The former Commander of US Forces in Europe, retired US General Ben Hodges, has strongly condemned the threats made by Donald Trump against Denmark. “It’s appalling when a designated US President speaks in such a way about the territory of a NATO ally” Hodges told Bild (Monday edition). “This undermines the cohesion of our military alliance.”
Hodges fears that Moscow and Beijing will also use Trump’s statements for their own purposes. “None of this is helpful, because the Russians and the Chinese will quickly use it to justify what they do” said the ex-US General. Trump recently stated that the US could take control of Greenland, and possibly pursue this goal with military means.
The retired US General does not consider it realistic for the designated President to actually carry out such a plan. “It would surprise me greatly if US officers would do that” Hodges said. “For me, it sounds like an illegal order, an unprovoked attack on NATO allies to start. I mean, it just sounds so unfeasible and so unlikely.”
Hodges warned the Germans of an open conflict with Trump and cautioned that the consequences of a US nuclear withdrawal from Europe would be dangerous. “If the US President says that Europe has to rely on the nuclear deterrent of France and the UK, then Russia will immediately see how vulnerable Europe is without the American nuclear deterrent” Hodges said.