Het Nieuws Vandaag: 17-07-2026

1. Een zware politieke crisis in Oekraïne

Over militaire koers van de Oekraïense regering is een groot conflict uitgebroken. Dat heeft president Zelensky kennelijk doen opmerken dat de twee grootste kamphanen (protagonisten) allebei zouden moeten worden ontslagen. Maar de jonge, pas recent aangestelde minister van Defensie Fedorov moet gaan. De opperbevelhebber Syrskyi blijft, voorlopig nog. De Kyiv Independent kiest 100% de kant van de minister en is heel laatdunkend over de generaal. De krant weet zich gesteund door demonstranten die gisteren in Kyiv de straat op gingen. Zie 4.

 De conservatieve Britse krant De Telegraph heeft een enerzijds anderzijds benadering. Ook deze krant is doordrongen van de ernst van het conflict voor de toekomst van Oekraïne, en zeker voor de oorlog in de komende maanden. Zie 6.

Groot-Brittannië steunt Oekraïne door dik en dun. Premier Starmer, die ook spoedig afzwaait, kwam een cadeau brengen. Groot-Brittannië betaalt de rekening voor de Zweedse jachtvliegtuigen van Gripen. Zie 6.

Nog meer Brits militair nieuws. Tanks zijn uit. Dus de Britse tanks die in Estland voorwaarts verdedigen tegen Rusland worden vervangen door drones. Zie 7.

De nieuwe ronde van oorlog tegen Iran duurt nu 7 dagen en er vallen burger- en militaire slachtoffers in Iran. Tevens wordt civiele infrastructuur vernietigd door de Amerikaanse luchtmacht. Zie 8.

Als de oorlog nog paar weken aansleept zal de wereldeconomie daar verder grote schade van oplopen. Zegt het internationale energieagentschap. Zie 9.

Marc Esper, een vorige minister van Defensie onder Trump, zegt dat de VS de oorlog niet met de luchtmacht alleen kunnen winnen. Dat sluit aan de discussie over inzet van grondtroepen in Iran. Zie 10.

Een deel van de Israëlische regering besteedt veel geld aan een campagne om J.D. Vance, vice-president van de VS, tegen te werken. I.i.g. bij het onderhandelen met Iran. Zie 11.

Een deel van het Ngo-wezen wijst op de ‘zachte’ kant van veiligheid en weerbaarheidsbeleid. Staal is niet genoeg.  Zie 12.

De ontwikkelingen van 16 juli 2026 aan het front in Oekraïne volgens het ISW via de link

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-16-2026/. Dit zijn hun hoofdconclusies:

1. The Ukrainian government approved a series of personnel changes in the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed an interim defense minister on July 16.
2. Ukraine’s drone strike campaign aimed at denying Russia the ability to sustain logistics and transport fuel to occupied Crimea is likely further degrading Russia’s already outstretched air defenses and imposing new protection dilemmas.
3. Russia is reportedly turning to India for additional gasoline supplies as Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign continues to reduce Russian oil refining capacity.
4. Russian elites are reportedly moving money abroad to protect their financial assets from Russian economic risk and the Kremlin’s effort to nationalize private assets.
5. Polish authorities are warning that Russia is conducting surveillance of NATO air defense integration exercises near the Baltic Sea, likely as part of Russia’s Phase Zero efforts.
6. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian military assets and energy infrastructure in Russia on July 15 and 16.
7. Ukrainian forces advanced in the Oleksandrivka direction, and Russian forces recently advanced in northern Kharkiv Oblast.
8. Russia launched eight Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, four Kh-22/32 cruise missiles, one Kh-21P anti-radar missile, and 146 drones against Ukraine overnight.

 

2. Herhaalbericht; Kom vrijdag 24 juli om 18 uur naar het Spui voor het 91e vredesprotest!

Met sprekers, dichters, muziek en twee minuten stilte protesteren we vrijdag 24 juli van 18.00 tot 19.00 uur opnieuw op het Spui in Amsterdam tegen het bloedvergieten, bombardementen op civiele en militaire installaties en onophoudelijk sterven in de loopgraven. Al meteen na de brute overval van Rusland op Oekraïne op 24 februari 2022 riepen wij onze Europese leiders op om in actie te komen en met onderhandelingen en diplomatie zo snel mogelijk een einde te maken aan het zinloze sterven en lijden.
Ruim vier jaar later organiseren we dit protest helaas voor de 91e keer. De muziek komt dit keer van Your Local Pirates. Zie voor verdere ontwikkelingen https://www.stopdeoorlogamsterdam.nl/.

 

3. Weekendtips

Ook de afgelopen week waren er weer zeer veel artikelen die ik niet kon opnemen, vanwege de lengte van het artikel of de lengte van het geheel van de editie. Dit zijn de weekendtips voor deze week, in de vorm van een attendering met link.

a. There is no grand plan on Iran

Financial Times, 9 juli 2026, ‘In the late 1950s, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser quipped to CIA operative Miles Copeland that “the genius of you Americans is that you never make clear-cut stupid moves, only complicated stupid moves”. Zie verder of

https://archive.ph/oMRjr

b. Turkey’s bid to dump its S-400s and regain the F-35 puts Algeria, Egypt and other African military powers in the spotlight

Business Insider Africa, 11 juli 2026, ‘Turkey’s effort to offload its Russian-made S-400 air-defence systems and regain access to US F-35 fighter jets is drawing fresh attention to Algeria, Egypt and other African military powers caught between Washington and Moscow’s competing defence networks. Turkey’s bid to dump its S-400s and regain the F-35 puts Algeria, Egypt and other African military powers in the spotlight.’ Zie verder of 

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/turkeys-bid-to-dump-its-s-400s-and-regain-the-f-35-puts-algeria-egypt-and-other/jmy8z8y.

c. Inside Israel’s Secret Operation to Cultivate Ahmadinejad

New York Times, 13 juli 2026, https://archive.ph/VGQzx#selection-549.0-1355.17

The yearslong effort to groom the former Iranian president as an intelligence asset culminated in a dramatic effort to take him to a Mossad safe house in Iran in the early days of the war. But the plan fell apart.

