In this letter to Parliament, the cabinet elaborates on this goal into concrete deployment and formulates its priorities and intended military, civilian, and police contributions to international missions and operations. With this ambition, the cabinet aims to effectively deploy the armed forces in a changing world.
The safety of the Netherlands is closely intertwined with developments in and directly around Europe. There is large-scale war in Europe. Elsewhere in the world, great powers are also embroiled in competition and confrontation. These developments have a direct impact on our country: they pose a threat to the safety and prosperity of the Netherlands and its citizens. Therefore, the Netherlands continues to contribute to missions and operations to promote the international rule of law and stability.
The cabinet opts for a policy that emphasizes missions and operations that concretely contribute to Dutch interests. It focuses on less prolonged, large-scale contributions far from home. In some cases, targeted, small-scale contributions will be chosen to achieve a goal, send a signal, or keep a foothold.
The cabinet notes that there is always the possibility that additional deployment may be needed at some point, for example due to an allied request or to respond to unforeseen developments.
This letter does not pertain to the necessary and extensive efforts to strengthen the NATO eastern flank and the unwavering support for Ukraine.
Reliable Ally
The Netherlands remains a reliable partner within NATO, the European Union, and the United Nations.
The intended deployment includes military, civilian, and police missions in various parts of the world that are strategically important for the Netherlands. Consider the Western Balkans, Moldova, the Southern Caucasus, and the Middle East. Additionally, the deployment concerns the Red Sea region, the Indo-Pacific, and West Africa.
Lessons from Evaluations
Realism remains in place. The context of missions and operations is stubborn. The cabinet emphasizes that it will carefully weigh every deployment and will also take lessons from the past into account. Thus, the cabinet aims to be realistic and transparent about the nature of the conflicts in the countries where missions and operations take place and about what we can and cannot achieve with a contribution. Risks are carefully weighed.