The Netherlands must prepare for war with Russia, warns Dutch army boss

The Dutch army commander warns that Russia is getting stronger and that the Netherlands must be ready for war.

In conversation with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, outgoing army commander Martin Wijnen states that the country needs to be better prepared in the event of Russian retaliation.

Russia is getting stronger, says Wijnen

According to Wijnen, a much stronger Dutch army is needed to combat Russia’s growing strength. “The Netherlands must not think that safety is guaranteed with us because we are 1,500 kilometres away,” he explained.

“The Netherlands must learn again that the whole society must be ready if things go wrong,” he continues. He suggests that citizens should be prepared to stockpile canned food and drinking water if needed.

In addition to this, Wijnen also pointed to countries like Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic states as examples that the Netherlands should look up to.

Due to their close proximity to Russia, their populations are already preparing for Russian retaliation to pop up on the horizon.

“There is only one language that understands Russia: that of a robust armed force,” Wijnen says.

Voluntary service could be the way forward

However, Wijnen does see a glimmer of light ahead in the form of voluntary service.

Thanks to massive personnel shortages in the defence field, the Netherlands will be adopting a more Scandinavian-like approach to military training.

As stated by RTL Nieuws, this involves participants experiencing a year’s worth of paid military training.

Wijnen hopes that this will attract two to three thousand participants per year, some of whom will hopefully go on to join the army or become reservists.

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