Netherlands is considering reducing military aid to Ukraine

Geert Wilders, a Dutch new Prime Minister, suggested reducing military aid to Ukraine due to concerns about defending the Netherlands. During a parliamentary debate, he emphasized that providing military support to Ukraine should be reconsidered while the Dutch ability to protect its own country is uncertain, Bloomberg reported.

Parties potentially forming a coalition with Wilders, such as the New Social Contract and the Farmer-Citizen Movement, also expressed reservations regarding Ukraine’s EU membership and providing further financial aid to Kyiv. These statements emerged amid Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s appeal to US lawmakers for $61 billion in crucial aid, but he departed from Washington without clear assurances of continued support from the US, his most significant ally.

The Netherlands has been a crucial supporter in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, providing air defense systems and leading efforts to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets under Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s leadership. Rutte is anticipated to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO chief. Wilders’ recent electoral win on November 22 has spurred discussions about coalition possibilities involving the NSC, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (formerly led by Rutte), and the pro-agrarian party.