Eric The Netherlands will provide the Ukrainian army with two mine hunters for use in the Black and Azov Seas, drone detection radar systems and M3 Amphibious Rig bridging vehicles, Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced during a visit to Ukraine on Tuesday.
The announcement was made after Ollongren visited the war-torn city of Odesa and her Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov.
“Today, in the port city Odesa, I announced that the Netherlands intends to provide two minehunters to Ukraine. Belgium and the Netherlands will train Ukrainian crews for these vessels this year. This initiative will contribute to maritime security in the Black Sea,” Ollongren tweeted.
Reznikov welcomed the initiative. “Ukraine is a maritime state. We will defend our Black & Azov Seas as we do our land and skies. I’m very grateful to the Dutch people, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and my colleague Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren for providing 2 Alkmaar-class minehunters for the Ukrainian navy,” he tweeted.
Besides maritime security, the ministers also discussed the issue of safeguarding ships carrying grain shipments from Ukraine through the Black Sea. Talks to prolong the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative – an agreement concluded between Russia and Ukraine to allow the safe passage of grain shipments through the Black Sea that is set to expire Saturday – are currently stalling.
“Odesa is of tremendous historical and strategic importance to Ukraine and Russia. Particularly since the fall of Mariupol, Odesa has been vital to Ukraine itself as well as to global food security, due to grain exports through the city’s port, for example,” the Dutch Defence Ministry wrote on the ministry’s website.
The Dutch had already pledged to deliver both Patriot air defence systems and Leopard A15-tanks to Ukraine earlier this year, with Dutch contributions to Ukraine amounting to roughly €1.2 billion since the war started.
(Benedikt Stöckl | EURACTIV.com)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings