The long-awaited NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius has come to an end and can easily be seen as a chaotic but constructive summit. If we ask our Europe reporter Geert Jan Hahn, that is, and we did tonight. By phone.
Well, that was me then. How would you sum up the top?
‘Chaotic, but certainly constructive. I think in the end the results were really achieved, but for all kinds of reasons those results were achieved in a chaotic way. That’s right there were chaotic elements on top, although this was mostly evident backstage. So it wasn’t Lithuania or NATO’s fault. The great thing is, I’m currently in the same restaurant as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He wears a black shirt and tells anecdotes about East Germany, but I don’t hear it ».
That makes you the ultimate winner then, doesn’t it?
“If you ask me, that is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He has the agreement with Sweden in the pocket, and in doing so he got the bottom of the bottom out of the jug. We often talk about Putin as a good chess player, but Erdogan emerged as a grandmaster during this summit. I mentioned earlier this week that he was rummaging through all kinds of jars of sweets for Turkish delight, and he actually managed to get a snack out of all the jars. NATO, Sweden, EU, US, everything. Then he casually says, after an hour-long press conference, that NATO membership won’t be ratified until October, because the Turkish parliament is in recess. Although I in turn know from both NATO head Jens Stoltenberg and Czech President Petr Pavel that the deal will likely be finalized within a few weeks. Erdogan is in control.
But does that automatically make Sweden lose?
‘Yes. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson acted very weakly and squandered Sweden’s worth. Sure, we live in a wartime with all kinds of geopolitical changes, and perhaps it was realpolitik that Sweden should join NATO at all costs. But that Erdogan managed to get so many concessions from Sweden that he sold his self-confidence and had to lobby for Turkey in the EU is serious. And then it turns out that this year they can’t even join NATO.
And Zelensky?
“It’s somewhere in between for me. I don’t know very well yet, but I think it will be on the winners list. Although it may not seem like it. They have new support promised and that makes them a full NATO partner militarily, which means they can convene the alliance and be taken seriously presidentially, but I don’t know if they realize that themselves.’
What was your personal highlight at the top?
Well, on Monday I expressed my ambition to talk to Czech President Petr Pavel, and today I succeeded. I find him a fascinating person, a bit of a mix between George Clooney and Peter Wijninga. He’s only been president this year and previously he was a four-star general. While I didn’t have an in depth conversation with him, he had a lot of knowledge. He is actually the Czech equivalent of our Rob Bauer and has even lived in Brunssum. This could open the door to a longer interview.”
But one more time, because the top has come to an end
“I did, but I’m not going back yet. Tomorrow we will take some time to consider in detail. We must not underestimate how many new things there are still. From declarations to agreements. I only have two eyes, two ears and two arms, so I missed a lot too. Only when we have let that sink in can we provide a proper review.’
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.
