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Why Didn’t Germany Wake Up to Putin? Ret. US General Explains



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Recently, Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson from Russian occupation, opening up various strategic opportunities they can leverage against Russia's ongoing invasion. Ukrainian forces can strategically redistribute HIMARS and long-range precision weaponry along the banks of the Dnipro River. Repositioning its weapons systems will allow Ukraine to strike all Russian defenses and logistical resupply systems established north of the Crimean peninsula. Ukrainian forces are disrupting Russian logistical systems near Crimea and across all occupied Ukrainian territories. They are attacking rail lines, cutting off access to resupply, and making it incredibly difficult for Russia to reposition their troops.

While Ukrainian armed forces liberate large swaths of occupied territory, Russia continues to commit war crimes and murder civilians indiscriminately. The Russians are losing in every aspect of this war, which is why they bombard Ukrainian cities with missiles. These strikes deliver calculated devastation courtesy of Russia and Vladimir Putin. They target Ukraine's power grid to starve civilians of warmth, clean water, and other necessities.

The longer Russia does this, the more Ukrainian civilians will die. But Ukrainians will not stop until they restore sovereignty to all of their lands, and the West can help them achieve that. Hodges makes a clear call on Western leaders to provide ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. ATACMS missiles have a tactical range of 300 kilometers and would allow Ukraine to strike critical Russian military infrastructure without waiting for Russian troops to inch closer to Ukrainian cities.

As the war rages on, international support from Ukraine's western allies has never been more critical. In Germany, over 60 percent of the public favors continued support for Ukraine by sending military and other forms of aid. But German security expert Jessica Berlin points out that while German citizens often advocate for aid, German government officials lack the moral courage to speak up for it. For almost three decades, Germany has had friendly relations with Russia. Germany's Social Democratic Party (SDP), the party of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is no exception.

Scholz and Steinmeier have advocated for closer ties to Russia over the years, with Steinmeier admitting that he misdiagnosed how dangerous Russia could become as an international actor. Berlin points out the importance of Steinmeier's role as a leader and as a moral voice. Germany needs moral courage now more than ever from its state officials so that Ukraine can receive the adequate support they need to win. Ukraine can survive this war only through the support of Western nations and the moral fortitude of leaders who benefit from the freedom and democratic values Ukraine is fighting so desperately to maintain.

General Hodges reminds us of something that often gets lost in geopolitics: this war is about human beings. As winter approaches, millions of Ukrainians remain at the mercy of a harsh environment, precarious living conditions, and the constant threat of obliteration from a Russian missile. The need for solidarity and continued military aid amongst western democracies cannot be understated. Maintaining pressure against Putin will result in better lives and a better world for those who value freedom and democracy everywhere.


Presented by:
Lieutenant General (Retired) Ben Hodges. United States Army
With:
Jessica Berlin
Filmed and Edited by:
Dan Poole
Grooming and Camera Assistant:
Iva Decheva
Sound Design by:
JD Evans
VFX by:
Smith Robinson Multimedia
Produced by:
Matt Dreher
Cort Kristensen
Dan Poole
Executive Producers:
Uriel Epshtein
Noor Greene
Additional Graphics:
Gabriel Strobel
Additional Writing:
Sohan Mewada
Licensed Archive by:
Pond 5
Planet Labs
Licensed Music by:
Audio Network
Special thanks to Laurence Markham and Duncan Flight and Park Plaza Westminster
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