Ben Hodges is a retired United States Army officer, who became commander of United States Army Europe in November 2014, and held that position for three years until retiring from the United States Army in January 2018. Until recently he was the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies, at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, specialising in NATO, Transatlantic relationship and international security. ----------DESCRIPTION: Geopolitical Tensions: Russia's Aggression and Strategic Implications - With Ben HodgesIn this episode, Jonathan interviews Ben Hodges, retired United States Army officer and former commander of United States Army Europe. The discussion covers a range of geopolitical issues, including Russia's recent attacks on EU, UK, and US assets in Ukraine, and the potential consequences of perceived US disengagement under the Trump administration. Hodges shares insights on the likelihood of Russia feeling emboldened to act against NATO countries and the strategic importance of Europe acting collectively as a superpower. The conversation also delves into the tactical behaviors of both Putin and Trump, the risks of inadvertent escalation into a larger conflict, and the necessity for Europe to defend itself and support Ukraine in the absence of consistent US backing.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction00:58 Current Geopolitical Tensions01:31 Trump Administration's Impact on Global Politics02:09 Russia's Tactical Moves and Global Reactions04:04 Europe's Role and Strategic Interests07:58 Ukraine's Defense and Strategic Moves11:59 Potential Future Scenarios and Strategic Planning20:12 Conclusion and Final Thoughts----------LINKS:https://twitter.com/general_benhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hodges https://cepa.org/author/ben-hodges/ https://warsawsecurityforum.org/speaker/hodges-ben-lt-gen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hodges-1674b1172/ ----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/-----------