Ben Hodges - Ukrainian Bravery and Russian Blunders - Putin's Endgame in a War he's Starting to Lose
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- Putin has ordered a partial mobilisation in Russia, as a tacit admission that Moscow's war in Ukraine is not going to plan after nearly seven months of intense and bloody fighting. Officially 300,000 reservists will be drafted to support its military campaign, and the chaotic mobilisation process has incited panic and an exodus of fighting age men from Russia - does anyone believe the Russian government will stick to the stated limits? After all, they claim only 5,397 Russian soldiers have died in the campaign so far, whereas Western and Ukrainian sources put this number closer to 60,000.
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GUEST: Ben Hodges, Former Commanding General, US Army Europe from 2014-2017.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Partial mobilisation an admission of failure
03:05 Putin an authoritarian leader from the start
04:10 NATO puts a limit on the 'borderless empire'
06:09 Majority of Russian borders not ringed by NATO
11:45 Loss of Crimea will be a huge blow to Russia
15:11 Ukraine's fighting techniques and morale
17:26 Russia's weakness - dependence on railways
21:36 Experts use of HIMARS and other technology
28:53 Why is Ukraine's counter-offensive so successful
32:30 Harmful role of Belarus as passive combatant
36:30 The human rights abuses coming to light
42:23 Preview of future wars, technology and tactics
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PLATFORMS:
Twitter: / curtainsilicon
Instagram: / siliconcurtain
Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6...
Linkedin: / finkjonathan
Patreon: / siliconcurtain
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SPEAKER:
Today I’m speaking with Ben Hodges, Former Commanding General, US Army Europe from 2014-2017. Ben Hodges is now Senior Advisor at Human Rights First, and until recently was the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, specialising in NATO, the Transatlantic relationship and international security.
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Holy mother of god, you've excelled yourself now old chap! Lt Gen. Hodges correctly predicted months ago that we'd start to see wins on the battle field and turn it around here in Ukraine. Great man, great host, great conversation! I can't afford to support you, lost a home in Donbas and am ITD with my wife in west Ukraine. But I am recommending your chan to everyone I know who speaks english! 😀
That’s so kind of you - and I hope that get to return home in the near future. Sharing links to the videos is the most important thing - and am very grateful for that! Ben Hodges is extraordinary, isn’t he?! Slava Ukraini!
@@SiliconCurtain Heroyam Slava, indeed he is John (I feel bad calling you old chap, you don't actually look that old). I've lived here for almost a decade (Ukrainian wife) but I have had nothing to do with the army here, I am just an IT guy. The good Lt . General on the other hand he knew something I did not, he's been part of the mix training them up since the Canadians began Operation UNIFIER in 2014 - getting us away from those backwards Soviet methods and tactics, so he knows how good the army is here and how rough they are and how much qualitatively better they, hence I think his gut feelings on future victories panned out! TBH my wife was very optimistic like Ben was at the outset, I was more pessimistic and thought it would go to partisan tactics like in my beloved Jugoslavia ala "Tito" in WW2 1940's style! I was wrong and my wife (and most Ukrainians and Ben were correct!).
I did agree.
From watching and listen g to the talking heads and the people who k ow and, understand,
They have been talking of these same things, for some weeks.
Telling us that the rain was yesterday, is not prescient, at all.
🙄🇮🇪
I have listened in full, to this broadcast and I conclude
'OLD HAT'
Thank You for your ideas but, please watch others, who broadcast, as well!
@@burnettis1 what is WRONG with you? You are arguing about something so irrelevant that it is just silly.
Is it prescient? Is it old hat?
Who cares? It’s good info.
What is the problem?
The shape of this war HAS followed the form Gen. Hodges laid out back in early April. He even called August as the month that would mark Russia "culminating".
I share your excitement at having information of such value served up to us.
In 2016, while I was living in Kiev, one of the guys I was working with, electrical engineer by education, was a Ukrainian Army Captain. One time, for 2 weeks, he had to go to Odessa, the forests and fields around it, and stomp around, as he put it. It seemed silly to all of us at the time, but now I understand what was going on. He had never even been to Odessa, previously. He was a native of Donetsk but moved because, as he said, it was more of a mafia city than any other, but had never been to Odessa. Funny, I had been there for a couple weeks myself. I had seen more of Ukraine than most Ukrainians, it turned out. Great place, was improving in all ways every day. Proud people, tech and news savvy, great food, lots of English spoken. Loved it.
Bullseye. The Russian economy is controlled by FSB mafia gangs. The national model of totalitarian power using endemic corruption has dominated since the Tsars. Communism just changed faces. Independent republics can break the chain of central authority failure.
