Kiev will receive 2 billion euros in military aid from the Netherlands this year.
Mark Rutte and Vladimir Zelensky in Kharkov March 1, 2024
On March 1, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte signed an agreement on security cooperation between both states in Kharkov.
This is stated on the website of the head of state.
Zelensky and Rutte held talks in narrow, expanded and military cabinet meeting formats.
The agreement cements the Netherlands' decision to continue cooperation to continue to provide and expand assistance to Ukraine in defense against Russian aggression for as long as necessary. The document is valid for ten years from the date of signing.
Fixed in the agreement:
- military assistance from the Netherlands for 2 billion euros in 2024 and extension of defense support for 10 years ;
- providing Ukraine with modern military equipment and support for the defense industry. Priority – air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, support for naval and long-range capabilities and, in particular, the Air Force; information security, in the fight against organized crime, as well as in the field of critical infrastructure.
- expanded blocks regarding sanctions, compensation for damage and bringing the Russian Federation to justice, as well as support from the Netherlands for the cultural heritage of Ukraine;
- support from the Netherlands for the future membership of Ukraine in the EU and NATO.
- a 24-hour emergency response mechanism in the event of repeated military aggression against Ukraine.
At a meeting of the military cabinet, Vladimir Zelensky and Mark Rutte spoke with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky and Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Nikolai Oleshchuk. Representatives of the Ukrainian army spoke about the current situation on the battlefield, the peculiarities of Russian air attacks.
They also informed about the critical needs of the Defense Forces for shells, air defense systems and armored vehicles. We separately discussed the needs of the air defense forces to protect Kharkov.
Safe guarantees: what Ukraine is striving for
- On behalf of President Zelensky, in the spring of 2022, an International Working Group on Security Guarantees was created, headed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Andriy Ermak. In September 2022, the group presented the Kiev Security Treaty.
- In July 2023, at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General, Zelensky said that Ukraine needs to receive security guarantees before it becomes a member of the Alliance. These guarantees should not be “instead of NATO,” but along the way to it, he emphasized. The President said that now the state has no real legal guarantees of security from its partners, so this could become the first legal document. And then Ukraine can receive separate guarantees from individual guarantor countries. This document can be joined not only by G7 members, but also by other countries, although initially the document was aimed specifically at the G7.
- In July, the G7 countries signed a declaration on long-term security guarantees and economic support for Ukraine. The signatories will promote reforms necessary for Ukraine's membership in NATO. The next step is the conclusion of bilateral security agreements between Ukraine and individual guarantor countries. Read more about this in the material “Security Guarantees from the G7. The Real Success of Ukraine.”
- Later, representatives of the EU and the Ministry of Defense identified nine priorities for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. Among other things, we are talking about EU cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industry.
- As of March 1, Ukraine has concluded security agreements with six countries: Great Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy.
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