Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mark Rutte met in Kharkiv and signed an agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands.
In Kharkiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte held negotiations in narrow, expanded formats and in the format of a military cabinet meeting. They also signed an agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands, as reported by The Presidential Office of Ukraine.
The document was signed in the framework of the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine adopted at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The agreement confirms the decision of the Netherlands to continue cooperation in order to further provide and expand assistance to Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression for as long as necessary. The document is valid for ten years from the date of its signing.
In particular, the agreement stipulates that the Netherlands will provide €2 billion in military aid in 2024 and continue defense support over the next 10 years. The document contains a powerful military block that envisages providing Ukraine with modern military equipment and support for the defense industry. Priority is given to air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, support for maritime and long-range capabilities, and in particular, the Air Force.
In the non-military sphere, in particular, it is planned to increase assistance to Ukraine in the areas of economic recovery and reconstruction, countering hybrid threats, intelligence, cyber and information security, combating serious and organized crime, and critical infrastructure.
In addition, the document has expanded blocks on sanctions, compensation for damages and bringing the aggressor state to justice, as well as on the Netherlands’ support for Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
The agreement clearly reaffirms the Netherlands’ support for Ukraine’s future membership in the EU and NATO. A mechanism for 24-hour emergency response in the event of repeated military aggression against Ukraine has been defined.
The Head of State and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands also took part in the meeting of the military cabinet.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mark Rutte spoke with Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi and Commander of the Air Force of Ukraine Mykola Oleshchuk. The representatives of the Ukrainian army spoke about the current situation on the battlefield and the specifics of Russian aerial attacks.
They also outlined the critical needs of the Defense Forces in artillery rounds, air defense systems and armored vehicles. Separately, they discussed the needs of the air defense forces to protect Kharkiv.