I would like to hear more about Donetsk being a “mafia city”. Is that what allowed Russia’s 2014 invasion (sorry) “support for freedom fighters”?
Will it become a thorn in Ukraine’s side when it is eventually liberated from Russian control.
I'm a 60year young man . Ex-Paratrooper . Old school . So thank you , for the quality of your information . Thanks to General Hodges . Thank you Sir , for continuing to stand guard .
The USA news media seem to find so many retired so called ‘expert’ commentators on this war but Ben Hodges out shines them all. Well spoken sir!
I've never seen Gen. Hodges talk twaddle. I've seen other senior military folk emitting vacuous nonsense. I listen to Hodges.
What about Lt. Gen. Hertling?
@@treyd3433 Hertling is good. Hodges is better, IMO.
@@treyd3433 I don't recall that name... thanks for the pointer
The interviews with General Hodges are among my favorites. Very insightful! I also appreciate this channel for getting so much interesting information from him. There are some high-quality interviews on this channel.
Vlad Vexer and Hodge, you have a very good judgement in the choice of guest.
Thank you! It was a huge privilege to interview both - and to get so much of their precious time!
@@SiliconCurtain The good Lt Gen has a full schedule, the other day he said he was on his 13th interview for the day, pass on the thanks of listeners who much appreciate his great analysis, proven by his vindication of predicting Ukrainian victories months ago! Vlad's fan base got you over 10K views last time I looked, love him! haha
These interviews will remain relevant for many years! A
I recently heard a lecture on public speaking and both these guys scored 100% across the board on establishing credibility, expertise, truthfulness, affability and good intentions. I usually get antsy during long interviews but I was really sorry when this one was over.
Excellent interview. It was good to see that the issue of war crimes was also addressed. The fate of those abducted children is particularly alarming. I hope the General is invited again.
Absolutely fantastic work!
That is praise indeed, from the master ☺️
@@SiliconCurtain Both of you gentlemen are true professionals...thank you for your clear and cogent delivery with exceptional guests...
Always a joy to see Mr Hodges in the spotlight. He makes all these sober analysis that comes through a little bit down the road. My favourite go-to General these days.
Thank you so much Ben Hodges. Your insights have been so on point for several months, and so encouraging to those of us who hope for a better world.
Another fantastic review on the war in Ukraine... Gen Hodges is a very clear concise communicator, capable and competent... They both know their jobs!
Excellent interview. It´s a big pleasure to listen to your sage ad wise words. Thank you so much Lt Gen. Ben Hodges.
LTG Hodges is a top favourite for having solid , full proof understanding of this war. And has accurately predicted a few outcomes.
Thanks for this interview 😊✊🏻
Hats off to you, General! It's been a privilege to hear you!
Agree
@@carolwilliams8511 Russia has taken the equivalent of Netherlands Belgium and Switzerland, that is a fact. Russia will not lose this war, they have already shown they have won by the amount of territory they have taken . These people are pushing a fake narrative , luring in more gulliable westerners to the meat grinder.
Comedy is a sign of intelligence. Highly successful comedians are invariably VERY intelligent people. This is something that is being overlooked by everyone who wants to disparage Zelenski for his former career. Zelenski has a phenomenal work ethic. He looks directly into the eyes of a massive world audience every day and speaks genuinely and directly. He does not rant or harangue. He speaks with a warm and genuine manner, He speaks to world leaders nearly daily. He will be remembered as Man of the Century.
So glad that you said this 👍
Yes correct. I agree. Nobody said it. He is a genuine person. A true leader to lead his nation into the victory.
Fully agreed. To be able to make something genuinely funny, one must understand it in a manner that others didn't. That's often why it's funny (past the low-level easy jokes).
Scott Adams (Dilbert comic and Podcast Coffee With Scott Adams) said that Zelenskyy changes the way he speaks depending on his audience. His ability to match his delivery to his audience is a masterful ability acquired from his acting experience and hugely useful for a world leader.
I like Zenenski, but his comedy looked horrific. Have you actually watched it? A high point was playing the piano with his man sausage (I'm not joking)
I've been following the statements of Lt Gen. Hodges since April and his analysis and professional insights delivered in understandable language has been very helpful to me understanding what is happening in Ukraine.
Will continue to follow his statements and hopefully would like to see a long-form recap from him once Ukraine wins the war.
Back in March, he claimed that the Russians were going to run out of both manpower and ammunition in ten days- after which, he said, that the Russian offensive would "culminate".
