According to Reuters, the Dutch pledge comes in addition to the F-16 fighter jets, artillery, ammunition, and air defense systems that the Dutch have already provided to Kyiv. The head of the country’s Ministry of Defense suggests that, for the Netherlands, this may mean additional costs in addition to the promised €2B for Ukraine.
In turn, Canada will provide Ukraine with $60M to support its future F-16 fleet. The money will be used to purchase spare parts, weapon stations, avionics, and ammunition, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced during a meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the Ramstein format.
This is the first time the meeting is attended by the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov.
The head of the US Ministry of Defense, Lloyd Austin, noted that the group “will work on the short-term needs of Ukraine.” They will discuss the urgent need for more artillery, ammunition, and missiles for air defense.