1/9 Running out of excuses: Insufficient stockpiles in Europe do not justify a lack of military aid to Ukraine. The Ukrainian defense industry and those of other allies who are not at full production capacity are ready and willing to take on more orders!
2/9 Europe has outpaced the US in providing aid to Ukraine, yet many European countries still contribute insufficiently. While some of these nations may have low stockpiles of equipment to send, this is not a valid excuse, as equipment can be procured from other sources.
3/9 There is nothing preventing these countries from ordering equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers because Ukraine is not operating at full production capacity, its products are more affordable, and they are well-versed in using them.
4/9 Denmark and Lithuania have directly placed orders with the Ukrainian defense industry, and other European countries should follow suit.
5/9 When the Ukrainian industry achieves full capacity, it's crucial to remember that many NATO countries are not operating at full production capacity for several systems that Ukraine requires. Therefore, orders should be placed.
6/9 Additionally, there is a significant amount of used Soviet and Western equipment available globally that can still be purchased and sent to Ukraine, similar to what the Czech shell initiative accomplished with shells.
7/9 Orders can also be made in countries outside of the EU. For instance, Turkey has the capability to produce a variety of systems that are either compatible with or can be integrated into the F-16, including cruise missiles.
8/9 Europeans must recognize that the continent is still not doing enough, and that our support will need to expand as the US begins to disengage from Ukraine. There is much we can accomplish that has yet to be done.
1/6 Belgium is helping Russia in its war against Ukraine.
How? It is the final obstacle preventing Ukraine from accessing Russia’s frozen assets.
Does Belgium want to be remembered as Russia’s helper?
2/6 Belgium is still blocking Russia’s frozen assets from being transferred to Ukraine, constantly finding new excuses to help Russia.
Does Belgium want to be remembered as the country that made Ukraine and Europe lose to Russia?
3/6 Belgium has been blocking this for months. It is the only country left doing so.
First, it used legal fears as an excuse. Europe worked to address those concerns, even with help from Norway. After that, Belgium's PM De Wever found new excuses, and Trump provided them to him