US General says NATO armies have to learn from Ukrainian military, not vice versa
Photo: Ben Hodges (Getty Images)
Ukraine surprises the Alliance with innovative approaches to war, from drones to naval operations, and is now becoming a model for NATO, Business Insider reports, citing retired US Army General Ben Hodges.
"Most NATO armies could not meet Ukrainian standards, in terms of actual combat effectiveness," Hodges said in an interview with Kyiv Post. The veteran commanded US forces in Europe from 2014 to 2017.
NATO's weaknesses
Hodges emphasized that NATO still lacks strong coordination between units from different countries. "We still cannot communicate securely with British or German units," a retired US Army General noted.
According to Hodges, Ukrainians sometimes look at such NATO efforts to train them with irony. "We should be begging them to help us learn how to do what they're doing," a former US military said.
Ukrainian frontline experience
Since the beginning of the war, NATO has trained around 192,000 Ukrainian troops. Some were taught to operate Western equipment, and others underwent tactical training outside Ukraine. However, Ukrainian soldiers criticized part of the training, considering it disconnected from the realities of the front line.
New technologies, especially the use of cheap drones in combat, have radically changed the approach to warfare. Ukraine has demonstrated how to apply these effectively in practice.
Navy without ships
The general also highlighted Ukraine's success in the Black Sea. "They have shown the entire world that you can defeat a conventional navy, at least in an enclosed body of water like the Black Sea, without having to have capital ships of your own. Lots for us to learn there," Hodges said. This experience is valuable for countries with limited naval capabilities, such as Romania and Bulgaria.
Integrated air defense
Ukraine has also developed an advanced air defense system that integrates data on missiles, drones, and fighter jets. According to Hodges, NATO should learn from this as well.
"You're not going to waste Patriots on drones," a retired US Army General explained. He also called for a joint system to be established between Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic states, Germany, the US, and Türkiye.
Soviet Army legacy
However, according to Hodges, Ukraine must reform the structure of its army. He pointed to excessive bureaucracy and an outdated command model inherited from the USSR.
"That means that the government has got to earn the confidence of the people," a former US military said. "That their sons or daughters will not get sent off to the war until they are properly trained, properly equipped, and put into a well-trained, ready unit."
Earlier, in March, the Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, stated that NATO's armies are not ready for modern warfare involving drones.
In 2024, Ben Hodges also said that the Crimean Bridge could be destroyed by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, not necessarily by ATACMS or Storm Shadow missiles.
