The Netherlands is allocating 20 million euros to a joint drone coalition fund aimed at supplying 1 million FPV drones to Ukraine, the Dutch Ministry of Defense reports.
“There is a shortage of drones in Ukraine, but not in Russia. To reduce the deficit, Latvia and Ukraine created a drone coalition earlier this year, which was joined by the Netherlands. An agreement of intent was signed in February. The goal of the coalition is to give Ukraine 1 million drones this year and then expand the offer to other types, such as reconnaissance,” the statement said.
Currently, more than 265 companies, including 9 Dutch companies, have registered to supply FPV drones to Ukraine.
“Ukraine urgently needs a lot of attack drones. They have proven their effectiveness on the battlefield. We will provide this together with 11 other countries, which we confirmed today during the NATO summit,” said Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans.
The Netherlands will allocate EUR 2 million through the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) to expand Ukraine’s capacity in the field of forensic research and will also provide a mobile laboratory for forensic medical examination, said the newly appointed Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp.
At a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, the Dutch Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of justice and the responsibility of the Russian Federation for serious crimes against the Ukrainian people.
“Crimes against Ukraine must be brought to justice, and deported children must be returned to their families. That is why I am pleased to announce that the Netherlands will provide 2 million euros to enhance Ukraine’s capacity in forensic research, data collection and analysis through the International Commission on Missing Persons,” Veldkamp said.
In addition, the Netherlands will provide Ukraine with a mobile forensic laboratory to help with activities near the front line. “This will help to restore justice for the many dead Ukrainians whose bodies are being returned from the front. It will also facilitate the investigation of cases of missing persons and help collective efforts to return deported children from Russia and reunite them with their families,” the head of diplomacy noted.
He also announced the decision to support the activities of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine for fact-finding over the next two years for a total of EUR 8 million. “The mission’s mandate is to report objectively on the situation throughout Ukraine, to provide indisputable facts that serve as a basis for international discussions on Ukraine, as well as for alternative legal analysis of many crimes, which can then be used by justice mechanisms,” the minister explained.
Veldkamp emphasized that justice is needed “for the sake of thousands of killed and wounded, for millions of displaced persons, for innocent children who were deported to Russia and whose fate is unknown.”
The Minister assured that the Netherlands will continue to support the work of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, the International Criminal Court, the International Center for the Prosecution of Crimes of Aggression and the Register of Damages for Ukraine.
Separately, the Foreign Minister emphasized the Netherlands’ support for Ukraine’s accession to the EU, stressing the importance of reforms and readiness to share the necessary experience.
“Of course, the path to EU membership is a marathon in itself. Reforms are needed. Good governance, transparency, and the rule of law are of paramount importance. And yes, the Copenhagen criteria must be fulfilled. The rules are strict. But there is no rule that says you have to go it alone. We will share our experience as an EU member state,” Veldkamp said.
The Netherlands, together with Denmark, will produce CV90 infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine, and together with Germany – Patriot.
This was announced on Friday by the Dutch government.
“The Netherlands, together with Denmark, is participating in a €400 million Swedish fund to create CV90 infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine. Most of them will be produced in the Netherlands. In addition, Germany is launching a European assembly line for Patriot missiles, partly due to demand from the Netherlands,” the press release said.
In addition, the Dutch Ministry of Defense is also investing 54 million euros in the Dutch industry to develop drones for its own armed forces. This is included in the action plan to increase the production and supply of military equipment, the Dutch government said.
The Netherlands has allocated an additional EUR1 billion in military aid and EUR400 million for reconstruction to Ukraine in addition to the commitments under the bilateral security agreement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after a phone conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
“In a telephone conversation, Prime Minister Mark Rutte has just announced that the Netherlands has allocated another EUR 1 billion for military assistance to Ukraine and EUR 400 million for reconstruction. This is in addition to the obligations under our bilateral security agreement,” Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram channel.
The Head of State expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and all the people of the Netherlands.
According to him, during the conversation, they also discussed joint work with partners to accelerate the supply of artillery shells, ammunition and air defense systems.
” I thanked him for the effective Justice for Ukraine conference in The Hague and the launch of the Register of Damages as a result of it. He spoke about the preparations for the Peace Summit in Switzerland and invited the Netherlands to join. We also discussed the necessary efforts to ensure that this event is supported by as many countries as possible,” Zelenskyy wrote.
For his part, Rutte said that his country would provide Ukraine with additional military assistance worth EUR1 billion in 2024 and allocate EUR3 billion in defense support for 2025.
“The Netherlands will provide an additional EUR1 billion in military support this year. This is in addition to the EUR2 billion already approved by the authorities. We have also decided that we will allocate EUR3 billion for military support for the next year,” Rutte wrote on social network X.
In addition, according to the Prime Minister, the Netherlands is using EUR400 million “to support the Ukrainian economy and repair vital energy infrastructure.”
Rutte reminded that the Netherlands continues to make efforts to deliver more ammunition and air defense equipment to Ukraine faster, together with international partners, including Denmark and the Czech Republic.
In early March, the Netherlands signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement with Ukraine. According to Rutte, his country will provide Ukraine with assistance and support “across the entire spectrum of defense cooperation, as well as in the areas of reconstruction, sanctions support, and the fight for justice.”
The Netherlands is allocating more than 150 million euros for the purchase of air-to-ground ammunition for Ukrainian F-16 aircraft and more than 200 million euros for the purchase of drones.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the ammunition will be purchased directly from the industry. Defense Minister Keesa Ollongren announced this after yesterday’s meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defense.
In addition, the Netherlands is sending (out of the previously promised) F-16 fighter jets to Romania. The planes will be used in a training center for Ukrainian and Romanian pilots. This includes not only the aircraft themselves, but also all related spare parts and ammunition.
The Netherlands leads the Ramstein Air Force coalition along with Denmark and the United States. 18 Dutch F-16s have been made available for training in Romania. The remaining 24 Dutch F-16s are intended for delivery to Ukraine. Some of them are currently being prepared in coordination with coalition partners.
The Ministry of Defense also informed that the Netherlands is allocating more than 200 million euros for the purchase of drones. It is planned to purchase a significant number of ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) drones and transfer them to Ukraine, which will be done in coordination with other partners and the Ukrainian armed forces.
“These drones are already in use and have proven themselves on the battlefield,” said Minister Ollongren.
The Netherlands intends to allocate EUR 122 million in military aid to Ukraine, which will be spent on ammunition, weapons and cybersecurity, the press service of the country’s government reported.
In particular, EUR 87 million will be allocated to Ukraine for the purchase of artillery shells. The Netherlands will also transfer EUR 25 million to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) for the purchase of weapons.
In addition, the Dutch government will allocate another EUR 10 million to improve Ukraine’s cybersecurity.
“The donations are the result of consultations of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), which includes 50 partner countries. They help Ukraine purchase equipment and resources to defend itself against Russia,” the government said in a statement.
According to Dutch Defense Minister Keesa Ollongren, “it is important to support Ukraine in the long term.”
“Now it is important to show that we are helping Ukraine. They are fighting for their country and for the values we share: self-determination, freedom, equality, human rights,” she said.