d. David Arakhamia and the power of being useful

Kyiv Independent, 14 juli 2026, ‘Despite a relatively low public profile, David Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People faction in parliament, occupies a position few officials can match.’ Zie verder of https://kyivindependent.com/david-arakhamias-long-game-of-power/

e. Trump’s plan for Europe is falling apart

Financial Times, 14 juli 2026, ‘Europe matters to Maga. The Trump administration’s national security strategy asserted that “Europe remains strategically and culturally vital to the United States”. But it also fretted that the European continent is on a path to “civilizational erasure” — citing mass migration, “suppression of political opposition” and falling birth rates.’ Zie verder of https://archive.ph/1wtim

f. The wild, gripping story of the Nord Stream pipeline bombing

The Economist, 14 juli 2026, https://archive.ph/wHdkY#selection-1215.0-2523.494

The bombs were hidden in divers’ cylinders and lowered into the Baltic Sea. In freezing darkness they were fixed to the pipes that snaked along the sea floor from Russia to Germany. The timers were set. As Bojan Pancevski shows in his new book, the resulting explosions shook Europe’s economy and the Western alliance. Revisited today, those tanks are also time capsules, messages in a bottle from an already remote past.

g. US military smartphones targeted through roaming and ad tech

Financial Times, 14 juli 2026, Middle Eastern mobile networks were repeatedly hit with cyber attacks to track the locations of US personnel and contractors during the Iran war, according to telecoms data and people familiar with the matter. Zie verder of https://archive.ph/Kw9mV

h. Defensie-inkoop moet strategischer

Economisch Statistische Berichten, 15 juli 2026. ‘De toenemende dreiging vanuit Rusland en minder vanzelfsprekende Amerikaanse steun nopen tot een snelle opschaling van de Europese defensie-industrie. De huidige manier van defensie-inkoop op basis van losse acquisities is niet meer voldoende om onze veiligheid te waarborgen. Nederland moet samen met zijn bondgenoten een strategisch defensie-inkoopbeleid vormgeven.

https://esb.nu/defensie-inkoop-moet-strategischer/

i. Trump staat schaak

BNR, Bernard Hammelburg, 15 juli 2026, ‘Schaken is bedacht in India, maar maakte vanaf de zesde eeuw furore in Perzië. ‘Schaak,’ de gevaarlijkste bedreiging van de koning, komt van het Perzische woord ‘sjah.’ Een metafoor voor de strijd tussen Amerika en Iran. Trump staat schaak. Nog niet ‘schaak mat,’ wat in het Perzisch ‘de koning is dood’ betekent. Maar het scheelt niet veel.’ Zie verder of  https://www.bnr.nl/column/columns-opinie/10606401/trump-staat-schaak

j. Navo-top of -flop? Met verbale rookgordijnen poetst de gemeente de top op

AD, 16 juli 2026, ‘Vooropgesteld dat ik ieder congres verwelkom en het World Forum alle handel gun, maar een financieel succes was het niet. Tussen de 32,2 en 35,3 miljoen euro heeft de top gekost. Nou ja, tóp, het zou drie dagen duren. Toen werden het er twee. En daarna één. En uiteindelijk slechts een paar uur.’ Zie https://www.ad.nl/den-haag/navo-top-of-flop-met-verbale-rookgordijnen-poetst-de-gemeente-de-top-op~a8b884d7/.

k. Met helm een drone uit de lucht koppen: opvallende jongerenactie in hartje Zwolle

RTV Focus Zwolle, 16 juli 2026, ‘Een drone die plotseling vanachter een gecamoufleerd doek op je af komt vliegen. Wie donderdagmiddag over het Rodetorenplein loopt, kan proberen het toestel met een legerhelm uit de lucht te koppen. Met deze opvallende actie willen tientallen SP-jongeren waarschuwen voor wat zij de toenemende militarisering van de samenleving noemen.’ Zie verder of https://www.rtvfocuszwolle.nl/sp-jongeren-dronekoppen-rodetorenplein-zwolle/.

l. Thousands of Ukrainians protest against Zelenskyy’s firing of popular defence minister

Financial Times, 16 juli 2026, Deputy air force commander resigns as president faces backlash over decision’. Zie https://archive.ph/CSXK5

 

4. Editorial: By sacking Fedorov, Zelensky risks turning tide of war back in Russia’s favor

The Kyiv Independent, 16 juli 2026, ‘For the first time since autumn 2022, Ukraine has turned the tide of Russia’s war in its favor, from the front line to strategic depth. In what could prove to be his most harmful decision of the war in recent years, President Volodymyr Zelensky has just chosen to dismiss the man who has been the driving force of this change in fortunes.’ Zie verder of https://kyivindependent.com/editorial-by-sacking-fedorov-zelensky-risks-turning-tide-of-war-back-in-russias-favor/ of https://archive.ph/FxojF.

 

5. Why Zelensky has fired the man beating Russia

The Telegraph, 16 juli 2026, ‘The Ukrainian president’s controversial dismissal of his modernising defence secretary sparked a rare wartime protest against the government. Why take your goalscorer off when you have just gone one-nil up? That’s the question being asked this morning, not only by England football fans but Ukrainian defence experts, too. And if anything, the despondency in Kyiv is likely to be more enduring.’ Zie verder of https://archive.ph/lmy5W.

 

6. UK’s Starmer announces $340 million for Gripen jets for Ukraine during last Kyiv visit as PM

Kyiv Independent, 16 juli  2026, ‘U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on July 16 announced a donation of 300 million euros ($340 million) to help deliver 16 advanced Gripen fighter aircraft to Ukraine in cooperation with Sweden.’ Zie verder of https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-awards-starmer-order-of-freedom-on-his-last-kyiv-visit-as-british-pm/.

 

7. UK replacing tanks deployed in Estonia with drones

UK Defence Journal, 16 juli 2026, ‘The United Kingdom’s tank-led armoured battlegroup in Estonia is to be replaced by a new Mobile Anti-Armour Force from April 2027, under a defence roadmap signed in Tallinn that will see British troop numbers on NATO’s eastern flank rise from around 800 to 1,200, the UK Defence Journal understands.’ Zie verder of https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-replacing-tanks-deployed-in-estonia-with-drones/.

