Guy Verhofstadt, member of the European parliament from Belgium: “I’m angry that we always use the big words but don’t bring the big guns”
Guy Verhofstadt, member of the European parliament from Belgium: “I’m angry that we always use the big words but don’t bring the big guns”
byu/Lindberg47 ineurope
by Lindberg47
32 comments
Hello OP, could you link a source please for approval? thank you
That Guy is spitting facts
He is right, if someone comes knocking with bad intentions you do not want decisions run through 20+ countries before an act could be made.
Be wary of this fella, before he sells your power plants
When was this?
It’s a Munich moment of some sort. The opportunity is there now to be decisive.
Even looking at it from a US or European selfish, self-centered way, €100-200 billion and some more kit is nothing compared to the fall of Ukraine.
After that, any badly handled skirmish at the Latvian or Estonian border could trigger a full global war…
He isn’t speaking English, he’s speaking facts
He’s constantly talking about the brexit, but to be fair to Guy, he’s been absolutely spot on in regards to Ukraine and Europe would be in a much stronger position had it adopted his policies.
You and me both, brother.
braindead institutionalist this has nothing to do with democracy
Common procurement sounds like an improvement with or without war; and might inadvertently make Europe’s forces more interoperable before training starts. If time is spent planning to purchase common items, allied troops already use the same items (and hopefully standards) on the time of adoption.
I don’t really see anything he says that is wrong. It’s embarrassing and wrong that we don’t keep the Ukrainians swimming in artillery shells on our own. We shouldn’t need the US for this.
More warmongering. What a sad state of being. The goal should always be to reduce military spending, not increase it. Peace can only exist when military spending is as little as possible.
ah yes, democracy, what a powerful thing to have moral on your side, when there is no need to go out there and get killed yourself.
the people in the warzone won’t have anything to return to if this war keeps going on, they have hardly anything now. But risking nuclear war as a trade of for peace is ridiculous. I really hope that people don’t see a decisive victory in Ukraine as an achievable goal, because it isn’t.
whoever beats the drums of war has something to gain for it and the common citizens of Ukraine have hardly anything to gain, they lost almost everything.
we need to stop this war, as long as there is anything in Ukraine to be salvaged. What point is there in denying the Russian oligarchs whatever they conquered so far? What point is there in keeping this war going. and, oh please, don’t argue on behalf of the people in Donetzk and Luhansk or on the Krim, they have lived in a warzone for years now, there is hardly a brick still standing, do you really think they will prefere the continuing of this war? think again!
rant over.
Funny, in Belgium this guy should be shot at dawn for treason but on the European theatre he knows how to slap.
I like this guy, I like his facts, and while I dislike the idea that somehow, we’re on the brink of a ww3, we also can’t just sleep on it, and hope it goes away.
You never handle a bully by showing the other cheek, and the EU is weak at the moment due to pettiness
He ain’t wrong…
Why would we need the big guns if Russia is freezing and they’ve lost most of their fighting aged males?
How many washing machine chips could they have left?
But how the commitee would change this? I mean, the reason we lack the capabilities is basically that Europe as a whole was thinking another war in Europe is impossible, most countries reduced or basically dismantled their military and moved the resources somewhere else over last 30 years because any military involvement anywhere means bad press so no reason to do this. At the same time most of these countries are part of NATO and this means that the same issue would arise if NATO was going to war, and when anyone pointed at these facts before he was basically ridiculed for spitting “war rhethoric” and “angering” potential adversaries.
Some in Europe remain silent. Silence is complicity with Putin. When their nations are overrun by Russian ps, they’ll be the ones begging for EU support.
When we were kids in school back in 2000 our teacher told us the European currencies not the only thing the EU will change eventually they will want their own army and each country who wishes to be in the EU will have to participate even those that are neutral this was in 2000.
As someone who lives in Ireland I still believe in our new our neutrality but it looks like it would be coming to an end one day. Even though I kind of agree with this man I do believe even if they Ukrainian war didn’t exist the eu’s goal for years has been to create a superpower army which the Americans will love because they will sell their arms to them.
What he is indirectly calling for is a common European army, which presumably would be governed at an EU federal level. He is also indirectly calling on the EU to enter the war and war with Russia directly. All this talk about supplying F-16s and other advanced weaponry would be escilating and defacto offically entering the war.
Do you think this scumbag will be anywhere near the front lines? Of course not but he is happy to send tens of thousands, possibly even more to die. And there is still the issue of all of Russia’s nuclear weapons. Sure it will start out conventionally, but if things get too precarious for the Russians and they are losing. They will take most of Western Europe down with them.
Someone needs to put on muzzle on this dog.
edit: spelling and rephraseing.
If this guy thinks a common procurement is going to create more weapons or that the German chancellor still won’t be able to block delivery to a third country he’s in for a let down. But “baby Thatcher” has never seen a problem where European integration isn’t the solution so I guess it’s on brand
Based as fuck
True, altough somewhat ironic given how defence spending is, up until today, handled in Belgium. The 2 terms where Verhofstadt was prime minister is no exception. Practice what you preach, and please preach this to his party members in Belgium.
We’ve been spoiled by having democracy and/or relative peace around us, and we’ve neglected our military capabilities. But ultimately, our credibility is taking a hit because we simply don’t have the power to back up what we want to achieve.
This debate has been active for years. I say we finally take this crisis as an opportunity to do what’s necessary, and do it right. Trump coming back into power is not such a wild, impossible future reality. And we shouldn’t be so dependent on our Atlantic partners anyways.
Tell them, Guy!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Ok, he’s right but it’s still beating around the bush. Military goes hand in hand with sovereignty. The EU is fundamentally not a sovereign state, the probability that EU states transfer their sovereignty to the EU is almost null.
Fellow is spot on. EU will cease to exist if it doesn’t get war focused
He should go to the front line with a machinr gun and fight. Let him support the fight with his life not stupid shouting before a bunch of aholes.
The war that did not need to happen
The EU is like Schroedinger’s cat.
Everybody complains that it sends strong worded letters but nobody is prepared to make decision making more streamlined at an EU level, because muh sovereignty.
Well, when Trump is elected and the US troops are sent somewhere far from Poland and the Baltics, let’s see how that short termism paid off.