This weapon is Putin's greatest fear

From the beginning of his second term, the American president has ignited a real trade war. The United States is now imposing extremely high tariffs and is being imposed tariffs in return. An explosive game of ping-pong.

Due to Donald Trump’s stance, Portugal has decided today to forgo the purchase of American F-35s. And although its own air force had designated the F-35 as the appropriate successor to the aging F-16s, Portugal will not order these fighter jets from the United States."We cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our choices", said Defence Minister Nuno Melo to the Portuguese media. "The recent position of the United States, in the context of NATO, […] must make us reflect on the best options, as the predictability of our allies is a major asset to take into account. We must believe that in all circumstances, these allies will be by our side".

Portugal, Canada... but not Belgium

And while Portugal announces the end of its agreement with Lockheed Martin, the American manufacturer of these modern fighter jets, Canada is also considering re-evaluating its purchase contract for dozens of F-35s, according to DH.

In Belgium, however, the federal government does not intend to drop its agreement and is even considering purchasing eleven additional F-35s. A choice defended by the Flemish nationalist party N-VA. "The manufacturer Lockheed Martin is American, but the components are manufactured worldwide. The F-35 is what scares Putin the most", argues Axel Ronse, the N-VA group leader.

(Manon Pierre - Source: DH - Illustration: ©Unsplash)