Dutch Defense Minister holds talks with Ukrainian counterpart in The Hague
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov arrived at Rotterdam The Hague Airport on Friday for a visit to The Hague, where he met with Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. The ministers discussed drones, ammunition, and air defense, Brekelmans wrote on X.
Umerov is touring European allies and has previously visited the United Kingdom, Poland, and Germany. Earlier on Friday, he met with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Ukraine is facing a challenging period as the United States has suspended military aid to the country. The suspension followed a dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
Umerov’s aircraft landed in Rotterdam shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Friday following a brief flight from Brussels. He was greeted outside the plane and, after a brief photo opportunity, departed in a motorcade for The Hague. This marks his second meeting with Brekelmans in just over a month.
On Wednesday, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced after a conversation with Zelensky that the Netherlands will support Ukraine in acquiring and developing new drones, with a financial commitment of 700 million euros. Later that day, Schoof also revealed that the Dutch government will allocate 3.5 billion euros in aid to Ukraine next year.
Minister Rustem Umerov responded on X, saying, "I was glad to meet my friend, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. The Netherlands is among the leaders in supporting Ukraine, and this support remains unwavering.
I am grateful to Minister Brekelmans and the entire team at the Dutch Ministry of Defense for their clear stance, swift decisions, and constant support."
