Netherlands to give Ukraine €500m worth of ammunition

The Netherlands will provide Ukraine with EUR 500 million worth of artillery shells and other ammunition critical for the country’s fight against Russia’s full-scale aggression by mid-next year, Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said.

On Thursday, Ms Ollongren visited Ukraine and met the country’s top officials, including president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and defence minister Rustem Umerov.

The fight can only be continued if they [Ukrainians] know that we will continue to send such things," she was quoted as saying by Dutch newspaper NRC.

Of the EUR 500 million set aside for Ukraine military assistance, the Netherlands will spend around EUR 260 million on artillery shells and EUR 240 million on tank ammunition.

No further details of the military aid were provided.

Apart from Kyiv, the Dutch defence chief visited Kharkiv and said the military threat in the city, near the Russian border, is "tangible".

Ms Ollongren "praised the resilience and combativeness of Ukrainians," NRC reported.

"This gives confidence in the future, but we need to be resilient," she was quoted as saying.

Ukraine receives missiles for the Patriot air defence systems, artillery, and much more from the Netherlands.

The country also leads a coalition of states that are working to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets, training Ukrainian pilots and pledging its own aircraft.