The Netherlands Set to Allocate €6 Billion in Additional Military Assistance to Ukraine
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Kiev, Dec 27 (NationPress) The Netherlands is preparing to allocate an extra €6 billion (around $6.24 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine, according to Dutch Ambassador to Ukraine, Alle Dorhout.
Over the last three years, the Netherlands has provided €3.8 billion (nearly $3.96 billion) in defense aid to Ukraine, which includes F-16 fighter jets, Patriot air defense systems, armored vehicles, and artillery, as reported by Xinhua news agency citing Ukrinform.
Besides military support, the Netherlands has also extended humanitarian, reconstruction, and economic assistance to Ukraine, Dorhout noted.
The ambassador highlighted that the energy sector ranks high among the priorities for upcoming support.
On October 6, the Netherlands had previously announced €400 million (about $440 million) to aid Ukraine in drone development, as stated by the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
The Netherlands and Ukraine have been collaborating to create advanced drones and speed up the production of effective prototypes, according to the ministry's announcement, with nearly half of this production occurring in the Netherlands.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans revealed this information during his visit to Charkov in northeastern Ukraine.
"We have invested €400 million in a drone action plan aimed at various types of advanced drones for reconnaissance, defense, and attack missions," Brekelmans stated. "These drones are utilized primarily in the air but also on land and at sea."
In addition to the drone initiative, Brekelmans confirmed that the Netherlands has provided €3.76 billion in military support to Ukraine to date.
Furthermore, he confirmed that the initial units of the 24 promised Dutch F-16 fighter jets have been delivered to Ukraine.
On December 19, the United Kingdom announced an extra £225 million (approximately $283 million) in military support for Ukraine to bolster its defense in the upcoming year.
This announcement was made during UK Defence Secretary John Healey's visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
The new support package comprises a £186 million allocation for essential military equipment through the International Fund for Ukraine and £39 million for over 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems and joint procurement of respirators and equipment to enhance the defensive capabilities of Ukraine's Armed Forces, as per a statement on the British government website.
