The Netherlands to sign ten-year security agreement with Ukraine
The Netherlands will sign a bilateral, ten-year security agreement with Ukraine, outgoing Foreign Affairs Minister Hanke Bruins Slot reports. France, Germany, and Denmark are among several countries to sign similar agreements this past week.
According to her, the security agreement includes arrangements on military support in the medium and longer term, cooperation involving the defence industry, improving Ukraine's resilience – including its response to cyber threats – and improving interoperability between Ukraine's army and NATO troops. The Netherlands also remains committed to justice.
Saturday will mark two years since Russia intensified its invasion into Ukraine. The Netherlands has delivered over 2.6 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine in that time. Current caretaker Cabinet expects to spend over 2 billion euros to help the government in Kyiv.
"Our own security is closely intertwined with Ukraine's," Bruins Slot said. "Ukraine must be able to rely on our support, not only now but in the longer term too. This also sends a powerful signal to Russia, which is hoping that Western support for Ukraine will eventually dry up.”
Ukraine will cease to exist without Western support, and the Russian threat will advance further, according to her. The stability and safety of the European continent will be under pressure in that case. That is why the Cabinet has decided to sign the security agreement, according to the minister.
The agreement stems from a statement by the G7 countries last July during the NATO summit in Vilnius. This group of six wealthy industrialized countries and the European Union stated they would make bilateral security agreements with Ukraine. Other countries then declared that they would follow suit. More than 30 countries have now signed that declaration.
Ukraine cannot join the NATo if the war is ongoing. The bilateral security agreements are meant to reassure Kyiv and unnerve the Russians. The agreements are meant to ensure that Ukraine will remain safe as long even it is not a NATO member.
The bilateral agreement will be signed soon, according to the ministry.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times