 

8. Iran Says More Than 30 Civilians Killed in Recent US Strikes on Southern Iran

Antiwar.com, 15 juli 2026, ‘The Iranian military said that seven soldiers were killed by a US bombing of an army barracks. An Iranian government spokeswoman on Wednesday alleged that recent US attacks on southern Iran have killed over 30 civilians, as US strikes have been pounding Iran for five consecutive days.’ Zie verder of https://news.antiwar.com/2026/07/15/iran-says-more-than-30-civilians-killed-in-recent-us-strikes-on-southern-iran/.

 

9. IEA chief warns Strait of Hormuz crisis threatens global energy security

Al Jazeera, 17 juli 2026, ‘The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that global energy security is under serious threat unless efforts by the United States and Iran lead to improved oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Fatih Birol says ‘oil security is still a critical issue’ and the world should be ‘worried’ if the situation does not improve.’ Zie verder of https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/17/iea-chief-warns-strait-of-hormuz-crisis-threatens-global-energy-security.

 

10. US will not win Iran war from the air, Donald Trump’s ex-defence chief warns

Financial Times, 16 juli 2026, ‘Donald Trump’s former defence secretary has warned that the US will not win its war against Iran through aerial bombardment and must “strangle” the Islamic republic’s economy to force open the Strait of Hormuz. Mark Esper tells FT more bombing will not change Tehran’s behaviour, as president vows to step up attacks.’ Zie verder of https://archive.ph/YvlFM.

 

11. JD Vance accuses Israel of ‘manipulating’ US public opinion to prolong Iran war

BBC, 16 juli 2026, ‘US Vice-President JD Vance has accused some members of the Israeli government of trying to influence Americans’ opinions to prolong the Iran war. In an interview published on Wednesday, Vance told conservative podcaster Joe Rogan that while he trusts some people within the Israeli government, there are others “who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely”. Zie verder of https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m107yj327o (Zie ook o.a. JD Vance doet opmerkelijke uitspraken over ’Israëlisch complot’ tegen hem en banden Epstein en Mossad: ’Mijn reactie: ga naar de hel’ Telegraaf, 16 juli 2026, https://archive.ph/Z8ZD3)

 

12. Opinie: Veiligheid meet je niet alleen in staal, maar ook in vertrouwen

Volkskrant.nl. Rick van der Woud, 16 juli 2026, ‘Bijna elke euro die het kabinet aan veiligheid uitgeeft, gaat naar staal. Investeren in het voorkomen van conflicten verdwijnt uit beeld, terwijl sociale investeringen juist militaire kosten besparen.’ Zie verder of https://www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opinie/opinie-veiligheid-meet-je-niet-alleen-in-staal-maar-ook-in-vertrouwen~ba90db03/.

 

Colofon: 

Vredespolitiek verschijnt elke werkdag en wordt samengesteld door Guido van Leemput met dagelijkse medewerking van Kees Kalkman en diverse los-vaste tipgevers.

Voor meer berichten, met name over bewapening, als deze zie ook Vredessite.nl; https://vredessite.nl/index.php.

 

Bij 4. Editorial: By sacking Fedorov, Zelensky risks turning tide of war back in Russia’s favor

The Kyiv Independent, 16 juli 2026, https://kyivindependent.com/editorial-by-sacking-fedorov-zelensky-risks-turning-tide-of-war-back-in-russias-favor/ of https://archive.ph/FxojF

For the first time since autumn 2022, Ukraine has turned the tide of Russia’s war in its favor, from the front line to strategic depth. In what could prove to be his most harmful decision of the war in recent years, President Volodymyr Zelensky has just chosen to dismiss the man who has been the driving force of this change in fortunes.

Zelensky’s decision to oust popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after just six months on the job has sparked outrage across Ukraine, from the military, civil society, and countless ordinary Ukrainians who saw the young minister’s reforms as the path toward peace on Ukraine’s terms.

After months of conflict between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi — who pushes a diametrically opposed strategic worldview and leadership culture — Zelensky has sided with Syrskyi.

The decision bears all the hallmarks of Zelensky’s tendency to dismiss top officials and commanders who get too popular, ahead of hypothetical elections that will never happen if Russia overwhelms Ukraine.

Officials facing accusations of corruption, incompetence, or mismanagement have often enjoyed far greater patience — and even protection — from Zelensky, provided they pose no threat to his approval rating. But of all Zelensky’s questionable personnel decisions, Fedorov’s dismissal could have the most devastating consequences for Ukraine’s war effort.

The 35-year old tech trailblazer has something the political and military leadership has lacked: a clear plan to win the war. A strategy.

Facing an overwhelmingly larger Russian army, Ukraine always needed an asymmetric strategy based on advanced technology and creative thinking to have a chance of defeating Russia. A small Soviet army can never beat a large Soviet army, as years of slow but steady Russian advances on the battlefield have shown. Fedorov understands that.

Maximizing technological advantage, data-driven optimization of everything from procurement to personnel management, improving the distribution of drones to front-line units: Everything was done with the deliberate aim of breaking Russia’s war aims, forcing peace on Kyiv’s terms, and preserving Ukrainian lives in the process.

By reforming the notoriously corrupt procurement system and introducing competitive tenders for most purchases, Fedorov likely saved Ukraine billions in public funds while angering those who could no longer skim excessive profits from state contracts.

With the honing and scaling up of Ukraine’s middle and deep strike campaign from occupied territory to deep inside Russia, Fedorov has also helped bring strategic offensive pressure on Moscow the likes of which hasn’t been seen before.

From persuading Elon Musk to cut off Russia’s access to the Starlink technology powering its long-range drones to giving partner nations access to a database of Russian weapons so they could study them and develop defenses, Fedorov has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to devise creative solutions with tangible military impact.

Even the most toxic topic inside wartime Ukraine, mobilization — which Zelensky has done his best not to get near — was not something the minister shied away from.

With his audit of battlefield losses and introduction of a new contract system, Fedorov has sought to address the root cause of the manpower crisis: conditions inside combat units, especially for those in infantry and assault roles. This brought him into conflict with Syrskyi, who represented everything Fedorov was trying to change in the military.

