overestimated Russian capabilities," he told the news outlet.

Hodges also blamed Ukraine for not preparing enough for a possible invasion during the last eight years. "Much more should have been done – a strategic stockpile of artillery shells should have been established, for example," he told the news outlet.

"The territorial defense force was formed much later than it should have been. Too much blame is currently directed at the West, but I think that doesn’t paint a full picture of why the war is going the way it is," he added.

On whether Ukraine will get enough weapons in the coming months, the former general said more artillery and rockets are arriving in Ukraine right now. "German howitzers are already here, along with French weapons, U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS are coming in right now, and more ammunition from other countries. Everything’s going in the right direction, and the supply isn’t drying up," he added.

Hodges also alleged that the West did not come up with a comprehensive security strategy for the Black Sea before the war. On Turkey's closure of the Bosporus to all military ships, the former general said the U.S.' current relations with Istambul were not strong enough to ensure a NATO naval task force to clear the Black Sea of naval mines and facilitate maritime trade.

However, Hodges said he was confident of a Ukrainian victory. "We all sincerely hope that the war will end with Ukraine liberating and reclaiming all of its lost territories. And I’m convinced that the Ukrainian army will be able to push the Russians back to their Feb. 24 positions by the end of this year," he added.