Dutch King thinks Netherlands must "arm itself to the teeth"
The Netherlands must “arm itself to the teeth” to remain safe, King Willem-Alexander said during a visit to the Lieutenant-General Best Barracks in Vredepeel, Limburg. According to the King, the war in Ukraine and other conflicts in the world prove that peace and security can no longer be taken for granted, NOS reports.
“We may have taken it a bit too much for granted that we would always have freedom and peace,” the King said during his visit to the barracks, where the Dutch military trains Ukrainian soldiers. “Unfortunately, Ukraine and other conflicts prove that this is no longer the case.”
The Netherlands needs to prepare and rearm itself better, he said. “If you are not prepared, then you are not doing well.” The Defense industry must “reallly be able to start producing for a conflict again.”
Europe is working on an 800 billion euro rearmament plan, which caused quite a bit of political strife in the Netherlands. Prime Minister Dick Schoof expressed support for the plan, only to be shot down by parliament. After crisis talks with the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, the coalition decided that Schoof would not have to withdraw the Netherlands’ support, but must ensure that the European budget rules are not excessively relaxed.
