The more Vladimir Putin has to guess about the Western reaction to his actions, the less he will dare to take action. That is why the message to Russia must be explicit that as a West you are prepared to go very far, says CDA Member of Parliament Derk Boswijk in BNR’s Boekestijn and De Wijk. “I think we really need to look at how we can protect Ukraine much better with air defense.”
‘Put Patriots along Russia’s border with Poland, Romania and Ukraine’
12 min 44 sec
Boswijk believes that you cannot be explicit enough about attacking a NATO country: this far and no further. But when it comes to Ukraine, vagueness may be the strongest weapon. ‘When it comes to support for Ukraine, you have to keep your wits about you and not rule anything out. You hear people say that this war would never have happened if Donald Trump had been president. I think there is some truth in it: perhaps Putin found Trump’s reaction so uncertain that he kept quiet.’
‘You would expect some kind of Champions League level’
Between the ears
That station has long since passed, so for Boswijk it is absolutely not desirable that Donald Trump becomes the new American president. With a lot of pain and effort, the billion-dollar aid package was guided through the American Senate and Boswijk hopes that this will trigger something in the minds of the people in Russia. ‘You never know. The Russian Revolution also collapsed just as Russia was starting to achieve some successes, because people were really done with war at that moment.’
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Certainly in the short term, neither Russia nor Ukraine will succeed in militarily controlling the war. Ultimately, this war will also end at the negotiating table, Boswijk is convinced. And as long as Ukraine asks the West to provide help for their struggle for freedom, we must do so, in order to give the country the strongest possible starting position in the peace negotiations. ‘That will happen one day, although we don’t know when. I’m afraid it could take a very long time, although you never know.’
Escalation closer
When sending weapons to Ukraine, it is good to consider again and again the extent to which this will strengthen polarization and bring escalation closer. ‘So when we started sending the first weapons, I was quite reluctant. At the same time, I have also seen that Russia never makes that decision. That country takes everything from North Korea, Iran and China and shoots everything that is loose and stuck.’ In that sense, Bosman has shifted somewhat: ‘You also have to look at the extent to which it can escalate if you do not supply certain systems to Ukraine.’
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The effect of deterrence is difficult to explain, Boswijk acknowledges. But it is clear that Western leaders such as NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg and US President Joe Biden are not drawing a clear red line towards Vladimir Putin. ‘We are far too lax and naive about that. It is typical that French President Emmanuel Macron’s comment about possible boots on the ground in Ukraine was not at all coordinated with other Western world leaders. I find that so frustrating, you would expect some kind of Champions League level.’
