On January 19, during a debate in the Dutch parliament, the possibility of transferring F-16 fighter jets in response to a request from Ukraine was discussed. As foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra said, the cabinet will approach this issue with an "open mind." As part of the WEF in Davos, defence minister Kajsa Ollongrennotedd that the Netherlands is ready to pay for the Leopard 2 tanks that other states will transfer to Ukraine. At the same time, the transfer and payment of tanks should be made within the framework of cooperation between European countries and NATO.
"That is certainly something we are willing to do," Kajsa Ollongren.
According to Wopke Hoekstra, the Netherlands only sends weapons it requests to Ukraine. Holland has "no taboos" on the issue of transferring defensive weapons to Ukraine. Against the backdrop of a possible second wave of attacks on Ukraine, our state needs heavy weapons. 7 states have already declared that they are ready to send tanks to Ukraine. Finland and Poland also want to supply Ukraine with Leopards, but they need permission from Germany. Germany could also join, but on January 19, the Bundestag failed to vote for the transfer of Leopards to Ukraine.
"We are waiting for Germany's position on this, but I am in favour of trying to find a solution and sending tanks to Ukraine," Kajsa Ollongren. "Every time, we have shown that we are able, together, to provide Ukraine with what they need."
