Ukraine urgently asks Netherlands for €2 billion in military aid
Photo: Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius (mod.gov.ua)
Ukraine is asking the Dutch government to provide 2 billion euros from reserved military aid ahead of schedule. The funds are needed to purchase air defense missiles and produce drone interceptors, according to Ukraine's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Andrii Kostin, De Volkskrant reports.
According to the diplomat, additional air defense capabilities are needed now to protect people from Russian ballistic and hypersonic missiles. Russia has intensified attacks not only on energy infrastructure but also on civilian infrastructure, including shopping malls and department stores.
Ukraine is proposing to use 2 billion euros from funds reserved for future periods while the Dutch government is engaged in difficult budget negotiations.
The money would be used to purchase missiles for air defense systems and produce drone interceptors.
The Netherlands has previously approved the early use of reserved aid. In particular, this summer, Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius announced the allocation of 437 million euros from funds earmarked for a later period.
Overall, the Dutch government allocates 3 billion euros from the state budget each year for military support to Ukraine.
Earlier, the Dutch defense minister said that the country was no longer able to provide direct military support to Ukraine. She said she would call on other countries to help Kyiv, but that Amsterdam had already done everything it could.
Asked about requests for missiles for Patriot air defense systems, Yeşilgöz-Zegerius stressed that the country had "reached the limit of its capabilities."
