Brekelmans: “Two weeks ago, I saw with my own eyes in Dnipro the massive destruction from Russian airstrikes. Innocent civilians and children are targeted every day. These systems save lives and are therefore invaluable to the Ukrainians. With this, we also respond to President Zelenskys call.”
The systems pledged today are I-HAWK systems, a type of air defense for medium range. The delivery is being coordinated with the United Kingdom. Ukraine explicitly requested additional support for air defense during the meeting.
Complete Patriot and F-16s
The Netherlands has now delivered the last component of one complete Patriot system. Earlier, a radar system and launchers were already delivered. Now, the command center has also been added, as Brekelmans announced in Brussels. He pointed out that Ukraine needs these now more than ever. The minister finally announced that another extra batch of Dutch F-16s has recently been transferred to Ukraine.
Strengthening the High North
During the UDCG, the Netherlands and Norway signed a declaration of intent. It states that the countries will strengthen their cooperation in the field of security and defense in the High North. Brekelmans and his Norwegian colleague Tore Sandvik want a higher degree of deterrence and stability in the region.
The Netherlands and Norway continue to strive to improve cooperation between their armed forces. Additionally, they will explore the possibilities for a strengthened presence of Dutch troops in Norway.