MOSCOW, Nov 26 In the West they are concerned that after victory in the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands of the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), the country may refuse to transfer F-16 fighter jets and other military assistance to Ukraine, said the head of the kingdom’s Ministry of Defense, Kaisa Ollongren, her words are quoted by NL Times.
Resigning after election minister admitted that she “heard a lot of concerns” from her colleagues abroad due to the possible consequences of the PVV victory in the elections. «They fear that the Netherlands will cut off supplies of F-16 fighter jets and other military support if Geert Wilders' party comes to power,» the article says.
Ollongren noted that the Freedom Party will rule as part of a coalition, expressing hope that the country will continue to help Kyiv. “In the past, PVV has never shown enthusiasm for supporting Ukraine,” she said, accusing opponents of expressing a “pro-Russian position.”
The head of the Defense Ministry promised to do “everything possible” to prevent “things from going south.” this way» (stopping supplies to Kiev — ed.), calling Ukraine's support «vital» for the security of the Netherlands.
Early parliamentary elections were held in the Netherlands on Wednesday. 26 political parties took part in them. Turnout, according to the latest data, was 77.8%. According to the latest forecast from the ANP news agency, Wilders' Freedom Party will become the largest party in the House of Representatives (lower house of parliament) of the Netherlands, with its predicted number of parliamentary seats increasing to 37. The country's electoral board is expected to announce the final election results on December 1.
Wilders' party is critical of EU policies, a multicultural society, and also advocates for the Netherlands to leave the eurozone. The Freedom Party is against sanctions against Russia and does not support arms supplies to Ukraine. Wilders was one of the deputies who refused to attend the House of Representatives of the Netherlands during Vladimir Zelensky's speech.
The Netherlands and Denmark were the first to agree to provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The White House confirmed that Ukraine will receive combat aircraft from third countries after the completion of training for its pilots. Ollongren stated that The Hague plans to send the first F-16 fighters to Kyiv in 2024.