Military support to Ukraine should have no restrictions – Dutch Defence Minister

Saturday, 10 February 2024, 15:27

Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, has called for increased military assistance to Ukraine in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Source: European Pravda, citing Ollongren in an interview with NOS on 9 February

Details: Ollongren said that "when it comes to... conventional weapons, training, and spare parts, I believe there should be no restrictions" regarding support for Ukraine. The Minister of Defence of the Netherlands emphasised the importance of supporting Ukraine.

Quote: "I think we have evolved in how we do this. We started supplying [weapons – ed.] from our own stocks, and now we collaborate with other countries and industries because we also needed to support our supplies," she added.

Ollongren stressed that military support for Ukraine benefits not only Ukraine itself but also the security of the Netherlands, as even being a member of the EU and NATO does not guarantee immunity from full-scale war.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Netherlands has provided military support to Ukraine amounting to €2.63 billion. This includes combat vehicles, anti-aircraft defence systems, F-16 fighter jets, ammunition, field beds and computers.

Background:

  • Earlier this week, Ollongren announced that her ministry is preparing to send six more F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. This brings the number of aircraft the Netherlands has pledged to deliver to Ukraine to 24.

Read more: To Send F-16s to Ukraine, Preconditions Yet to Be Met". Interview with Dutch Minister of Defence

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