After months of planning, Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive to reclaim wide swaths of land occupied by Russian forces is progressing “slower than desired,” according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Intense battles are taking place in eastern and southern Ukraine, and some Western analysts have observed that Ukraine’s efforts are “not meeting expectations” on the battlefield because of the fortification of Russian lines of defense. The West has provided substantial military assistance for Kyiv’s counteroffensive – and appears committed to providing support for the long haul. With the counteroffensive still in its early stages, what can we expect?
Join us for a virtual discussion about the ongoing war in Ukraine on Tuesday, June 27, at 11:00 am ET with Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, Senior Advisor at Human Rights First and Retired Commanding General of United States Army Europe.
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges served as Commanding General of the United States Army Europe from 2014 to 2017 before his retirement from the Army in early 2018. Based in Frankfurt, he is currently a Senior Advisor to Human Rights First and a NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics. General Hodges has also served in a variety of Joint and Army Staff positions, including Tactics Instructor; Chief of Plans, 2nd Infantry Division, in Korea; Aide-de-Camp to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe; Chief of Staff, XVIII Airborne Corps; Director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Cell on the Joint Staff; Chief of Legislative Liaison for the United States Army; and Commander of NATO Allied Land Command (İzmir, Turkey).
After his first assignment as an Infantry Lieutenant in Garlstedt, Germany, General Hodges commanded Infantry units at the Company, Battalion, and Brigade levels in the 101st Airborne Division, including Command of the First Brigade Combat Team “Bastogne” of the 101st Airborne Division in Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2004). His other operational assignments include Chief of Operations for Multi-National Corps – Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom (2005-2006) and Director of Operations, Regional Command South, in Kandahar, Afghanistan (2009-2010). General Hodges is co-author of the book Future War and the Defence of Europe, published by Oxford University Press.
