Ben Hodges: ‘Crimea is essential for Ukraine’s sovereignty and future prosperity’
Ben Hodges, American general and former commander of U.S. Army Europe (Photo: Kuba Atys / Agencja Wyborcza.pl)
Russia will never agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine without real economic pressure, primarily from Europe, retired U.S. Army Europe commander General Ben Hodges said in an interview with journalist Vasyl Pekhno on Radio NV.
Vasyl Pekhno: Thank you for joining us, Mr. Hodges. I'm especially glad to see you not just online but in person.
Ben Hodges: Thanks for having me—and for the opportunity to speak with you.
Vasyl Pekhno: Let’s begin with a specific issue—security in the Black Sea, particularly Crimea. Mr. Hodges, as you know, Crimea has recently resurfaced in speeches by Donald Trump, and not in ways Ukrainians find reassuring. Do you think there’s still a chance for Ukraine to reclaim Crimea?
Ben Hodges: I’ve also been very concerned by what I’m hearing from the current U.S. administration about the war. Their overall approach is troubling. I believe President Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s leadership have been right not to ignore those statements, but also to make it clear that no negotiations can happen before a ceasefire. No one trusts Russia. Unless Russia can demonstrate it will honor a ceasefire, why should Ukraine sit down at the table?
And I found it appalling that some in Washington started from the assumption that Ukraine should give up territory—even before serious negotiations had begun. That’s a deeply flawed and unacceptable position. Ukraine should not cave to pressure, especially when it comes to a place as strategically important as Crimea. This isn’t just another piece of land—Catherine the Great took it for a reason. Its strategic location gives it enormous value.
Vasyl Pekhno: You’ve said before that Crimea is the key to the entire war.
Ben Hodges: Exactly. And if Ukraine manages to regain Crimea—however it happens—it would change everything. And I do believe Ukraine will get it back.
Vasyl Pekhno: Do you believe that could happen through military means? Or should Ukraine be focusing more on diplomatic options?
Ben Hodges: I can’t imagine Putin giving up Crimea diplomatically. That’s hard to see. But I trust the Ukrainian General Staff and military intelligence—they’ve been smart in their strategy. Broadly speaking, the approach should be to isolate Crimea so that Russian forces can’t move in or out. That means eventually the Kerch Bridge has to go. But it also means making the peninsula untenable—ensuring Russian planes can’t fly, ships can’t sail, and there’s no logistical support for their forces.
You can achieve this through long-range precision strikes, sabotage, special operations—whatever it takes to make Crimea unusable for Russia. Isolation and denial of use are the key steps before reclaiming it. Eventually, of course, troops will have to move in. But I don’t see some kind of massive amphibious landing—that’s unrealistic in an age of drones and long-range weapons. Still, I have confidence in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They’ll find a way. It might not happen this year—or next. But for Ukraine’s sovereignty and future prosperity, Crimea is essential.
Vasyl Pekhno: So maybe not this year, maybe not next?
Ben Hodges: I’m not putting a timeline on it—because I don’t know.
Vasyl Pekhno: Military leaders usually avoid making predictions, and that’s fair. But from a midterm perspective, is there any diplomatic effort right now that seems promising?
Ben Hodges: Nothing from the American side inspires confidence. I have zero faith in this administration’s diplomatic approach. This is where Europe needs to step up—working closely with Ukraine, together with Canada and the UK—to help get us to a ceasefire. Only then can negotiations begin.
I like what Finnish President Alexander Stubb proposed: a three-phase process—preparation, ceasefire, negotiation. Until there’s a ceasefire, there should be no negotiation. All the diplomatic activity going on—in Washington, Paris, London, Brussels, Kyiv, Riyadh, even potentially involving the Pope—that’s all part of the preparation phase. The goal is to build enough pressure to reach a ceasefire.
Russia won’t agree to one unless it’s forced to. That pressure has to come from European unity—squeezing the Russian oil and gas sector and showing the Kremlin that Ukraine is being backed with everything it needs. Eventually, Russia will see that the situation is deteriorating and that it’s better to negotiate now than lose even more later. That’s how I see this playing out—but it’s going to take time.
Vasyl Pekhno: And if that never happens? Should Ukraine and its partners shift fully toward military production?
Ben Hodges: That’s already happening. And I encourage every defense company I speak with to invest in Ukraine. Ukraine is already ramping up its own weapons production—and it’s impressive. That must continue. Defense investment will be critical either way.
Vasyl Pekhno: What message would you like to send to Ukrainians today—our audience and listeners?
Ben Hodges: I agree with others who’ve said: there is no security in the Black Sea as long as Russia keeps attacking Ukraine. Peace, free navigation—none of that is possible until Russia is defeated. So it’s in the interest of every country in the region—Türkiye, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova—that Ukraine succeeds.
Second, it’s hard to imagine Ukraine’s reconstruction while Russia still holds 20% of its territory, including Crimea. Big investors will hesitate if they think the war could reignite. So the fastest path to rebuilding Ukraine is defeating Russia.
And if people don’t see progress, millions of Ukrainians may choose to stay in Central or Western Europe. That would be a tragedy for Ukraine. But I think Ukraine’s leadership understands this. Despite nightly attacks, the government has done a solid job—certainly not perfect—but a solid job of maintaining public trust.
There are still hundreds of thousands of military-aged Ukrainians in Europe. I hope the government finds a way to bring many of them back.
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