Preferring to fight a war of narrative and micromanage the battlefield in search of quick tactical gain, Syrskyi’s Soviet-style command culture has steadily undermined Ukraine’s war effort.

Nowhere is this felt more acutely than in the military’s manpower crisis. Systemic problems in basic training, the distribution of mobilized men between combat units, and their use on the battlefield have caused countless avoidable losses, led to soaring rates of AWOL and desertion, with many brigades fighting with practically no combat infantrymen left.

These are the issues that Fedorov inherited. Blaming him for “failing” to reform mobilization in six months – as Zelensky reportedly did during a closed-door meeting with lawmakers – when Fedorov was the first top official to even attempt to touch the problem is cynical, manipulative, and simply absurd.

Amid all the positive news about the war this year, it’s easy to forget where we were when Fedorov was appointed.

Russian forces were advancing at a steady pace, overwhelming the key cities of Pokrovsk, Huliaipole, and Siversk in the winter. Ukraine was struggling to plug the gaps, bracing itself for a punishing new offensive campaign in the spring.

Russian missiles were hammering Ukrainian energy infrastructure, while Starlink-equipped drones were striking key logistics routes deeper and deeper in the rear.

While brigades were crying out for replenishments, mobilized recruits were being funneled in droves into a handful of notorious assault regiments — often labeled Syrskyi’s personal pet units — plagued with systemic abuse, violence, and wasteful use on the battlefield.

For those here in Ukraine in close contact with the military, it didn’t seem like the top brass was serious about surviving Russia’s war of attrition, let alone winning it.

Fedorov arrived and started to optimize things in his control, act as a counterweight to Syrskyi, and eventually push for more important reforms. His work brought results, and within half a year, the strategic power balance has turned on its head.

Now, forced to choose between the man who was turning the war of attrition around with technology and intelligent strategy on one hand, and the man who was sabotaging it with micromanagement and Soviet thinking on the other, Zelensky thought about it and chose the latter.

In doing so, the president has likely put Ukraine back on the path of slow strategic degradation right at the moment when there is a chance to pressure Russia to end the war.

In perhaps the most damning feedback on the decision, Russian mil-bloggers on Telegram rejoiced at the news, with one million-strong account saying “for Russia, of course, all this (Fedorov’s dismissal) only plays straight into our hands.”

Ukrainians are already out on the street protesting, just like last year, when Zelensky tried to cripple the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies right as they were closing in on the president’s inner circle. It’s not clear how forcefully Ukraine’s partner nations will seek to weigh in on Kyiv’s internal politics but they should.

An end to Russia’s war, a strong Ukraine afterwards, and the smooth sharing of Ukraine’s experience in the war of the future with partners are all things that Fedorov is bringing us closer to.

If this town is really too small for both Fedorov and Syrskyi, it is time for the general to go. Ukraine doesn’t lack brilliant, forward thinking generals, and apt candidates have been on the table for years.

Ukraine wants a secure peace, but that can only be achieved by continuing to push the needle, protect the lives of its own soldiers, and tighten the screws on Moscow. Ousting the person making this happen in real time is a grave mistake. Zelensky still has a chance to undo this damaging decision — or watch the country pay a tragically high price for his mistake.

 

Bij 5. Why Zelensky has fired the man beating Russia

The Telegraph, 16 juli 2026, https://archive.ph/lmy5W

The Ukrainian president’s controversial dismissal of his modernising defence secretary sparked a rare wartime protest against the government. Why take your goalscorer off when you have just gone one-nil up? That’s the question being asked this morning, not only by England football fans but Ukrainian defence experts, too. And if anything, the despondency in Kyiv is likely to be more enduring.

Volodymyr Zelensky’s substitution came on Friday, when he announced a cabinet reshuffle that included the removal of Mykhailo Fedorov, the 35-year-old minister of defence.

Fedorov, a former digital transformation minister, had only been in post for six months, but in that time presided over a series of Ukrainian battlefield successes. His removal has been met with a sense of bewilderment, frustration and even anger.

“It’s bad news, and it’s bad news because there’s good news on the battlefield,” said Orysia Lutsevych, the head of the Ukraine forum at Chatham House, explaining the sense of deflation felt by many Ukrainian political and military pundits.

“To a large degree, he created the industry that is proving successful, and there were a lot of hopes that he would also reform [Ukraine’s] MoD to do its job better.” Such is the anger that some Ukrainians have taken to the streets for a rare wartime protest against the government. A crowd in Kyiv this morning waved placards reading “Hands off Fedorov” and “Stop sabotaging victory”.

Fedorov’s twin victories

Fedorov listed his own accomplishments in a long Facebook post confirming his resignation. But for most people, two things really stand out from his six months in office.

First, he persuaded Elon Musk to turn off Starlink connections for Russian troops, a critical move that caused chaos for their communications and helped Ukraine hold back enemy attacks.

1. Mid-range Russian drones targeting Ukrainian logistics disconnected
2. Communication back to Russia disrupted
3. Unmanned ground vehicles used to resupply frontlines disconnected
4. Some Ukrainians without white-listed antenna will also lose access

Secondly, he championed and poured resources into a drone-led middle-strike strategy that throttled Russian logistics by destroying supply lines 100km behind the frontline.

That initiative has slowed Russian advances at the front, has put its occupation of Crimea on life support and opened what many of Ukraine’s allies believe is a window to force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

It is a potentially war-winning success many put down to Fedorov’s background in tech and his introduction of a start-up-style review and refinement system that allowed Ukrainian troops to rapidly adapt drones to battlefield needs.

So why, many ask, is Zelensky taking one of the most effective senior leaders off the pitch just when things seem to be going in Ukraine’s favour?

Why Fedorov was sacked

Zelensky himself reportedly told MPs from his Servant of the People party in a closed-door meeting that Fedorov had failed to deliver on reform of the mobilisation system. That’s a key issue in Ukraine, where resentment at press-ganging is growing at the same time as fears of a Russian mobilisation after elections in September.

But more importantly, the president said, was a breakdown of trust between Fedorov and general Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces and the man responsible for actual battlefield strategy.

