A significa increase in NATO member military spending
In an unprecedeed move, the Dutch governme has increased its defense spending by 10% next year.
According to Isna, the Dutch governme announced on Thursday evening that it will increase its defense spending by more than 10 perce next year and invest in new tanks, fighter jets, frigates and air defenses to equip its forces to face security threats. strengthen the new
According to Reuters, defense spending in the Netherlands will increase by 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion), bringing the coury’s annual defense budget to around 24 billion euros.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Berkelmans said: “New threats require new measures.” “Russia’s ruthless aggression in Ukraine shows that an attack on the NATO alliance is no longer uhinkable.”
In hostile statemes, he claimed: “China, Iran, terrorism and cyber attacks are also poteial threats against the national security of the Netherlands.”
“It may seem like we live in peace, but that’s not the case anymore,” the Dutch defense minister said at the preseation of the coury’s military spending plan at a military base in Amersfoort, located in the ceer of the Netherlands. We are the target of various attacks every day. Our digital systems, our universities, our companies, our ports, our power grids are all under attack. “We are constaly being spied on and the number of attacks is increasing.”
According to the Dutch governme, the additional funds will be used to purchase tanks, F-35 fighter jets, new naval vessels, drones, air defense systems and ammunition for the army.
The Netherlands has increased its military spending since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, after years of austerity that had significaly reduced its forces.
This coury plays one of the main roles in the coalition supplying F-16 jets and pilots to Ukraine. As part of this initiative, the Dutch side plans to transfer 24 aircraft to Kyiv and provide another 18 for the needs of the European Training Ceer in Romania.
Berklemans said that the Netherlands will coinue to provide military support to Ukraine as long as it is needed.
He previously said that Ukraine can use the F-16 fighter jets it has acquired to attack Russian targets, but not against civilian installations.
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