Maryland’s Democratic senator Chris Van Hollen he is one of the legislators who have been pushing for permission to use long-range missiles. In his interview with “To Vima” he talks about a military imposed decision, pointing out that “better late than never”.
Russia has changed its nuclear weapons rules in response to the Biden administration’s ATACMS decision. Is the risk of a more dangerous escalation visible?
“I think that was an important step that President Biden took because we were driven into situations that Ukraine could not defend easily. And of course, Russian President Putin now has North Korean forces participating in his military operations. So I think it was the right decision.”
The Biden administration is criticized for taking too long to make crucial decisions, as a result of which the aid cannot deliver the expected results on the Ukrainian front. Do you agree?
“As they say Ukrainians, better late than never. I have been advocating this move, urging the government to do so for some time. I understood the concerns and I am glad that the government took this decision. We’ll see what impact it has on the battlefield.”
Do you know if there was any prior coordination with the Trump team? Do you think there should have been an update on such a critical decision?
“I hope there is coordination, but with Donald Trump you never know. I’m sure the Biden administration is willing to brief the incoming Trump administration because we obviously want as smooth a transition of power as possible.”
Reports indicate that senior Hamas leaders have moved from Qatar to Turkey. Has the Biden administration taken steps to end Turkey’s support for Hamas?
“Right now Hamas is mostly in Qatar. I don’t know if that will change. There have been reports suggesting that Qatar will insist that Hamas leave. However, Doha has said it has no plans to do so. I think the Biden administration has.’
Turkey hopes to return to the F-35 program through a deal with the Trump administration that would allow it to keep the S-400 system under a pledge not to use it. Would Congress support such a compromise?
“I’ll have to see the details. But I was one of the leaders in the effort to block the transfer of the F-35s. And we did this because Turkey has acquired the Russian S-400 system which puts NATO pilots at risk.
So my position is that we should not consider any F-35 transfers until we get rid of the S-400s completely. In addition, I must say that there are other issues regarding the transportation of the F-35s. So I think Congress would be very concerned and would want to look very carefully at any change in policy on the F-35 and Turkey.”