“Well, I cannot allow the ministry of defence and the general staff to be fighting each other while the country is at war. Ideally, both should be replaced. But I cannot do that at the same time,” Zelensky told MPs, according to one member of parliament present who spoke to media outlet Ukrainska Pravda after the meeting.

Tensions between Fedorov and Syrsky are no secret. Sources in Kyiv confirmed that the quarrel between minister and general had become unmanageable.

Much of it comes down to different visions of how to fight the war. While Fedorov is credited with “digitising” the army, the older general was said to feel that old-fashioned but still essential elements – infantry, armour, artillery – were being ignored.

“They live in two different worlds. Mykhailo wants to digitalise everything and build the system around technology. The military simply wants to be heard. They ask for one type of weapon to be procured, while he refuses and funds other areas instead. They simply stopped listening to each other,” one MP quoted the president as saying.

The row fundamentally came down to differing visions about how to fight and win the war.

Fedorov firmly believes Ukraine can only win with new, asymmetric strategies and tactics. Syrsky believes that is all very well, but that the traditional military knows how best to do military operations.

The general is not entirely wrong that traditional branches are still essential, says one source familiar with the tensions between the two, and Fedorov must carry some of the blame for the ill feeling that seems to have emerged between the two men.

Yet it is clear, many believe, that fighting a conventional war is a losing bet against Russia and that Fedorov’s radical strategies were paying off.

Ramifications on the battlefield – and beyond

At this stage, it is not clear whether Fedorov’s dismissal will affect battlefield strategy. Yet there is a risk, say sources in Kyiv, that Fedorov’s successor – Igor Klimenko, a career police officer and current interior minister – lets strategy swing back towards a traditional emphasis on manpower.

There is a deeper risk, points out another Ukrainian source: when an army wins a struggle with its civilian ministry of defence, it conjures the spectre of a military becoming unaccountable to the government. Not a good look for a country hoping to join Nato one day.

The scandal has added bite because the two men also symbolise different visions of Ukraine itself. Ever since the 2014 revolution, Ukrainians have found themselves caught up in an often frustrated struggle to shed an authoritarian past and embrace European democracy.

Fedorov, in this telling, represents youth, modernisation and reform. He’s young, popular, digitally literate, free of the whiff of corruption, and entrepreneurial.

Syrsky, who critics perceive as something of a Soviet marshal, represents the old guard. It’s a reputation that has not been improved by recent revelations of abuse and mistreatment of soldiers in the 425th separate assault regiment, a unit associated with him.

So for some Ukrainians, Zelensky’s decision to side with the general looks to many like he is embracing the old ways of doing things – despite being elected in 2019 precisely because he was not part of the old political elite.

A familiar story

So while it is too early to judge the impact of this decision on the war, it is having profound political resonance inside Ukraine. Comparisons are already being drawn with Zelensky’s decision to remove Valerii Zaluzhny, Syrsky’s predecessor as commander in chief, in 2024 – another leader who was popular, unorthodox and at the top of his powers.

“People are already saying it: that Zaluzhny too was fired at the peak of his success, and with no explanation to society as to why this happens,” says Lutsevych of Chatham House.

“Zelensky wants to pretend there is democratic legitimacy, but he is not explaining these critical decisions. Well, let’s see if he speaks out tonight. It’s good that these protests are happening if he is forced to actually explain things.”

 –

Bij 6. UK’s Starmer announces $340 million for Gripen jets for Ukraine during last Kyiv visit as PM

Kyiv Independent, 16 juli  2026, https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-awards-starmer-order-of-freedom-on-his-last-kyiv-visit-as-british-pm/

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on July 16 announced a donation of 300 million euros ($340 million) to help deliver 16 advanced Gripen fighter aircraft to Ukraine in cooperation with Sweden.

The announcement came during Starmer‘s final visit to Kyiv as the British prime minister, aimed to demonstrate his country’s “cast-iron support for Ukraine” amid Russian aggression.

In June, Kyiv signed a deal with Sweden to purchase 16 Gripen E fighter jets, with deliveries to begin as early as 2029.

Zelensky received Starmer in Kyiv, where the two paid tribute to fallen Ukrainian fighters at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen. “I thank Keir and the United Kingdom for their unwavering respect for our warriors, for all those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend Ukraine and all of Europe,” Zelensky said on X.

Speaking in a joint conference with the Ukrainian leader, Starmer hailed Ukraine as “one of the most battle-hardened, tech-savvy, creative military forces in the world,” a “net contributor to collective security, and one of the best allies we could have.”

Ahead of the visit, Zelensky awarded Starmer Ukraine’s Order of Freedom, citing his “outstanding personal contribution” to bilateral ties and support for Ukraine.

The British prime minister’s office said Starmer’s two-year leadership saw the U.K. play a “central role in driving forward international support for Ukraine and European security,” including through direct military support and leadership of international initiatives such as the Coalition of the Willing and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

The U.K. has emerged as one of Kyiv’s key allies after U.S. President Donald Trump’s radical shifts in Washington’s policy toward Russia and Ukraine.

During the outgoing prime minister’s tenure, London pledged 3 billion pounds ($4 billion) in annual military support for Ukraine and delivered over 250,000 drones, around 8,000 missiles, and over 350,000 artillery rounds, according to a press release from Starmer’s office.

Starmer’s farewell visit comes amid major political turmoil in Ukraine, with the government reshuffle ousting popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that sparked protests in multiple cities.

The British prime minister is expected to officially step down on July 20 and hand the leadership of the government to his successor, incoming Labor Party leader Andy Burnham.

Starmer announced his resignation on June 22 following mounting pressure within his party. Burnham, a former mayor of Greater Manchester, has vowed that the U.K. support for Ukraine will continue after he takes office.

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Bij 7. UK replacing tanks deployed in Estonia with drones

UK Defence Journal, 16 juli 2026, https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/uk-replacing-tanks-deployed-in-estonia-with-drones/

The United Kingdom’s tank-led armoured battlegroup in Estonia is to be replaced by a new Mobile Anti-Armour Force from April 2027, under a defence roadmap signed in Tallinn that will see British troop numbers on NATO’s eastern flank rise from around 800 to 1,200, the UK Defence Journal understands.

