During a surprise visit to Kiev, Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced that his country would be investing 400 million euros in the joint development and procurement of advanced drones with Ukraine.
Brekelmans also announced that more F-16 fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine in the coming months. 24 Dutch aircraft of this type are already in the process of being delivered to Ukraine. This was the reason for the visit. As Brekelmans announced on the short message service X, the first F-16 from the Netherlands has now arrived in Ukraine. In addition to the actual aircraft, the Netherlands is providing support with spare parts and air-to-air missiles from its own stocks. In Kiev, Brekelmans explained that the joint development efforts will relate to surveillance, defence and attack drones.
Around half of the funds will be allocated to developments in the Netherlands. The remaining funds will be invested in Ukraine and third countries. Additional funds could also be channelled if the cooperation proves to be fruitful.The Ukrainian Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, spoke on the short message service X of having reached an agreement to expand cooperation in aviation in the areas of training, spare parts deliveries and maintenance work.
The Dutch Defence Minister sees his country in a pioneering role. The country has already taken a leading role in the delivery of F-16 and Patriot systems to Ukraine. This role is now being continued in the area of unmanned drones.