Euroscopic S2E5: Gen. Hodges (ret.) wants a clear Ukraine goal

What does an MEP and a U.S. Army general (ret.) have in common? (Besides this podcast.) Both are looking to 2024 and asking, in his own way, what do we as a society want?Damian Boeselager, the pan-EU Volt party’s only representative in Brussels, explains the baked-in disconnect between how the European Union works and why it gets so little credit for doing anything. Even as pro-EU national governments make the case for the importance of the bloc, they then often like to steal its thunder.One thing the EU does appear to be intent on is adding a defense feather to the regulatory, economic, and fiscal feathers already in its cap. An EU army may be a long way off (if it ever comes), but weapon production and procurement seem like goals most can get behind. Getting there will require a new way that the EU looks at itself — not to be mention a lot of money for a new bucket of policy initiatives.All good, as long as it doesn’t cannibalize NATO, says Lt. Gen. (ret.) Ben Hodges. The former commander of U.S. Army Europe wants the West to get real about Ukraine: Set a goal, make a plan, and get there. Ignore the nuclear noise.Winning in Ukraine, however, might be tough when one of its biggest backers can’t keep its phone lines secure. We tried — really! — not to talk about Germany this week, but Germany wouldn’t let us. So we run through the Taurus and eavesdropping affair(s) as speedily as possible.Plus, France makes history that American Democrats could only balk at. Poland and Brussels bury the €137 billion axe over rule of law — provisionally, of course.Listen in and stay tuned as we further develop this venture with our partner, EUobserver. We welcome your feedback, so be in touch! You can subscribe here and get us where your ears go for podcasts:* Apple Podcasts* Spotify* EUObserverAmong other things, Martin Gak writes Inconclusive Thoughts; and William Glucroft writes The ‘Schland. We’d love to see you over there, too!The music clip that you surely know and love is here in full.As a tiny operation, we do our best to spellcheck, factcheck, and contextualize all the information presented in the podcast. But pobody’s nerfect. If you hear something that doesn’t sound right — write! We welcome your feedback. Facts matter.ds This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit euroscopic.substack.com