Netherlands to give Ukraine anti-ship rockets

The Netherlands will also supply Ukraine with anti-ship rockets. The war-torn country can use the Harpoon missiles to keep the Russian navy in the Black Sea at a safe distance. The British Defense Minister mentioned the Netherlands as one of the suppliers of these missiles, and NATO sources hint that this is correct.

Ukraine has been pleading for more heavy weapons for weeks to fend off the Russian invaders. The Netherlands previously promised the country five armored Howitzers. Ukrainian soldiers are still practicing using these weapons, but will soon be able to deploy them against the Russians, Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said after new talks with allies about military support for Ukraine. “Those armored howitzers are coming, and they certainly won’t be the last we can deliver.”

Defense remains mostly quiet about the aid it sends to Ukraine and refuses to comment on the comments by British minister Ben Wallace. Defense made an exception for the armored Howitzers because the Netherlands collaborated with Germany in that support. Larger countries tend to be more candid about their arms supplies.

American Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, who had convened the consultations in Brussels, praised the Netherlands afterward. Austin said the artillery donated by countries like the Netherlands “will be crucial in Ukraine’s efforts to knock Russia back into the Donbas.”

The government in Kyiv released a long wish list including artillery, tanks, and drones before the ally consultations in Brussels on Wednesday. Russia is increasingly gaining the upper hand now that the war has turned into a battle of attrition, mainly fought with artillery. The Russians have that in abundance.