Zelensky, Rutte meet in Kharkiv, sign off security cooperation deal
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands held a meeting in Kharkiv where the two leaders signed a bilateral agreement on security cooperation.
The parties held talks in narrow and extended formats, as well as in the format of the military cabinet, the President’s Office reports.
The security cooperation deal was signed as part of the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, adopted at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The agreement reaffirms the decision of the Netherlands to continue cooperation with the aim of further providing and expanding assistance to Ukraine in defending against Russian aggression for as long as it takes. The document is valid for 10 years from the date of its signing.
In particular, the deal lays down EUR 2 billion in Dutch military aid in 2024 and continuous defense support for Ukraine for the next 10 years.
The deal contains a powerful military bloc which involves donations of modern military equipment and support for Ukraine’s defense industry. Provision of air defense capabilities, artillery, and armored vehicles, as well as support for naval and long-range capabilities, including the Air Force, has been set as priority.
In the non-military sphere, the deal envisages increased assistance to Ukraine toward economic recovery and reconstruction, countering hybrid threats; assistance in the field of intelligence, cyber and information security, in combating organized crime, as well as in the field of critical infrastructure.
In addition, the document sees expanded blocs on sanctions, damage compensation, and bringing the aggressor state to justice, as well as support from the Netherlands in preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
The agreement clearly reaffirms the support from the Netherlands for Ukraine's future membership in the EU and NATO.
A 24-hour emergency response mechanism in the event of another act of military incursion against Ukraine has been established.
The Ukrainian Head of State and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands also took part in the meeting of the military cabinet.