Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unveil plans to jointly expand drone production capabilities during a March 8 press conference in Kyiv.
Netherlands-Ukraine Drone Cooperation
“We have ambitions and intentions to expand drone production capabilities. We want to do this jointly, with both companies in the Netherlands and companies in Ukraine,” said Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on March 8 during a press conference with Volodymyr Zelenski.
The Dutch Prime Minister stated that the goal of developing cooperation with Ukraine would be to increase drone production in both countries to “ensure the fastest possible deliveries for all units on the battlefield and to increase production for Europe as a whole.”
Zelensky on Joint Weapon Production
Jetten and Zelenski also discussed the development of the PURL program, under which Ukraine receives American weapons financed by NATO members, as well as requests from Ukrainian soldiers regarding radar systems produced by the Netherlands.
“It is important that we are already producing weapons together with the Netherlands. We have started this process. And we will definitely continue this joint work, we will increase it. This is provided for in the joint statement we adopted between our countries today,” said Zelenski.
Politico: Ukraine’s Gulf and US Negotiations
According to Politico, Ukraine is conducting negotiations with Gulf countries and the United States. Ukraine is facing a blockage of the EU’s 90 billion euro loan, with the Hungarian government opposing it.
Politico reported that in negotiations with Americans and Gulf states, Ukraine possesses an important advantage: its counter-attacking drones and experience in drone warfare gained during fights against Russians. Zelenski informed on Thursday that the US had requested Ukrainian support in defending against Iranian drones.
Netherlands Supports Ukraine’s EU Membership
During his visit to Kyiv, Rob Jetten also stated that the Netherlands plans to discuss realistic conditions for Ukraine’s accession to the EU in the near future.
“I am absolutely sure that Ukraine’s future is in Europe. This is part of our plan, and Ukraine must become a member of the EU,” Jetten announced, adding that he is impressed by Ukraine’s work over the past few years and emphasized the importance of continuing reforms in Kyiv.