The Netherlands will allocate over €100 million to Ukraine for the Czech initiative to purchase artillery rounds outside the EU.
The Netherlands continue to help Ukraine with shells
The Dutch PM, Mark Rutte, noted that the Ukrainian troops continue to stand their ground bravely, but Russia continues to press. That is why it poses a significant challenge to the defenders.
It is essential, first and foremost, that we deliver what we’ve promised. And look at what else we can do. That is why the Netherlands is contributing more than 100 million euros to the Czech initiative to quickly deliver hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine, Rutte wrote.
He also added that Putin is preparing for a long war, so we should continue to show that "we are steadfast and time is not on his side."
According to Rutte, the Netherlands is concluding a security agreement with Ukraine in order to continue supporting the country for 10 years.
Search for ammunition for Ukraine
Despite the ammunition situation, the European Union is still arguing about money.
France insists that ammunition and weapons be purchased with EU money only from European companies and not from third countries, which would be able to deliver quickly.
On Feb. 17, the Czech President Petr Pavel stated that the Czech Republic found the sources of almost 800,000 ammunitions outside the EU countries. The country may be able to deliver them to Ukraine in "a matter of weeks", but will seek financing for this.
The armed forces of Ukraine currently experience an acute shortage of artillery shells.
On Feb. 24, the Ukrainian MFA chief, Dmytro Kuleba, announced that the EU plans to supply Kyiv with almost 170,000 shells by the end of March.
On Feb. 26, Kuleba confirmed that against the background of a shortage of ammunition, Western countries are looking for them in third countries.
There is a solution, where and how to get shells [for Ukraine]. Now — it will not be a secret — in third countries, that is, the partners have to buy shells in third countries and transfer them to Ukraine.
