According to Minister Ollongren, the urgency of the situation in Ukraine necessitates swift and substantial support. “Air defence means and artillery ammunition are desperately needed in Ukraine. The situation is becoming critical,” she stated. The resources that the Netherlands is contributing are already positioned within Europe and will be dispatched to Ukraine as quickly as possible. “We all need to pull together to support Ukraine at this crucial time,” Ollongren emphasized.
The funding is divided into two main segments focusing on different ranges of air defence. The Netherlands is allocating EUR 150 million to the German-led ‘Immediate Action for Air Defence’ initiative, aimed at rapidly providing long-range air defence systems along with other partners. An additional EUR 60 million will be used to purchase short-range air defence systems capable of countering drone attacks, which have become increasingly frequent and destructive.
On the artillery front, the Netherlands is supporting an Estonian initiative to quickly deliver artillery ammunition from existing stockpiles to Ukrainian forces. This move is vital for addressing the intensified Russian pressure on the front lines. This follows the Netherlands’ previous commitment of EUR 250 million to a similar Czech initiative aimed at rapidly increasing the supply of shells to Ukraine.
