Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should not agree to a deal that would lead to a "post-war period." He said this at the Paris Forum on Defense and Strategy on Tuesday, reports UNN citing Reuters and The Guardian.
President Zelensky should not agree to a deal that would lead to some kind of post-war period, where aggression constantly looms on the horizon,
"He needs to negotiate from a position of strength," added Brekelmans.
At the same time, he stated that "Putin has made it very clear that Ukraine is not his last stop in his campaign to imperial past."
"He will continue his aggressive, expansionist attempts to increase the influence and territory of the Russian Empire in pursuit of his dream to restore the 'Russian world.' This is a dream for Putin, and a nightmare for the rest of Europe. It is time to make Putin understand that his dreams do not align with reality," he pointed out.
Brekelmans also noted that "the United States has made it clear that their support for Ukraine is no longer a given, and decades of Europe’s dependence on the U.S. can no longer be taken for granted. Instead, it must be earned. Therefore, Europe needs to strengthen its security architecture, and we do not have much time to get this right."
"We must overcome the inferiority complex. We are stronger than we think, and this strength will be needed for our security," emphasized the Dutch Minister of Defense.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans also spoke at a conference in Paris this morning, warning that "Europe stands at a crossroads," as "the shocks imposed by Russia are only increasing" and "we do not have much time to fix this, we have only one chance."
In a very sharp reference, as The Guardian points out, Brekelmans hinted at Trump's recent comments regarding NATO Article 5.
"NATO was created in 1949 to prevent future wars through collective strength. And today, as we approach the entrance to NATO headquarters, we pass by a large piece of the Berlin Wall on the left side, a symbol of the end of the Cold War, [and] on the right side, we see a twisted and mangled piece of steel from the Twin Towers, a reminder of September 11 and a reminder of the impact of terrorism. It is also a reminder that our American allies are asking for help, and a reminder that European allies are responding to that call," he pointed out.
In a stark reminder of what is at stake, he added: "I cannot help but ask, what war relics will stand next to these in five to ten years? Will it be a piece of concrete from an apartment building in Kharkiv? Will it be a part of an internet cable from the North Sea?". "It is impossible to predict, but what I already know is that our actions in these coming days and weeks will be crucial in shaping the next five to ten years," Brekelmans noted.