@@manilajohn0182 Russia has taken the equivalent of Netherlands Belgium and Switzerland, that is a fact. Russia will not lose this war, they have already shown they have won by the amount of territory they have taken . These people are pushing a fake narrative , luring in more gulliable westerners to the meat grinder.
Great talk. Yes, Ukrainian humor can be counted as a strategic tool. Precious mention of all the people, so many children among them, who have been forcibly removed and sent far away into Russia's backyard. Huge effort needed to address that.
Great interview!
Clearly two intelligent persons with deep understanding of the war in Ukraine. It shines through the whole conversation.
So glad I found this channel, keep up the good work!
Thank you so much. Your support means a lot.
@@SiliconCurtain And I, also! There's a lot of good (ret) general officers who love to share their depth of expertise, operational aspects and anecdotes about their life's pursuit as leaders of forces. Please keep inviting them on for learning, reflection and even some good fun! Thank YOU!
Ukraine leaving its cellphone network at full strength was a master stroke. Everyone else shuts it down from day one.
Enjoyed listening to mr Hodges military experience and thoughts on Ukraine 😊
I’ve been watching Lt. General Hodges for some months now. I wrote to my President 🇺🇸 three times to listen to his advice! I never thought I would do a thing like that. Ukrainians are so inspiring.
I fully agree!
I love him too. Amazing analysis every time. We have nobody this good in the UK.
I always enjoy Gen Hodges' interviews. Great interview.
This is the most righteous war in my lifetime. Slava Ukraine!
Agree
David beats Goliath
Brilliant... thank you so much to you both 🇺🇦👍
This is the most comprehensive technical summary to date. Hodges has accurately predicted the strategic developments of this conflict since the defense of Kyiv was in hand. Hopefully, his assessments hold and this whole situation comes to an end.
Russia has taken 100,000 Square Klms , how is that a loss ? This guy is talking total rubbish , saying the ukraine is now winning is a outright lie .
@@parabot2 You are wrong there. The territory that the invaders are currently sitting on has been slowly populated with Russians over a period of 20-30 years. When the invaders wanted to move they just went over the border to Russians who had taken up residence in the neighboring country, they didn't have to fight for anything because the land had already been populated by russians and absorbed by russians, illegally by the way. When the invaders had to actually fight they suddenly realized their army sucked and they are doing what was inevitable, they are running back to mother russia.
@@parabot2 “…how is that a loss ?”
Well, if you have to ask, you may not understand the answer, especially with all the coverage of the Russian Federation retreats.
Someone could give the answer to you, but with a small amount of research, your views might change in a way that would be impossible for anyone else to do.
Best of luck.
@@tedbaxter5234 Russia has taken the equivalent of Netherlands Belgium and Switzerland, that is a fact. Russia will not lose this war, they have already shown they have won by the amount of territory they have taken . Thats the reality on the ground .
A great interview with a military expert speaks not only with the benefit of a lifetime of practical soldiering but also with a breadth of vision that extends far beyond the purely military (which in my book is the mark of a great soldier). Thank you!
Love Ben Hodges!❤. Smartest guy, and bravest guy out there! He’s willing to speak out for what he believes!
What an intelligent informative conversation that was 👍
Great interview (as so many). It really struck me during this one that whereas up till now the narrative has been how much Ukraine needs/wants NATO, given the truly astonishing empirical excellence of the Ukrainian forces, the narrative now arguably has flipped and really should be how much NATO needs/wants Ukraine.
Agree!
Yes, I've been thinking the same - like should we (Sweden) want to be in an alliance that Ukraine isn't in? Seems like a cake with no icing.
No one talks about this other than a quick mention by the Perun channel - but Poland + Ukraine will be a military juggernaut in the post-war geopolitical landscape.
If Poland buys half of what it is planning - Poland/Ukraine would have a massive modern tank/artillery force + a million plus combined army.
@@nyhtfall5260 True
This man is at the forefront of reliable information, hope to see him again!
I honed in on Gen. Hodges at the outset of this war for the immense talents he possesses. So first, high praise to Mr. Fink. He got more information out of the General than I have seen before by simply bringing a sophisticated understanding to the interview so that the range of questions was strong, and better yet, the launching point of each question was already well into a strong expose of the truth. How many times did Mr. Fink get the General to sit up in his seat and sincerely say something complimentary like, "that's an excellent way to form that question"? Kudos.
And I do not purport to exist on the same plane as Gen. Hodges, but if I may:
Concerning the "slow" rate of Western shipments and the limited scope of materiel supplied, consider this,
The objective of Western support has been phrased incorrectly since the outset. It is not "to help Ukraine win". Nor is it to "bring an end to the war". I assert that the aim is to bring an end to Russian aggression/imperialism.