The transition, agreed between Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis and his Estonian counterpart Hanno Pevkur, marks the end of the armoured construct that has anchored the UK’s Forward Land Forces presence since British troops first deployed to Estonia almost a decade ago, a formation built around Challenger 2 main battle tanks and Warrior infantry fighting vehicles. In its place comes a force equipped with highly mobile vehicles, advanced weapons and drones, designed specifically for Estonia’s operational environment and integrated within the British Army’s recce-strike concept, which the Ministry of Defence says will be able to deploy, disperse and demonstrate combat readiness more rapidly than a traditional armoured formation.

The decision rests on extensive analysis, say the MoD, including comprehensive wargaming with Estonia, which the MoD also says showed the new force design would deliver greater operational effect than the current armoured presence, drawing on the lessons of a war in Ukraine in which massed armour has proven acutely vulnerable to surveillance and precision strike. The new force is intended to bring greater mobility, enhanced survivability through dispersal and deception, greater endurance supported by equipment stocks positioned forward in Estonia, and increased lethality through integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, networked command and control, precision fires and expanded uncrewed systems.

“We are strengthening our deployment in Estonia to defend NATO territory and deter Russian aggression. This new roadmap reflects the realities of warfare today and shows how we are modernising our forces to meet the threats we face,” Jarvis said, as quoted in the announcement. “More people, better mobility, and the latest tech means a more lethal and effective force, ready to fight and win alongside allies.”

Pevkur said nearly 1,200 British soldiers will arrive in Estonia next year “equipped with modern weaponry that is well suited to the local environment,” while an entire British Army brigade in the UK remains at constant readiness to reinforce the country if needed. “Already this year, the United Kingdom will begin pre-positioning equipment and ammunition stocks in Estonia for our reinforcement brigade, enabling the unit to respond significantly faster in a crisis situation,” he said, as quoted in the announcement, adding that the additional troops reinforce “the United Kingdom’s long-term commitment to our shared security.”

The roadmap reaches beyond the force redesign, committing the UK to upgrade its Multiple Launch Rocket System equipment in theatre to be more precise and more lethal, to maintain short range air defence capabilities, and to continue modernising the force through future rotations as new technologies mature.

The two countries will also deepen collaboration on ASGARD, the UK’s battlefield digitisation and targeting programme, which brings together artificial intelligence, digital targeting and advanced command and control to deliver combat effects faster, and the agreement reinforces cooperation through the Joint Expeditionary Force alongside northern European allies.

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Bij 8. Iran Says More Than 30 Civilians Killed in Recent US Strikes on Southern Iran

Antiwar.com, 15 juli 2026, https://news.antiwar.com/2026/07/15/iran-says-more-than-30-civilians-killed-in-recent-us-strikes-on-southern-iran/

The Iranian military said that seven soldiers were killed by a US bombing of an army barracks

An Iranian government spokeswoman on Wednesday alleged that recent US attacks on southern Iran have killed over 30 civilians, as US strikes have been pounding Iran for five consecutive days.

“In the recent attacks on the southern part of the country, more than 30 civilians were martyred,” Fatemeh Mohajerani wrote on X.

“While expressing condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families, we honor the memory of the fallen. The government will stand by the people with all its might. The south of Iran is the beating heart of this land. The south of Iran is the soul of Iran,” she added.

Iranian media has reported several US strikes on civilian infrastructure over the past day, including an attack that hit a bottled water factory and a wheat silo. US Central Command responded to the allegations about its forces bombing a wheat storage facility, calling it “false.”

CENTCOM announced two rounds of strikes against Iran on Wednesday that it said targeted “Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels freely transiting through the Strait of Hormuz,” and it also said that its forces bombed an oil tanker attempting to sail to Kharg Island, as it has reimposed the blockade of Iran.

Iranian media reported that US strikes on Wednesday hit an army barracks in southeastern Iran, killing seven soldiers and wounding 13. The Iranian military condemned the strike and vowed a “decisive response.”

Iranian forces have continued to target US bases across the region, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced attacks on US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan on Wednesday. Footage published by Iranian media purportedly shows missiles impacting US military bases.

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Bij 9. IEA chief warns Strait of Hormuz crisis threatens global energy security

Al Jazeera, 17 juli 2026, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/17/iea-chief-warns-strait-of-hormuz-crisis-threatens-global-energy-security

The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that global energy security is under serious threat unless efforts by the United States and Iran lead to improved oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Fatih Birol said on Thursday that the world should be concerned about energy security if the situation does not improve soon. “Oil security is still a critical issue,” Birol said, speaking at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. ⁠”We should ⁠be worried, and I am worried if the situation ‌does not improve in the next ‌few weeks,” he added.

Birol’s comments came after the US intensified attacks on Iran, carrying out a sixth consecutive night of strikes, hitting Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz and Iranshahr, and firing on a ship it accused of trying to break its reimposed naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Tehran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at Washington’s allies in the region, targeting Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Explosions were also reported in Qatar.

The escalation has also put at risk a US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed in Pakistan a month ago with the aim of securing a ceasefire.

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi reported that US attacks on Iran’s coastal cities were increasingly targeting infrastructure, including two bridges. He also said Iran was maintaining its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, citing what it described as a lack of US commitment to the memorandum of understanding.

Iran’s Fars news agency reported that the death toll from the US attack on the Bandar-e Khamir bridge in the Hormozgan province had risen to seven. Iran’s military also confirmed a retaliatory strike on a US military base in Jordan.

“We insist on US not to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz, and on its withdrawal from the region,” Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi said. “The situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to what it was before the war,” he added. “The Strait of Hormuz is entirely within the sovereignty of Iran and Oman, and no external party has the right to interfere in its affairs, especially the United States of America.”

Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan said the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) had not released a formal report on its sixth night of attacks on Iran. CENTCOM said that since the blockade on Iran was reimposed, five vessels have attempted to “run the blockade”. Three were turned around, and one was “disabled”, although CENTCOM did not explain how the military disabled it. US Marines also boarded an oil tanker, but it was not clear whether the vessel remained under US detention.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran had brought destruction on itself. “The reason for the recent strikes is because Iran violated the MoU that we struck with them; specifically, in the MoU that they signed, they were not to fire on commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz,” Leavitt said.

