AMSTERDAM, April 12 ------ The Dutch caretaker government will pledge an additional 400 million euros ($428.64 million) in financial support to Ukraine, taking the total for 2024 to more than 2.4 billion euros, broadcaster RTL reported, citing government sources.
The government is also planning to earmark at least 1.5 billion euros for aid to Ukraine in 2025, Dutch news agency ANP reported. The funds are part of a drive to increase Dutch defense spending to 2% of the country’s gross domestic product, the level agreed as a minimum by NATO members, ANP said.
The Dutch government had said it expected spending to hit that level this year, but economic growth, staffing problems and supply chain issues have made it difficult to reach the target. Dutch defense spending has always fallen short of the NATO target and was cut in the decade before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during years of austerity. The government is expected to announce its plans on Friday. The defense ministry was not immediately available for comment on Thursday evening.
Source: reuters.com
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