If your listened to Mr. Putin's mobilization speech, he said nearly that exact same thing.
To use the concept that Gen. Hodges mentioned, we aim to draw Russia to its culmination. Not as a nation, but as an aggressor.
History will show that at any point Putin could have withdrawn his troops and have preserved something of his country. Instead the autocrat has doubled down multiple times and has lead his nation to the edge of the cliff. If we can get the population of Russia to see they are no longer the Soviet Union AND as Gen. Hodges said himself, that the border with NATO is the one border Russia will never be invaded along, then and only then, will we have achieved something.
Dear Barbe online: Russia will never be what civilized EU wants it to be. At most it's the Bear-in-a-Cage.
@@marna7325 That'll do. For now. The West isn't going anywhere.
I totally agree with each of your points.
Well said.
Very well said! I agree that Mr. Fink is an excellent interviewer and that the fascinating discussion was due in large part to his high level, thoughtful questions and comments. Like many others, this conflict has galvanized me to more deeply understand the relationships, geopolitical issues and resources that concern NATO and indeed all Europe. And of course the ripples that bend outward to impact the whole world. Everyone is watching this. As it should be!
@@thestraightroad305 If I may,
If you are looking for greater understanding of the pertinent geopolitics, I suggest Vlad Vexler as a source to add to any you may currently have. Vlad has two channels, a "main" one and a "chat" one.
He was born in the Soviet Union, and as an emigrant studied political philosophy.
I know of no better source for explanations of Putin, the Kremlin, and the Russian people.
Vlad speaks in the same sort of forthright manner as the general does. No BS or ego.
I'm constantly impressed, by the quality of your guests. Keep up the good work!
Not the only one, General Hodges lets slip nuggets of wisdom in a constant stream. He is thoughtful and insightful. You can see he thinks and frames his answers before committing. I could listen to his insights on a daily basis,
Great interview and I'm greatly in impressed by general Ben Hodges and the inciteful questions of the interviewer. This just goes to show us how important our military is. I am happy that our government supports the freedom of Ukraine.
What are you talking about the western goverments instigated a coup of an elected government . And you sit here talking about freedom.
Thoroughly enjoyed this relaxed overview, thank you. Agree, the Ukrainians’ tech savvy essential telecommunications etc and the discipline of the services fighting has been so impressive. Also, daily reports from the President and openly sharing the war crimes and progress of the Invasion has been vital for informing and maintaining maximum support 🙏🙏🙏
Absolutely brilliant!! First time around, started taking notes; second time, filled 10 pages of notes (and most likely still missed quite a bit) An excellent culmination of the hundreds of hours observing this war. I confess, my time had less to do with the Ukrainian victory, but, rather, the defeat of the Russians.
So glad you found it useful!
I didn’t even know there was an exam!
@@davethebrahman9870 For many people the act of writing (notes) is a kinesthetic exercise that fixes the information in memory. It works quite differently from typing or re-reading a typed text.
Listening to Gen. Hodges is always enlightening and a treat. Kudos to you sir.
Outstanding interview!
Very insightful, gentlemen. Thank you for posting.
Extraordinary interview. Many thanks to you both for calling it for what it is....a genocide that has backfired on Russia.
General hodges has been extremely accurate right from the start
Thank you! Great conversation
What an educated and experienced guest. Thank you.
I am pleased to find in Lt. Gen. Hodges someone who agrees with me that the Russian Federation is likely to collapse as a result of this war. In re the ubiquity of cell phones, we see how they can help to spread panic.
Great discussion General Hodges! Thank you for bringing your intelligent insightful understanding to this important discussion!
Great interview!
Good conversation , no BS or opinion without backup , sensible discussion , thank you gentlemen.
Very insightful interview - fantastic. 👍Cheers, fellas.
Just discovered your channel. Have seen LTG Hodges on various US cable networks. Great to hear his insights over an extended period. Excellent, informative interview. Thank you.
Slava Ukraine. Love from England💙💛💙
Well done! Ben Hodges is the man to ,listen to on this! Excellent interview, old bean.
Hodges interview was excellent! You are doing great with your channel. Very informative. You have a good straightforward interviewing technique and, from the qs you ask, you do your homework. Your views per video are deservedly starting to rise from the lows of your first videos. Keep at it! Appreciate your work. Well done.
Thank you so much! Yes, I put 4-5 hours into preparing for each interview.
Amazing Conversation by two really nice gents.
Ukraine/Ukrainians must be protected/shielded from harm.
Superb and in-depth
Incredible. Thank you.
This is a great interview and channel!!!
