The Pentagon has not officially confirmed the reasons for Chatfield’s dismissal. However, The Washington Post hinted at political motivations, running the headline: “The Latest Eviction in Trump’s Military Purge”
Previously, the bank excluded investments in firms that derived more than 10% of their revenue from conventional weapons manufacturing. However, under the new policy, this restriction has been lifted for companies headquartered in NATO member states
The decision to purchase the American-made jets was initially taken in 2018 by then-Prime Minister Charles Michel’s government as part of a plan to replace Belgium’s ageing fleet of 45 F-16 fighter jets
The Belgian government has significantly accelerated its defense spending commitments, announcing earlier this month that it would reach the NATO target of allocating two percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense by the end of 2024
To fund the increased defence spending, Van Peteghem confirmed the possibility of selling state assets, a measure that Defence Minister Theo Francken of the N-VA has advocated to finance a dedicated defence fund
