Dutch boost arms spending to face 'ruthless Russian aggression'

The National Times - Dutch boost arms spending to face 'ruthless Russian aggression'

Dutch boost arms spending to face 'ruthless Russian aggression' / Photo: © AFP

The Dutch government announced a multi-billion-euro boost in its defence spending Thursday, investing in tanks, jet fighters, and frigates to bolster the NATO alliance against "ruthless Russian aggression."

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The Netherlands will increase its defence budget by 2.4 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to 24 billion euros, the government announced in its annual defence memorandum.

"The army will get tanks again, the air force will receive extra F-35s and the navy can count on extra frigates for anti-submarine warfare," the defence ministry said.

The extra cash will mainly go into boosting combat power, but the ministry said it would also spend an additional 260 million euros on recruiting and training personnel.

"The ruthless Russian aggression in Ukraine shows that an attack on the NATO alliance is no longer unthinkable," said Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans.

The Netherlands was taking "a major step" towards preventing such an attack by increasing its arms spending, said the minister.

"The best way to prevent war is to keep potential opponents at bay," he added.

The NATO alliance commits members to spending two percent of gross domestic product on defence.

According to the latest estimates from the alliance, the Netherlands was projected to spend 2.05 percent of GDP on defence in 2024.

"With this budget, the cabinet is ensuring that the Netherlands meets the NATO standard," according to the memorandum.

The 32-member NATO alliance will soon have a Dutch leader, as former prime minister Mark Rutte takes over on October 1.

T.F.Russell--TNT

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