Column Rob de Wijk | It will be Ukraine, not America, that will be our arms manufacturer
“We can do without America” was the message I kept hearing throughout my visit to Ukraine with several colleagues, writes Rob de Wijk for his column in Trouw. The country is delivering a phenomenal performance on the front lines through its drone-based kill zone, where anything that moves is eliminated. These drones are domestically produced. There are now around 450 manufacturers, which are expected to produce some seven million drones by the end of this year.
Column Rob de Wijk | A real case of déjà vu, with a few bright spots
Anyone who still believes in the American security guarantee must be an incurable optimist. Trump is further undermining NATO, but Europe’s security debate is still too often conducted by fearful and risk-averse politicians, slow bureaucracy, and former generals who want to replay the previous war, writes Rob de Wijk in his recent column. While Ukraine shows that speed, drones, and innovation make the difference, Europe continues to favour legacy systems while underinvesting in the start-ups driving the future of defence.
Column Rob de Wijk | And the new world leader is: Xi
Coincidence or not, a few days after Trump’s visit to Xi, Putin went to China. Anyone casually observing Putin’s reception would have seen two close friends meeting. But behind the scenes, it was said that Xi and Putin — despite having met more than forty times — do not actually like each other very much, writes Rob de Wijk in his column for Trouw. In early 2022, Putin is said to have assured Xi that he would be able to bring Ukraine under control in no time, thereby dealing the West a massive blow. That is why I was not surprised by the Financial Times report claiming that Xi told Trump Putin might come to regret his war against Ukraine. In my view, Putin already does.
