The Netherlands can no longer provide direct military support to Ukraine. This was stated by the country's Minister of Defense, Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, in an interview with Bloomberg. According to her, Amsterdam has already done everything possible to assist Kyiv and has reached the limit of its resources.
"We Have Done a Great Deal"
During the conversation, the Defense Minister emphasized that, despite being ready to call on other states to support Ukraine, the Netherlands physically cannot provide additional volumes of weaponry. "As the Netherlands, we no longer have the capacity, as we have already done a great deal," noted Yeşilgöz-Zegerius.
Special attention was paid to Kyiv's request for missiles for Patriot air defense systems. The head of the defense department confirmed that the country has exhausted its stockpiles and cannot meet new demands for the supply of this type of weapon.
Scale of Financial Aid
The economic contribution of the Netherlands to the conflict is already counted in billions of euros. To date, the country has spent 9.1 billion euros on military aid to Ukraine. According to plans, a further 11.6 billion euros will be allocated in the future.
Furthermore, the Netherlands is actively participating in the PURL program (Pooling and Resource Utilization for Lethal aid). Under this initiative, European allies pool resources to pay for American weapons intended for Kyiv. Amsterdam has already allocated 1 billion euros for the implementation of this program.
The Situation with Patriots and the Position of Neighbors
Against the backdrop of statements about a lack of resources in the Netherlands, other European countries are demonstrating a different dynamic. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the transfer of missiles for Patriot systems to Ukraine, which is expected to strengthen the air defense of the Ukrainian army against Russian attacks.
However, the problem of ammunition shortages remains acute. Advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov stated that Kyiv currently lacks missiles to intercept the Russian ballistic threat. According to him, countries bordering Russia, including Germany, are striving to preserve their own strategic stockpiles, as they also face a threat from the east.
