Internationaal•14 jul ’23 09:33Auteur: Jasper Daams
Thursday was the official end of the NATO summit, from which Europe reporter Geert Jan Hahn kept us informed. Today he did not go home yet, but stayed in Vilnius to collect the very latest news from the summit. We call one last time, about spies and a compliment from a G7 leader.
Geert Jan, your journey is really over, isn’t it?
‘It is over. We are now dealing with the after effects, and the reactions to the reactions. I am currently walking through an artists’ neighborhood in Vilnius, always nice to be here for a while. I’m going to visit a friend who has lived here for a few years, with whom I once moved to Ukraine. ‘
What will you personally remember most about this top?
“Well, I already told you on Thursday evening that I was with a number of journalists in the same restaurant as Justin Trudeau. After that conversation, he came to say goodbye to us. He was there with his team members, especially people from the embassy that just opened here. After his dinner he thanked the owner and staff and took pictures with them. We asked the owner if she knew who he was, but the answer was no. He saw I think from the cameras that were there that we were journalists, because at one point he casually stood in the door frame, wearing his black T-shirt, and says, ‘Keep up the good work.’ You just get complimented by the leader of a G7 country.’
On Thursday you mentioned the leader of another country, Zelensky. Back then you weren’t sure if he was a winner at the top. Are you out by now?
‘No, I still don’t know if he went home happy or if others think he should be happy. Or that he pretends to be satisfied. That is because there has been a lot of criticism of him, that he should have moderated his then, not asked for everything. But it still makes sense, since he has already achieved an awful lot by asking or by tackling people in a playful way – like Germany, for example.’
He had a different victim this time, I believe
‘Yes, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. In his daily speech he gave on the way home from the train, I think he was genuinely pleased in the opening paragraphs. About military support, security agreements with the G7 countries, and about the NATO-Ukraine Council, which effectively allows Ukraine to ask for advice on an equal footing with NATO countries. But then it happened. Wallace had said that NATO was not an Amazon, where Zelensky could hand in his shopping list. According to him, Zelenski could be a bit more grateful, after which Zelenski thanks people for minutes in the video; He mentioned Lithuania, Spain, the Netherlands three times, and even Japan and Australia. But Wallace was not mentioned, which was another stab under the water. That makes you wonder: is he really satisfied, or is he playing a game? What I can come up with is that he is the boss of a country at war, and he can never be satisfied because of that. The summit could never have been successful for Zelensky unless Ukraine had joined NATO.’
What else caught your eye this week?
‘Sometimes there was nothing to do in the main hall, then world leaders were having a meeting. At that moment I was able to watch what was happening at the Public Forum, via a live stream. I found the conversation with Wallace and Ollongren interesting. That was about ammunition and what can and cannot be sent to Ukraine. I also found the conversation with Jake Sullivan, Biden’s National Security Adviser, very interesting. You try to read between the lines and listen to what they say, and I had a number of spies in the room with whom I had contact about what Rutte’s performance was like.’
Spies?
‘They were Adája Stoetman van Clingendael and Niels Mulder of the Jonge Atlanctici, young thinkers interested in geopolitics, especially in defense and security. The Public Forum brings together experts and think tankers from all over the world who discuss how we can best help Ukraine while at the same time guarding our own red line. That all took place in a tent next to the press center, and politicians sit behind it to discuss. Valued guests such as experts and politicians participate in that Public Forum and receive questions from the public. That’s nice because you have a little more discussion, and you can also hear people’s considerations about whether or not to cross that red line. That such a Public Forum takes place next to the top and is very accessible, that’s the nice thing about it.’
The ‘spies’ by Geert Jan, Adája Stoetman and Niels Mulder (Geert Jan Hahn)
All sounds good, Geert Jan. And next week you can just be found at the editorial office again?
‘Certainly, I will fly back on the 07:00 flight on Friday morning, because I still had to do all the programs for BNR on Thursday. Had I flown on Thursday, I would have had to cancel a lot and that would be a shame. I’ll be back next week, see you then!’
2023-07-14 07:33:00
#Zelensky #stabs #British #minister
