Drawing parallels to US Navy operations in the Red Sea, where missiles targeting cargo ships are intercepted, Hodges advocated for a similar approach in Ukraine.
“We're not talking about NATO forces engaging Russian forces, but we are talking about doing exactly what the US Navy is doing in the Red Sea, knocking down missiles that are being aimed at cargo ships. Why don't we do the same thing, knock down missiles that are intended to hit civilian targets?” he said.
Hodges also called on Eastern European NATO members, particularly Romania and Poland, to consider active measures against missiles within their airspace.
“Romania and Poland, for example, and other Eastern European NATO countries should consider being able to strike, to counter these missiles from inside their own airspace,” he said, highlighting the strategic importance of these nations in the current conflict.
In his analysis of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Hodges criticized the effectiveness of current sanctions against Russia, noting that they have loopholes allowing support from countries like Iran and China.
“Clearly, there are holes in the sanctions, and also not only are the Iranians providing the Shaheds [kamikaze drones], but the Chinese are very clearly providing capabilities to Russia. This is something that the United States and the European Union are going to have to address,” he pointed out.
Hodges also underscored the global implications of the conflict, warning that the West's response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine is being closely monitored by other adversarial nations.
“Ukraine's going to keep fighting no matter what. But we in the West are going to lose big if we don't help Ukraine defeat Russia because what Russia is doing, the Chinese are watching. What Iran is doing through their proxies, Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah, the Chinese are watching,” he remarked, stressing the urgency for a decisive and robust Western response.
Source: PAP, ERR
