In an interview with the "Vot Tak" project, Hodges stressed that key Russian military facilities, including those in Kaliningrad and Sevastopol, would be destroyed within hours of the start of the conflict.
"Imagine Russia attacking Poland in the same pattern as Ukraine in 2025. NATO would react immediately. The air force and ground forces would destroy Russian troops. Kaliningrad would be eliminated in the first few hours, there would be nothing left. The same goes for Sevastopol," Hodges said, adding that Russia has no chance. in direct conflict with NATO.
The general was particularly critical of the Western response to the start of the war in Ukraine in 2014, pointing out that Western countries were too economically dependent on Russian energy sources, which limited their resolve.
"Many then said: 'Don't exaggerate, Russia is a serious country with nuclear weapons.'"We did not send a clear signal that Kremlin will answer for its aggression. The Minsk agreements were empty, and the sanctions had no effect," said Hodges, according to the media.
In his opinion, at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO should have clearly defined the goal, which is the complete liberation of Ukrainian territory, and should have provided Kiev with all the necessary resources.
"If it had been immediately declared a common goal, Ukraine would be in a much better position today," Hodges is convinced.
Instead, he says, Western capitals wasted time on discussions about possible Russian nuclear threats and negotiations, which only benefited Moscow.
Meanwhile, NATO is considering more decisive measures against Russia, including deploying attack drones near the Russian border and changing the rules for firing on Russian aircraft.
According to reports, Russia is stepping up covert and overt attacks on Europe, entering the so-called 'zero phase' of preparations for a conflict with NATO, which includes information and psychological operations.
Hodges' warning comes at a time when tensions between Russia and the West are escalating, and NATO is strengthening its defense readiness to respond to potential threats.
