NATO Secretary General meets with Dutch Prime Minister
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On Wednesday (21 May 2025), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof to NATO Headquarters. The leaders held productive discussions on boosting defence spending, support for Ukraine and the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.
Mr Rutte thanked the Netherlands for its steadfast contributions to the Alliance’s collective defence, playing “a pivotal role in strengthening the Alliance” on the ground, in the sky and at sea. He also thanked the Prime Minister for the excellent cooperation in organising the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.
The Secretary General welcomed efforts to invest in modernised land forces and cutting-edge capabilities, including allocating over €1 billion to expand the Dutch defence industry. At the same time, he urged all Allies to invest even more, including in the defence industry and in defence-related areas such as infrastructure and resilience. “2% will not be nearly enough to meet the capability targets that Allies will soon agree,” Mr Rutte stated.
On Ukraine, Mr Rutte thanked the Netherlands for its impressive offer of 3.5 billion euros in support for Ukraine in 2026, including €100 million for NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package. “Your contributions clearly underscore your long-term commitment to Kyiv’s sovereignty and security. This is a priority we all share” he emphasised.