Netherlands setting example for finding ways to give military support, Ukrainian FM says

The Netherlands leads by example when it comes to facilitating deliveries of new types of weapon systems, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Koeleba said in a joint interview with his outgoing counterpart Wopke Hoekstra in the Volkskrant on Monday.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Sunday that the Netherlands and Denmark would together supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. It is the first time that a Western country has promised modern fighter jets to Ukraine.

According to Koeleba, “history was written” on Sunday. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister said that the Netherlands “plays a leading role,” which he said was already the case when the Netherlands and Germany organized a joint project to supply armored howitzers. “So we started and ended with Dutch leadership. We are grateful for that. You set an example,” said Koeleba.

According to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the term in which the F-16s will be delivered is still uncertain. “If, like Dmytro and his compatriots, you fight for your life every day and have loved ones doing the same, the equipment always had to be there yesterday. Still, I am glad that this day has arrived. Organizing everything will still take some time, but we will do it as soon as possible,” Hoekstra told the newspaper.

“We don’t know when those F-16s will arrive, but I guarantee you that even announcing them will make a difference on the front. It will motivate our soldiers and show that the flow of aid is not drying up but increasing. That will be good for the counter-offensive this summer,” added Koeleba.