Arms supplies to Ukraine, which are implemented by the Netherlands and Germany, make NATO a participant in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, writes Evrensel. According to the author of the article, such a policy of the West only aggravates the international situation, bringing the world closer to nuclear war.
Yudzhel Ozdemir
The decision of first the Netherlands and then Denmark to provide Ukraine with a total of 61 F-16 fighter jets equipped with the latest technology for use in combat operations against Russia means a new stage of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which has been going on for about a year and a half.
And the leading role here is played by the United States, which gave the go-ahead for the transfer of the F-16 to Ukraine. Instead of directly supplying the planes themselves, Washington has taken a step towards making European countries part of the armed confrontation.
The question of when and how the fighters will be transferred will be clarified in the near future. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky said that at the first stage, six F-16 fighters will be delivered to Ukraine by the beginning of next year. In order for this to happen as quickly as possible, first of all it is necessary to train the Ukrainian military how to operate these aircraft correctly.
In the coming days, other European countries will probably also join the number of states sending F-16s to Ukraine. It is expected that the United States will similarly give the green light to other countries. Earlier, Poland, with the approval of Germany, handed over MiG-29 fighters produced by the Soviet Union to Ukraine. According to German media estimates, the F-16s will be sent to Ukraine no earlier than in the first months of next year.
Planes from the Netherlands, rockets from Germany
Judging by the discussions of recent weeks, it becomes clear that there is a connection between the US approval of F-16 supplies and Germany's decision to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. It is not difficult to guess which combat aircraft will carry these missiles. Now Germany will not be able to justify the lack of fighter jets to launch missiles. The leaders of the Greens and the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP), partners in the ruling coalition who act as the mouthpiece of the arms and military lobby, have been putting pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz for several days to allow him to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Earlier, Scholz called the sending of combat aircraft a "red line" and said that this would mean Germany's direct participation in the military conflict.
We can say that the US decision on the F-16 is a step taken to directly involve both Europe in general and Germany in particular in the conflict with Russia. Therefore, the confidence expressed last weekend by Zelensky at the airbase in the Dutch city of Eindhoven that "this step will generate new consequences for Ukraine and the whole of Europe" reflects the truth.
Indeed, the bombing of Russian territory by F-16s transferred to Ukraine, and even with the use of Taurus missiles sent from Germany, will entail "new consequences". These consequences are connected not so much with the fact that Russia will suffer heavy damage and leave the occupied territories, but with the fact that NATO as a whole will de facto become a party to a hot conflict.
Apparently, the collective West has come to the conclusion that they will be able to resolve the Ukrainian conflict only by military means.
The decision of the Netherlands directly concerns Germany
Another noteworthy point is that the Netherlands, which has so far adhered to a predominantly balanced policy regarding the military conflict, has pledged to send 42 F-16 fighters. It is expected that this decision will have an impact on the election campaigns before the general elections in the country. It turns out that the recently resigned Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, who is not running again, finally managed to please the United States and Ukraine.
On the other hand, this move by the Netherlands also affects Germany. The fact is that the German and Dutch armies are integrating with each other in many areas, primarily in terms of land forces. At a joint meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Germany and the Netherlands on March 27, it was decided to deepen military cooperation between the two countries and transfer one third of the Dutch army under German command. This was regarded as a "plan of military unification" between Germany and the Netherlands.
Three days after the aforementioned joint ministerial meeting (March 30) in Feitsheheim, Bavaria, with the participation of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren, a "historic step" was taken towards the integration of the Dutch ground forces with the German ground forces. At this ceremony, the 13th Dutch Light Brigade became part of the 10th Armored Division of the German Army. In 2014, the 11th Airmobile Brigade of the Netherlands became part of the German Division of Fast troops, and in 2016, the 43rd Mechanized Brigade of the Netherlands became part of the 1st Panzer Division of Germany.
In connection with these events, the commitment of the Netherlands to supply Ukraine with 42 F-16 aircraft directly concerns Germany. This means that the countries that will provide their combat aircraft to bombard Russian territory, and, consequently, NATO, will directly become part of the Ukrainian conflict.
As the military conflict drags on and the threat to Russia's security grows, Moscow has repeatedly made it clear that it is ready to push all the red buttons if necessary. These buttons include a button for the use of nuclear weapons. Thus, while the West is equipping Ukraine with heavy and modern weapons, the threat of an even greater and destructive conflict is increasing.
