Retired US general Ben Hodges says Putin has “bought” Trump

Retired US general Ben Hodges said in a televised discussion that US President Donald Trump is under pressure from Vladimir Putin and, in his view, has been “bought”. The general’s remarks were reported by the German outlets Die Welt and Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.

“It is perfectly obvious that Trump has come under pressure from Vladimir Putin. I think he has been bought,” Hodges said. In his opinion, Trump now has two options: either admit it and say “yes, I belong to Putin”, or stall for as long as possible and hope that a future successor will protect him from criminal prosecution.

Corruption as an election issue

The retired general did not stop at accusations of ties to the Kremlin. “As an American, I can only say this: we have never had a perfect president. But it is embarrassing to have a head of state who is not only corrupt himself but also gives others the chance to be corrupt,” he added.

According to Hodges, corruption was one of the main reasons why people should not have voted for Trump’s Republicans in the congressional elections. He argues that enriching Trump’s family has been turned into a national goal. Young people, the general believes, are watching this especially closely, and that, in his view, explains why so many young voters cast their ballots against Republican candidates.

“Ukraine will win”

Hodges was optimistic about the course of the war in Ukraine. “Ukraine will win this war. Ukrainians will drive the Russians out of their country,” he assured. He said the new Congress, which is controlled by the Democratic Party, will secure stronger support for Kyiv.

At the same time, the general believes that a strong Europe is also needed, and above all a strong Germany. “Europe is capable of doing what is necessary. And Germany is the only European country strong enough to set this process in motion,” Hodges said.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz