Monday, February 23, 2026

Ben Hodges: Europe Has the Power — But Not the Political Will | DW News

Feb 20, 2026 | Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war is far from over — and its outcome remains uncertain.

DW’s Washington Bureau Chief sits down with retired U.S. General Ben Hodges for a blunt conversation about what went wrong and what comes next. Hodges criticizes U.S. leadership for lacking a clear objective, calls Trump’s negotiation strategy “doomed from the start,” and explains how NATO emerged stronger with the addition of Sweden and Finland.

He also delivers a stark message to Europe: the power to stop Russia exists — but the political will does not.