Crimea will be key in Ukrainian-Russian war, - Hodges
The struggle for the liberation of Crimea from illegal occupation will be key in the Ukrainian-Russian war.
This opinion was expressed in an interview with Insider by General Ben Hodges, former commander of the U.S. forces in Europe, reports Censor.NЕТ with reference to Ukrinform.
"Crimea is the decisive battleground in this war. The Ukrainian government realizes that it cannot accept Russia's continued control over Crimea," Hodges said.
In his opinion, Ukraine "will not be safe and will not be able to rebuild its economy as long as Russia keeps Crimea."
"Over the next few months, Ukraine will create conditions for the final liberation of Crimea," the General emphasized.
According to him, to liberate Crimea, Ukraine will need long-range precision weapons, such as ATACMS.
"The transfer of weapons that can deprive Russia of any sanctuary after its missile and air strikes will allow Ukraine to make Crimea unusable for the Russians," Hodges said.
He added that liberating Crimea would also require isolating the peninsula from Russia and destroying the Kerch Bridge.
In this regard, the General criticized the Biden administration for its reluctance to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons, noting that "innocent Ukrainians are dying because of it."
