The US suspension of military aid to Ukraine could have unexpected consequences for Russia, said retired General Ben Hodges, former commander of US Army forces in Europe, Newsweek writes, citing a CNN report.
On 4 March, US President Donald Trump allegedly ordered a full halt of military aid to Ukraine to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a meeting in the White House, which was described by reports as “catastrophic” and “unprecedented.” Despite Zelenskyy’s repeated statements that Kyiv wants peace and the absence of such statements from Russia, Trump accused the Ukrainian president of lacking a desire for peace. Currently, all that the US and Russia have agreed upon is the restoration of diplomatic relations, which, according to American intelligence reports, Russia likely plans to use to return its spies to the US.
Hodges argued that the war continues to pose trouble for Moscow, regardless of US commitment to assistance for Ukraine. In fact, he believes the aid freeze could even hurt Russia on the battlefield in the long run.
“Russia actually is in big trouble. The premise that the administration is using when they say, ‘Ukraine, you have no cards’—that’s just not true. The Russians are in big trouble. The Ukrainians have stopped them without us even committing to helping them win,” Hodges said.
He suggested that Europe may step up to fill the gap, which could initially be difficult for Ukraine but might ultimately weaken US influence.
“So, imagine if 20-plus European countries finally rediscover their strategic backbone and start bringing together their incredible industrial capacity, which dwarfs what Russia has. We’re gonna regret that they got together and did this without us and despite us. And we’re gonna lose an awful lot of influence,” he warns.
Earlier, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called on European nations to increase and accelerate military assistance to Ukraine following the US decision to pause its military aid.
Tsahkna emphasized that one viable option for obtaining additional resources to support Ukraine was utilizing Russia’s frozen assets. He noted that since most of Russia’s frozen sovereign assets are located in Europe, European nations have a decisive role in taking action.
Estonia calls for Europe to fill US military aid gap to Ukraine
Related:
- Trump suspends all military aid to Ukraine, pressuring Zelenskyy on peace talks
- European powers shift stance on frozen Russian asset seizure
- Ukrainian parliament addresses Trump before he cuts off Ukraine aid
- Lithuanian fundraising campaign collects €5.7 million for drones to support Ukraine
