– Two things can bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table – Dagsavisen

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Ben Hodges, former commander of US forces in Europe, says in an interview with the Finnish broadcaster Yle that strength must be shown if the war is to end.

– Only the use of force or threats of the use of force can stop Vladimir Putin. Nothing happens until Putin sees that he can actually lose, Hodges believes.

– A lot needs to be done before Putin wants to negotiate

Only then will Russia’s president, who was re-elected after the weekend’s disputed election, look around for a negotiation result that can preserve his position and power, the general believes.

He is supported by senior researcher Karsten Friis at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (Nupi).

– Hodges is right. It takes a lot before Putin wants to negotiate. Military losses are probably the only thing that can trigger it – if at all, writes Friis in an e-mail to Dagsavisen.

Senior researcher Karsten Friis at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (Nupi). (Christopher Olsson)

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Hodges: Could make Russia think about alternatives

According to Ben Hodges, the point about coercion and the use of force is not about a direct attack on Russia, but rather about showing strength through continued support for Ukraine and Ukrainian forces’ fight on the ground, as well as forcing Russia to comply with international agreements.

American General Ben Hodges. (ATTILA KISBENEDEK/Afp)

The general also refers to recent actions by French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron has not ruled out that NATO forces could enter Ukraine, despite the fact that Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has rejected this possibility. Hodges believes Macron’s move is of a tactical nature.

– Such “strategic uncertainty”, i.e. the possibility of NATO forces in Ukraine, can make Russia think about different options and threat scenarios, Hodges points out to Yle.

Putin himself has commented on Macron’s moves.

– It could lead the world to the brink of the third world war, Putin said when asked by a Reuters journalist at a press conference on Sunday evening.

– It is obvious to everyone that this is going to be one step away from a full-scale third world war. I think hardly anyone would be interested in it, said the Russian president.

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Vladimir Putin was re-elected with over 87 percent of the vote in the Russian presidential election. (Mikhail Tereshchenko/AP)

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Facts about Vladimir Putin

• Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, on October 7, 1952.
• Former KGB agent. In 1998, he became head of the Russian security service FSB.
• In 1999, was appointed prime minister by President Boris Yeltsin. When Yeltsin stepped down on 31 December 1999, Putin became acting president.
• Was formally elected president in 2000 and re-elected for another four-year term in 2004.
• In 2008 he became Prime Minister under President Dmitry Medvedev. According to the constitution, Russian presidents could not serve for more than two consecutive terms.
• In March 2012, he was again elected president for six new years.
• In 2018, Putin was re-elected for a new six-year term with almost 77 percent of the vote, according to the official results.
• A constitutional amendment in 2020 enabled Putin to remain in power until 2036.
• In February 2022, Putin invaded Ukraine with large military forces.
• In the election last weekend, Putin was re-elected with at least 87 percent of the vote after all real opposition candidates were banned from the election.

(Sources: NTB, AFP, The New York Times)

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