Prime Minister Rutte has a leading role to play at tomorrow’s European Political Community summit in Moldova. Rutte was asked by Moldova to be one of the keynote speakers, as was Ukrainian President Zelensky. This is the second edition of the European Political Community, a summit which brings together leaders from all over Europe, with the exception of Russia and Belarus.
At that summit, the Netherlands hopes to formally kick off F16 support for Ukraine together with Denmark, says reporter for Europe Geert Jan Hahn. ‘The Netherlands leads the charge of the F16 coalition. By creating a formal moment in Moldova, Rutte hopes other countries will join in training Ukrainian fighter pilots. So an incentive.’
Symbolism
According to Hahn, financial and military support to Ukraine will once again be the focus of this European summit. Even Ukrainian President Zelensky could be physically present. It would be symbolic, thinks Hahn, because the summit will take place in his neighboring country, a few kilometers from the border with Transnistria annexed by Russia.’
Support
Other topics on the agenda of the one-day summit are migration in Europe and support for Moldova. The latter is not an unnecessary luxury. Poverty-poor Moldova likes to focus on Europe, but is, quite unwittingly, closely tied to Russia. Russia used to be a major supplier of gas, but now it has cut off those supplies, with all the consequences for the economy and domestic stability. The government of Moldova accuses Russia of destabilizing the internal political situation.
Russia also has troops stationed in the rebellious Moldovan region of Transnistria, which has declared independence with Moscow’s backing.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
