The Netherlands is preparing a new military aid program of 500 million euros ($557 million) for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday, October 28, following discussions with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
“The package is being prepared right now, this fall,” Zelensky said, stressing that it is particularly important for repelling Russian air attacks.
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Separately, in kyiv, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi met with Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, with the Netherlands allocating an additional 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in non-military aid to Ukraine until 2027-29.
Bliksem air defense project
Zelensky and Jetten met with executives of Ukrainian and Dutch defense, energy and software companies, while Ukrainian officials in kyiv joined the online meeting.
The participants agreed on the priorities of practical economic cooperation, including defense production, joint technological and energy projects, as well as industrial development, satellite technologies and air defense.
Zelensky announced that Ukrainian and Dutch teams had been tasked with developing a specific air defense project called Bliksem, work on which is already underway.
Although the president gave very limited information about the project at the time of writing the report, he said the goal was to bring cooperation to a level where “staying on Ukraine’s side would bring additional industrial, technological and social benefits.”
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Europe’s place in the Abu Dhabi negotiations
With a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the United States planned in Abu Dhabi, Zelensky and Jetten discussed how Kyiv and its European partners could ensure that Europe’s position is taken into account.
“There’s a lot going on right now,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that peace efforts have been covered in great detail.
Ukraine wants to meet the US and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi before any proposed talks between Washington, Moscow and Beijing, Zelensky said earlier, warning that Russia could take advantage of the resumption of peace negotiations to extract concessions on NATO’s military presence in Europe.
We urgently need patriots
Speaking to reporters alongside Jetten, Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine faces a critical shortage of interceptor missiles for its U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.
He urged Washington not to delay deliveries under the Priority Ukraine Needs List (PURL), a NATO-coordinated program through which allies fund U.S. arms purchases for Ukraine.
“Every day of delay means losses and destruction for us,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that the Russian ballistic missile campaign against Ukrainian cities continues every day.
Russia, which relies heavily on ballistic missile attacks, is expected to vastly expand and intensify its winter campaign against the country’s critical infrastructure. Beyond heating and energy infrastructure, senior Ukrainian officials have warned that Russian forces are also planning to attack water supplies.
Since October 15, Ukraine began facing a critical shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, having completely exhausted its stock. For kyiv, the PAC-3 is currently the only weapon capable of deterring Russian ballistic missiles.
Zelensky arrives in the Netherlands
Announcing his arrival in a Telegram article, Zelensky said he and his team would meet with Jetten to discuss additional support for Ukraine. A meeting with representatives of Ukrainian and Dutch companies and an audience with King Willem-Alexander were also planned.
According to a Dutch government statement on Wednesday, the visit is expected to begin with bilateral talks at Catshuis, the prime minister’s official residence in The Hague.
Delegation-level discussions followed, involving Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, before the working meeting.
The royal audience is scheduled for Wednesday evening at Huis ten Bosch palace.
Air defense must stimulate negotiations
The visit follows earlier discussions between Zelensky and Jetten on protecting Ukraine from Russian Shahed jet drones.
In a phone call on October 5, Zelensky said Dutch-supplied F-16 fighters were shooting down a significant portion of these drones. The leaders discussed support for the aircraft’s operation and protection of critical infrastructure, according to the Ukrainian statement.
Jetten then pledged Dutch assistance with maintenance, spare parts and ammunition for Ukraine’s F-16 fleet.
Ukraine is simultaneously seeking additional missiles for its ground-based air defense.
On Tuesday, October 27, Zelensky urged Washington to authorize deliveries of Patriot interceptors that he said had been delayed by nearly a month. He also discussed delays related to NASAMS missiles.
The president said Russia had launched more than 100 ballistic missiles against kyiv and the surrounding region in the two weeks since October 14.
kyiv seeks to source interceptors through the United States, European countries and other partners holding stocks of PAC-2 and PAC-3. Transfers of American-made missiles may require American authorization.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously acknowledged that a batch of interceptors may not have arrived, but denied that the delay was politically motivated.
Dutch government announces support for reconstruction
The visit coincides with the Dutch government’s announcement of 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in non-military aid to Ukraine over the next three years.
Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma announced the package during a separate visit to kyiv on Wednesday.
The government announcement identifies energy, water infrastructure and business support as priorities.
This program aims to respond to urgent needs, contribute to recovery and reconstruction, and expand opportunities for Dutch companies working with Ukrainian partners.
The funding will support the repair of damaged infrastructure, emergency supplies and cooperation with companies able to provide equipment and expertise.
Sjoerdsma’s delegation includes representatives of Dutch employers, and discussions focused on investment opportunities and obstacles faced by companies operating in Ukraine.
Defense partnership includes joint production
Ukraine and the Netherlands have also sought to expand cooperation between their defense industries.
In July, Zelensky and Jetten signed a Drone Deal covering joint production, technological development, exchanges of expertise and arms exports.
Their talks also focused on the need for Europe to develop its own anti-ballistic missile capabilities.
The agreement provides an existing framework for defense and business cooperation on Wednesday’s agenda, as kyiv seeks both immediate deliveries of equipment and longer-term production partnerships.
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