The Netherlands finds U.S. missile move for Ukraine important as Putin considers front-line developments only
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Caspar Veldkamp, said that the Netherlands had repeatedly advocated that the Ukrainian Army could use weapons supplied by the Netherlands to strike deep into Russia.
According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Veldkamp said this at the doorstep of the EU Council meeting in Brussels.
Assuring that he is pleased to see the news from the U.S., he noted that the Netherlands has repeatedly advocated that the weapons it supplies to Ukraine could also be used inside Russia, which is the territory of the aggressor state, he said, answering journalists' questions.
According to Veldkamp, this is an adequate response also to the deployment of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian troops. Unfortunately, Veldkamp believes, this will have no surprise effect on the Russians.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also noted that a country that defends itself against aggression in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter cannot be limited in its defenses.
Asked by reporters to comment on Scholz's phone call with Putin, Veldkamp said he was not going to discuss who was talking to whom.
He sees that President Vladimir Putin generally considers only what is happening at the front therefore it is important news that the U.S. will also no longer apply all the restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine so that it can defend itself.
As Ukrinform reported, U.S. President Joe Biden for the first time allowed Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles against targets inside Russia.