Earlier in the week, US President Donald Trump still insisted that there was a diplomatic path to ending the war.

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Bij 11. US will not win Iran war from the air, Donald Trump’s ex-defence chief warns

Financial Times, 16 juli 2026, https://archive.ph/YvlFM

Donald Trump’s former defence secretary has warned that the US will not win its war against Iran through aerial bombardment and must “strangle” the Islamic republic’s economy to force open the Strait of Hormuz.

The US launched more strikes on Iran on Wednesday and Trump has said he will step up the attacks in the coming weeks to force the Islamic republic into a deal.

But Mark Esper, US defence chief during Trump’s first term, told the FT the strategy would not change Iran’s stance and desire to “keep control of the strait”.

“I’m not confident that if we picked up the bombing the way we did months ago and sustained it for a period of time, that that would have a big change,” Esper said.

Trump this month declared his shortlived ceasefire with Iran to be “over” after claiming Iran violated a memorandum of understanding with the US to allow free maritime traffic through the strait while the warring parties negotiated a longer-term settlement. The flare-up in hostilities threatens to tip the Middle East back into a crisis and unleash a fresh inflationary impulse on the world economy

Vessels freely travelled through the waterway — a sea lane for about 20 per cent of the world’s oil — before the US and Israel launched a war on Iran. Tehran largely shut the strait after the attack and traffic remains at a fraction of its pre-conflict level.

Esper told an audience of national security experts in Aspen on Tuesday that the Trump administration should apply “comprehensive” economic pressure to resolve the Hormuz dispute, which has pushed up fuel prices around the world.

“How do you pressure them?” Esper said to the FT on Wednesday. “One option is you resort to full military onslaught. The other one is you strangle them economically.”

But this would require “time, patience [and] discipline” as well as international support to be effective, he said during the panel discussion. “And the cost for us is going to be higher gas prices for a while.”

Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, has jumped 16 per cent since the start of July to about $85 a barrel as the conflict escalates. Oil industry executives and analysts warn that global crude supplies are already at critically low levels, and a more prolonged shutdown of the strait will trigger a sharp jump in crude prices that could even exceed the highs above $100 in the early phases of the war.

On Wednesday, US government energy data showed the country’s total inventory of stored crude oil fell again last week and now sits at its lowest level since 1984. Petrol prices are rising again as supplies tighten, raising the spectre of a new burst of inflation even after price growth eased in June.

Esper, who Trump sacked shortly after losing the 2020 election, also warned of the cost to the US’s military budget of a prolonged war, as well as its defence posture in the face of threats such as that from China.

US military analysts say the defence department has already run through tens of billions of dollars and years’ worth of munitions in a war that shows little sign of resolution.

“What is the cost for us in terms of readiness, munitions, stockpiles,” Esper told the FT in the interview. “Because my big concern globally is China.”

Esper said in Aspen that he would use “two yardsticks” to measure the success of Trump’s war in Iran. One would be a return to the “status quo ante” in the Strait of Hormuz — meaning full and free maritime traffic. The second would be a nuclear deal “at least as good as — but needs to be probably better than” the pact struck by Barack Obama, which Trump scrapped.

Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state for George W Bush’s administration when he launched his 2003 war on Iraq and joined him on the Tuesday night panel, echoed Esper’s call for more economic pressure on Iran.

Increase pressure and “just let them sit there and stew in their lousy economy, where most of their A-level nuclear scientists have been killed, where I believe there are deep splits in the Iranian government”, she said. . . . and let’s just see what happens to that economy over time”.

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Bij 11. JD Vance accuses Israel of ‘manipulating’ US public opinion to prolong Iran war

BBC, 16 juli 2026, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m107yj327o (Zie ook o.a. JD Vance doet opmerkelijke uitspraken over ’Israëlisch complot’ tegen hem en banden Epstein en Mossad: ’Mijn reactie: ga naar de hel’ Telegraaf, 16 juli 2026, https://archive.ph/Z8ZD3)

US Vice-President JD Vance has accused some members of the Israeli government of trying to influence Americans’ opinions to prolong the Iran war.

In an interview published on Wednesday, Vance told conservative podcaster Joe Rogan that while he trusts some people within the Israeli government, there are others “who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely“.

The Israeli government did not immediately respond to Vance’s comments.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday said: “I think the president would certainly agree that, yes, foreign countries certainly do try to persuade American public opinion.”

Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, Vance said that people within the Israeli government have been trying to shift the US away from its efforts to negotiate with Iran.

“I definitely think you have seen this very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign to try to derail the negotiation and try to derail the deal,” he said, adding there is “exact evidence” that some Israeli leaders “hate the deal”.

The US reached an agreement with Iran last month, known as the memorandum of understanding (MOU). It allowed for the continuation of formal negotiations, included a now-abandoned 60-day ceasefire and a condition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

However, tensions over the Strait have resumed recently and the US has intensified its strikes on Iran while Tehran targeted US allies in the region.

Vance has been heavily involved in negotiations with Iran – attending negotiations in Pakistan in April and travelling to Switzerland in June for the signing of the MOU.

He told Joe Rogan that he “doesn’t mind” what he described as “certain elements of the Israeli government” criticising the US position, adding that “foreign governments trying and influence the government all the time”.

“What bothers me is actually when Americans allow, meaning American leadership allows, that influence to affect their judgement and to affect what they are advocating for,” he said.

It is the latest in a series of criticisms the vice-president has recently made against Israel as the Trump administration continues to try to find an end to the war, both through diplomatic negotiations and renewed military strikes.

In June, he urged Israeli political leaders, some of whom had chided the US over its agreement with Iran to extend the ceasefire between the two countries, not to attack “the only powerful ally” they have “anywhere left in the entire world”.

The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran in February, prompting Tehran to respond by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. The fighting has also spread to Lebanon.

Israel considers Iran a threat to its existence and wants the complete removal of Iran’s nuclear and missile programme, as well as regime change.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a measure to cut billions of dollars-worth of US aid to Israel.

