Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra says the Netherlands would welcome a request by Ukraine for more weapons in defence against Russian troops. 👀
Already, the Netherlands is sending two F-35 fighter jets to Bulgaria, reports the NOS.
NATO is increasing its military presence in member countries Bulgaria and Romania, as a warning sign to the estimated 100,000 military troops that Putin has stationed close to the Ukrainian border
The Dutch are also helping out in building a cyberteam in response to a recent cyberattack against two of Ukraine’s official government websites. Instead of the homepage, the warning “Be scared and expect the worst”, appeared on the screen, reports the NOS.
The Dutch ready to support Ukraine
The overall consensus in the Dutch cabinet is supportive of building up the military defence in and around Ukraine. This coming Monday, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra will participate in a conference on this matter with fellow European leaders.
The aim is to make a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops as difficult and risky as possible, says D66-member Sjoerdsa.
The plan is to decide on more sanctions towards Russia, ban Moscow from the international banking system Swift, and possibly exit the controversial Nordstream 2 project — a gas pipeline that transports gas from Russia to Europe.
Hoekstra is aware that these are not easy steps to take for the Netherlands. “Forty percent of Europe’s gas comes from Russia, you can’t just replace that,” he says.
What’s going on between Russia and Ukraine?
So, why is the Dutch government expressing support for Ukrainian militarisation, and even supplying fighter jets and logistical help? This question has many layers, but it boils down to the concerns by US and European leaders that Russia might plan on invading its neighbour Ukraine.
Since the beginning of 2021, Moscow has deployed over 100,000 military troops at the Ukrainian border but says the soldiers have been moved for practising military drills.
Experts are sceptical, let alone because Russia has invaded Ukraine before in the conflict now known as the Crimea crisis, which took over 14,000 lives in 2014. Back then, Russian troops annexed the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea and also took over large parts of Eastern Ukraine, reports CNN.
The general consensus is that this display of military power is Putin’s way of warning against a further expansion of NATO. Moscow has demanded for years that countries such as Georgia, Finland, and Sweden will abstain from joining NATO/the Western military alliance.
Ukraine is a special case because it shares borders with both Russia and the European Union, and has a large, Russian speaking population.
The demand by Putin to stop a further NATO expansion is not completely unfounded, finds SP-member Van Dijk: “The NATO has been expanding towards the East, that is a fact.”
What do you think about more involvement of the Netherlands in the Russia-Ukraine conflict? Tell us in the comments!
Feature Image: adameq2/Depositphotos
The strange thing is.. This isn’t even being covered by the dutch media. I believe most people in the Netherlands don’t have any idea what our own leaders are up to..
you the dutch are NUTS ,remember the cold war stay the fuck out of it
Netherland was indeed involved in the cold war; and this is not cold at all – Potentially threatening the international order and democracy as we know it in the west, Theo. But what are you used to?
Of course the Netherlands will supply jets and other armaments. Its not like they forgot all the Dutch citizens which were murdered when a Russian missile shot down a Malaysian jet with a lot of citizens. I’m sure the Dutch government has been waiting to get even with Russia now they can.
The Dutch are not nuts. They just have long memories. What is going on now in Europe has nothing to do with the cold war. Netherlands has a vested interest in what is going on in Ukraine. Do you really think Putin will stop at the Ukraine? He won’t be satisfied until he has most of Europe.