I agree
"they've paid the price with a destroyed tank on a tik tok video" ... what a great quote!
_Brilliant interview!_
...subscribed.
Absolutely brilliant content and well done all parties
Biden and advisors should be taking this talk to heart 🇺🇦😀🙏👍
This was the most brilliant report regarding the war
THANKS .......Jove listening to General Hodges !
I only clicked on your channel because you were interviewing LTG Hodges, who has been a goldmine of intelligence. I subscribed after viewing because you did it well. Thank you.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the other content!
I’ve been watching Denys Davydov and other Ukrainian war map sites and never a whisper about the Kharkiv offensive. It just looked like the usual tiny back and forth of trading territory at first. It was all about Kherson, Kherson, Kherson. I love surprises!!!
I've watched many interviews of Ben Hodges and have always learned something new about the conduct of the war in Ukraine. Ben is particularly effective because he is able to deliver his arguments in a well-organized and understandable way and is not afraid of going out on a limb to make predictions.
Kudos also to the interviewer. The questions were very good, refreshing in fact, not the usual ones that have become so tiresome (Will the coalition fall apart? What about Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons?). Moreover, the interviewer did not interrupt Hodges, which earns him another 100 points. I've seen so many videos where just as the interviewee was getting into the meat of his or her answer to a question the interviewer would interrupt to ask a different question, typically one that was inane and/or repetitive. That is so annoying!
That was a great watch! Current and forward looking.
Great guest, great questions!
Fantastic presentation!!!
Thanks Ben
Best interview I have seen of General Ben! Jonathan's questions were superb, and Ben's replies were outstanding. We need to give him a big map that he can point at. :) Слава Україні Героям Слава
Thank you for this interview. 👍
Ben Hodges is a great coherent guest, wish people like him with a commitment to rights would be in politics.
Best interview ever.
Ben is awesome!
I don't think the General is getting paid for his time and expertise. He is just a great man!
Good informative show 👏 thank you
Excellent interview and very thought out questions. Really enjoyed this.
I've become a big fan of the General. Interestingly,. (by his enthusiasm for Putin's project) Ramzan Kadyrov may end up naked & vulnerable back in Chechnya - in a way that Lukashenko has so far avoided by keeping his army out of Ukraine.
Ben Hodges remains an invaluable source of informed analyses on the current RF invasion of Ukraine. Thanks, Silicon Curtain, for the interview.
Very penetrating and pertinent quiestions; excellent interview!
Excellent content and excellent guest speaker. He should be a standard/de facto contributor on DW, CBC and CNN, etc!
Fascinating. Thank you.
I've been listening to Lt. Gen Hodges for a while now.
Been on the button for calling how this will play out every time
Pretty impressive !
Great interview...thank you
So much admiration and respect for the Ukrainian armed forces and resistance.
Slava Ukraini
Heroiam Slava
What a fabulous guy he is not just big news channels but also smaller like yours brilliant interview thanks
Excellent interview!
Thanks, great discussion. Lots of original comments and ideas.
Great interview. General Hodges and General Hertling are some of the best military experts around. Would have liked some more discussion around the risk of nuclear weapons.
We just ran out of time unfortunately. Also I am very wary of amplifying the Kremlin’s terroristic threats about the use of non-conventional weapons…
thank you gen. hodges.
Very insightful and what a great analysis!!!!
'aura of invincibility' was the word you were looking for Ben. 😄
wow that was great
It’s always easy to listen to GEN Hodges. He speaks very clearly yet with enough military lingo to project the authority of his experience. I totally agree with his forecast for war and Ukraine’s success.
What I am interested in is GEN Hodges opinion of the future of Irkutsk, Kamchatka, and Mongolia in reference to China seizing territory. Does the US have a plan for at least Kamchatka?
Russia 57th in the world in per capita GDP, they need to get a grip on their actual influence these days which is close to zero.
This is very much the point! They can’t gain attention in the world through cultural and economic impact - but instead need to grab headlines through violence and aggression…
Thank you for this excellent in-depth discussion of the current conditions in Ukraine defending itself against the Russian illegal genocidal invasion.
Superb discussion!!!!!
You really do a good job. Very few of these types of interviews stand the test of time, but this was as compelling today as, I can see from the comments it was 3 months ago. Your framing of Putin's frustration at the erosion of the former Soviet sphere was concise and insightful in a way I'd never heard it stated before.
I sometimes hear Russian speakers saying that, “the invaded nation brought this attack/invasion upon themselves, because the invaded nation objected to being invaded”, or words to that effect and meaning. It makes me want to cheer even more for that invaded nation, when they defend themselves.