After America’s approval two days ago, the approval has now come. This was confirmed by Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, who made a historic official decision on Sunday, August 20, 2023: The Netherlands, together with Denmark, will supply 42 F16 fighter jets to Kiev. The decision became official during Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky’s surprise visit to the Dutch air force base in Eindhoven.
“A historic decision”. As a matter of fact, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the announcement of The Hague and Copenhagen regarding the sending of F16s to Kiev during his visit to the Netherlands.
The F16s are American versatile warplanes, and Ukraine has long asked them to counter Moscow’s air superiority in the war. Delivery will not be immediate, but will likely take months. However, they reported from Kiev that pilot training has already begun. However, despite this new positive point noted by the Ukrainian prime minister, neither Washington nor Ukraine is sleeping peacefully, and the slowing of the counteroffensive after the West’s massive supply raises many concerns.
Ukraine is running out of options and possible erosion of international support
The Washington Post will provide an accurate analysis of Kiev’s counterattack this summer, revealing Pandora’s box of dissatisfaction in many Western ministries. According to the American newspaper, Ukraine is said to be running out of options, and the success is modest compared to what is currently expected. In short, the risk of a stalemate and with it the erosion of international support will be imminent.
In the counter-offensive that continued for more than two months, the American newspaper observed, Kiev reconquered only isolated villages, whereas in many areas Russian troops counterattacked in some areas. According to a US intelligence report, Ukraine’s counterattack will not be able to recapture the key city of Melitopol this year, with the key date being the US election of 2024. Withdrawal of aid is likely, according to the Washington Post. a key choice issue among a skeptical public.
In addition, there is the problem of drone strikes on Russian territory, a practice that the United States, fearing escalation with Moscow, opposed, but resorted to in order to compensate for the lack of air in Kiev and the lack of great results on the battlefield. .
Vatican’s call: “Very little is being done for peace”
Meanwhile, high Vatican officials are talking about peace once again. “Everyone wants peace because war is terrible. But the reasons for both unfortunately lead to very different points of view. These differences should not make us lose the clarity of responsibility, the aggressor and the ‘attacked’. We must believe. Cardinal Zuppi, president of CEI (Italian Episcopal Conference), said: He said that there is a way to achieve a secure peace through dialogue, not weapons.) In an interview with Sussidiario.net. Zuppi is the hero of the Vatican peace mission and has already traveled to Kiev, Moscow and Washington. The next stop will be Beijing.
Zuppi is in favor of ending the conflict in Ukraine, “doing little, doing much more. After a creative invitation to peace from Pope Francis, he should try every possible way to assist peace initiatives,” said Zuppi, who held the Communion and Liberation meeting in Rimini today. the person who opened it.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
