Netherlands Pledges €700 Million for Drone Production, Strengthening Ukraine’s Defense

The Netherlands has pledged €700 million for drone production, with a portion of the investment allocated to Ukraine’s defense industry. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof discussed the initiative with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 5, according to his statement on X.

Schoof stated that the Netherlands will continue to provide political, military, and financial support to Ukraine.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Netherlands has supplied nearly €6 billion in military aid, including equipment, weapons, ammunition, combat aircraft, and air defense systems. The country has delivered F-16 fighter jets to strengthen Ukraine’s Air Force and provided drones, radars, tank and artillery ammunition, and small arms such as machine guns.

The Netherlands has also contributed off-road vehicles, medical equipment, and food supplies as part of its defense assistance package. In addition, 255 Dutch soldiers were deployed to Germany and 350 to the UK last year to help train Ukrainian forces.

During the latest Ramstein meeting, the Dutch defense minister announced the transfer of 25 YPR-765 tracked armored personnel carriers in a medical evacuation configuration to Ukraine’s armed forces.

Earlier on March 5, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Russia’s threat extends beyond Ukraine, impacting all of Europe. He accused Moscow of escalating the war into a global issue.