"I'm sure it will end in Crimea," US General Ben Hodges predicts course of Russia's war on Ukraine 

Hodges shared his opinion in an interview for the BBC.

"This war will end when the last Russian soldier crosses that great bridge across the Kerch Strait. I believe that Ukrainian forces have the potential to push Russian forces back to the line on February 23 — by the end of this year. I think it's really possible. It will be difficult, but I think it is quite possible." - the general said.

According to his forecast, Ukrainian troops will control Crimea by the middle of next year, if the West continues to fulfill all its promises and supports sanctions that "will not allow Russia to get back on its feet."

"So to me, this partial mobilization and the threats coming from the Kremlin are an acknowledgment that the situation is rapidly deteriorating. And these situations can sometimes accelerate. It could all fall apart faster than we expect. I hope it does. The sooner, the better. But I am surprisingly sure that it will end in Crimea with full control of Ukraine over its sovereign territory," Hodges believes.

As for threats to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the general said that this is an unlikely option.

"I think it's unlikely that they will actually use nuclear weapons. I don't think that Putin and people from his entourage - no matter how evil they are - that they are suicidal," Hodges said. - And I think that the people who keep President Putin in power think that after him there will be life, and that after him there will be Russia. Therefore, the West, the international community should focus on these people, saying: "Look, don't let him throw Russia off the cliff."