Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Dutch soldiers
Dutch soldiers - Credit: Photo: Countrymaster / Wikimedia Commons
Politics
Defense
Ministry of Defense
armed forces
AIV
Advisory Council on International Affairs
Russia
defense budget
Army
NATO
Friday, 10 March 2017 - 09:55
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Dutch armed forces seriously neglected: Advice Council

The state of the Dutch armed forces is extremely worrying, according to advisory council on international affairs AIV in an advice report to the cabinet titled 'Russia and the Dutch defense efforts'. According to the report, the "employability of the armed forces was further undermined this government term" and if the policy is not changed, the basic readiness of the army will only be back in order in 2021, NU.nl reports.

According to the AIV, the government continually paints an overly optimistic picture on the state of the armed forces. "These positive framings may serve a political purpose, but creates a false picture", the report states.

The AIV calls on the next government to ensure that the Defense budget is increased to at least the NATO average. Over 8 years 2 percent of the gross domestic product must be spent on defense - the standard mutually agreed upon by NATO countries. 

The report also states that Russia seems to be trying to cause divisions in Europe through cyber attacks, supporting populist movements and spreading false information. In 2008 Russia also invested heavily in the military and modernized it significantly. According to the council, "the international security situation therefore changed fundamentally."

NATO also strongly criticized the employability of the Dutch armed forces. According to NATO, strengthening defense should be a top priority for the Netherlands. 

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Caribbean Netherlands braces for tropical storm Bonnie with curfew, closed schools
  • Farmers protests increasingly radical, police say; Coalition party demands debate
  • Angry farmers break through police barricade at Minister's house
  • About 150 houses heavily damaged after Zierikzee tornado
  • Necklace worth €27 million snatched in Tefaf Maastricht art fair robbery: Report
  • Philips: Issues with sleep apnea machines less harmful than thought

Top stories

  • Caribbean Netherlands braces for tropical storm Bonnie with curfew, closed schools
  • Farmers protests increasingly radical, police say; Coalition party demands debate
  • Angry farmers break through police barricade at Minister's house
  • Necklace worth €27 million snatched in Tefaf Maastricht art fair robbery: Report
  • Covid hospital patient total jumps 17 percent; New infections rise by 29 percent
  • Small plane crashes in Flevoland lake; Rescuers working to save victims

© 2012-2022, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content