‘Absolutely not’: Retired US Army officer says UK has failed to learn lessons from Ukraine

A retired US Army lieutenant general has poured cold water on the suggestion that the UK is doing enough to learn lessons from the over four-year-long war in Ukraine during a committee hearing in Westminster. 

Lieutenant General (Ret’d) Ben Hodges, a former Commanding General of US Army Europe from 2014 to 2017, told the assembled MPs and Lords that the UK is “absolutely not” doing enough to incorporate these lessons into the planning for future conflict. 

The joint National Security Strategy Committee is currently looking at ‘Deterrence in an age of Russian aggression’, with this particular evidence session focusing on what role the UK should play in a changing Nato alliance.

“Everybody I talk to that deals with this is frustrated that there is still no sense of urgency, that somehow, what the Ukrainians are having to do, that there’s no way that we would actually have to do that,” Lt Gen (Ret’d) Hodges said. 

“And so not because these people are bad or stupid. It’s just institutionally, it usually takes a real catastrophe to force us all to get off the track that we were already on. 

“I think the next war for all of us is not necessarily going to be what Ukraine is doing right now. So, you don’t want to learn the wrong lessons or do away with armoured vehicles or other types of platforms.”

He explained to the committee that information has now become the weapon in theatre. 

His remarks came after a defence think tank found that RAF bases are being monitored and spied on by Russian drones slipping through UK air defences. 

The International Institute for Strategic Studies report said that 48% of the incidents studied occurred over military facilities. 

The committee hearing followed the latest Nato Summit last week in Ankara, Turkey, where the 32-member alliance continued its shift towards European countries taking on more responsibility for their own defence.

Asked by Lord Hutton, a former defence secretary, about a more European-led Nato, Lt Gen (Ret’d) Hodges said: “It’s almost inevitable that it’s going that way based on what this administration does and even some other administrations. 

“I do think that we are going to regret it one day, lost relevance and influence in Europe, as the administration tries to encourage or cajole Europe and Canada to take on more of a leading role.”

Part of this change has seen a British general take over one of Nato’s key operational commands. 

Lieutenant General Nick Perry will become Commander of Joint Force Command (JFC) Norfolk in September 2026, taking up the role on promotion to general. 

Lord Hutton went on to question the former US Army officer on what the alliance would look like if the Europeans took greater control of Nato.

Lt Gen (Ret’d) Hodges explained that several Nato areas will not look different, including the headquarters and the nuclear deterrent. 

However, he suggested that replacing the US intelligence capability would be difficult. 

“I would think so, because everybody has gone along with this because of, frankly, the quality of it,” he added. 

“If for some reason that was no longer going to be the case, then you’ve got 31 other nations trying to agree on whose system is going to be used. 

“I think that would not be a good problem to have to deal with.”

Additional reporting by Tom Sables.