BERLIN, August 20. /TASS/. Retired commander of US forces in Europe Ben Hodges said Berlin and Washington are too slow in providing military aid to Kiev, according to his interview with the German newspaper Tagesspiegel.

"Does the West want Ukraine's victory? My belief is fading," he said.

Although the US has now allowed its allies Denmark and the Netherlands to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, its long hesitation before delivery is "an example of the lack of determination to help Ukraine win," Hodges said.

Hodges criticized Germany for its indecision about delivering Taurus missiles. Should Ukraine’s counteroffensive fail, "the governments of the US and Germany must be held responsible for this," he said. Success of the Ukrainian army depends on Kiev’s chances to get a hold of precision weapons for attacks, including on targets in Crimea, Hodges argued.

On August 17, Reuters cited sources as saying that the US had allowed Denmark and the Netherlands to transfer some F-16s to Ukraine. The report said these countries would send the planes to Kiev after the training of Ukrainian pilots is completed. The Danish government later confirmed that it had received such permission.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces had been making unsuccessful attempts at an offensive since June 4. According to the ministry Ukraine lost more than 43,000 servicemen and about 5,000 units of various weapons over the past two months, including 26 planes and 25 Leopard tanks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukrainian troops had no success in any area.