The motion failed by 314 votes to 104, with several Democrats voting in favour of ending the funding – reflecting a shift within the party away from supporting Israel unequivocally.

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Bij 12. Opinie: Veiligheid meet je niet alleen in staal, maar ook in vertrouwen

Volkskrant.nl. Rick van der Woud, 16 juli 2026, https://www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opinie/opinie-veiligheid-meet-je-niet-alleen-in-staal-maar-ook-in-vertrouwen~ba90db03/

Bijna elke euro die het kabinet aan veiligheid uitgeeft, gaat naar staal. Investeren in het voorkomen van conflicten verdwijnt uit beeld, terwijl sociale investeringen juist militaire kosten besparen.

Op de Navo-top in Ankara tekenden 32 regeringsleiders vorige week voor tientallen miljarden aan nieuwe defensiecontracten, met percentages van het bbp oplopend naar 3,5 procent. Awacs-vliegtuigen, Stinger-raketten, drones, nieuwe financieringsmodellen voor defensie. Dat Nederland fors investeert in zijn krijgsmacht is te begrijpen; wie de oorlog in Oekraïne heeft gevolgd, weet dat afschrikking geen luxe is.

De nieuwe Internationale Veiligheidsstrategie van het kabinet ademt dezelfde urgentie, en de diagnose is breed en raak: desinformatie, polarisatie, hybride aanvallen, afnemend vertrouwen in instituties. Maar waar de diagnose breed is, is de behandeling smal. Bijna alle nieuwe euro’s voor veiligheid gaan naar staal: fregatten, raketten, drones, gevechtsvliegtuigen. Weerbaarheid wordt vertaald als paraatheid.

Vroegtijdige waarschuwing

Wij zien als vredes- en ontwikkelingsorganisaties dagelijks een andere laag van diezelfde veiligheid. Niet aan de grens, maar in de wijk. Een jongerenwerker die merkt dat een jongen niet meer naar hem luistert, maar naar iemand anders, ergens online. Een vrouwennetwerk in Oost-Congo dat vroegtijdig ziet wanneer spanningen omslaan in geweld. Een lokale organisatie in Colombia die weet welke twintig gezinnen om welke reden wantrouwend zijn geworden. Kennis die geen satelliet of algoritme heeft. Dat is geen zachte aanvulling op veiligheidsbeleid. Het is vroegtijdige waarschuwing, net zo hard als een radarbeeld, alleen minder zichtbaar op een defensiebegroting.

Defensie weet dat zelf. Wie op missie was in Uruzgan of Mali, heeft geleerd dat veiligheid begint met praten met de bevolking, vooral met vrouwen, die vaak als eersten zien wat er verandert. Dat inzicht staat in de handboeken van vredesmissies. In de Internationale Veiligheidsstrategie is het niet terug te vinden.

Conflictpreventie is daarin een bijzin bij afschrikking. Dat is een keuze, en een dure bovendien. Het IMF becijferde dat elke dollar die vroeg wordt gestoken in het voorkomen van conflict, tot 103 dollar aan oorlog en nasleep kan besparen. Wij zien waar die winst wordt gemaakt: in dialoog tussen gemeenschappen, in werk met vrouwen die als eerste signalen oppikken, in Zuid-Soedan, Colombia, DR Congo en Indonesië. En wie opbouwt zonder waarborgen, schept nieuwe risico’s: wapens die vandaag worden besteld, kunnen morgen elders geweld voeden. Ook dat staat niet op de begroting van de Navo.

Rusland investeert niet alleen in raketten, maar ook in verdeeldheid. Het is opmerkelijk dat wij vooral investeren in de verdediging tegen het eerste. Hybride dreigingen bestrijd je immers niet alleen met militaire middelen. Ze worden juist gevoed door wantrouwen, uitsluiting en polarisatie. Dat zijn sociale processen en die vragen ook om sociale investeringen.

Digitale domein

Ook het digitale domein wordt vooral als techniek begrepen. Terecht: vitale infrastructuur moet worden beschermd. Maar desinformatie is uiteindelijk geen technisch probleem, het is een relationeel probleem. De meest kwetsbare infrastructuur is niet de kabel op de bodem van de Noordzee, maar de jongere die zijn wereldbeeld vormt op een telefoon, in een chatgroep waarin hem precies wordt verteld wat hij wil horen. Digitale weerbaarheid begint daarom niet alleen in het datacenter, maar ook in de relaties en gemeenschappen waarin mensen leren twijfel toe te laten, verschillen te verdragen en elkaar te vertrouwen.

De mechanismen verschillen bovendien minder dan we denken. Ook in Nederland ontstaan polarisatie, complotdenken en radicalisering niet zomaar. Ze groeien waar vertrouwen verdwijnt, waar mensen zich niet meer gezien voelen en waar niemand de signalen oppikt voordat ze uitgroeien tot een veiligheidsprobleem.

De mensen die conflicten als eersten zien ontstaan, zijn meestal degenen die er wonen. Zij merken wanneer vertrouwen afbrokkelt, wanneer een gerucht gevaarlijk wordt of wanneer een conflict dreigt te escaleren. Toch krijgt die lokale kennis nauwelijks een plaats in het Nederlandse veiligheidsbeleid. Juist bewoners beschikken over de informatie die geen satelliet en geen algoritme kunnen leveren.

Een veiligheidsbeleid dat alleen in staal telt, meet maar één ding. Wie maar één ding meet, ziet het verschil niet tussen een samenleving die sterk staat en een die van binnenuit rafelt.

Dat rafelen begint klein, op plekken waar mensen ophouden elkaar aan te kijken: een wijk, een klaslokaal, een vrouwengroep aan de andere kant van de wereld. Zulke plekken moeten worden onderhouden, net zo goed als een fregat. Een sterke krijgsmacht beschermt het land. Wat dat land bijeenhoudt, staat op geen enkel contract dat in Ankara werd getekend.

Rick van der Woud is directeur van Mensen met een Missie. Hij schrijft dit stuk mede namens Cordaid, Care Nederland, Pax, CSPPS en WO=MEN.