Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The Chief of Staff of the Belgian Armed Forces, Frédéric Vansina, called on the government to declare a state of emergency, saying: "We are still conducting our procurement at a peacetime pace. Putin is not doing that." Brussels media reported over the weekend that the Chief of Staff, Frédéric Vansina, called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency. This would allow the government to purchase weapons more quickly, for example. "It's either war or peace, and today we are somewhere in between, in a hybrid situation where the threat is increasing," Vansina said.
Our country has a threat assessment center (OCAD), but it does not have a scale to assess the overall security situation. He said: "It would be good if the government also defined the nature of this crisis. Then we would be able to take a number of measures that cannot be taken in peacetime."
In addition to accelerating arms procurement, Vansina also mentioned the security of ports and digital networks. "We are still buying at a peacetime pace. Putin doesn't. Tanks, planes, and artillery are flowing out of his factories day and night, while we are forced to work on burdensome and time-consuming government contracts," he said.
According to Nieuwsblad, the Defense Authority is currently preparing a proposal for Defense Minister Theo Francken. He has since responded in writing to VRT Nws, saying that "the Chief of Staff gave an excellent interview and demonstrated a sense of urgency."
His task is to properly inform the population of the situation and ensure that the necessary personnel are available to act quickly when necessary. And he is doing just that.
Vansena served as Deputy Chief of the Defense Staff from March 2023[4] until July 2024, when he became Chief of Staff of the Belgian Armed Forces, succeeding Admiral Michel Hoffman, who retired.