Washington: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Tuesday that his country intends to "join" the United States and Germany in training and arming Ukraine with advanced Patriot defence systems.
At the start of a meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House, Rutte signalled the Netherlands' intentions. It is unclear whether the Dutch will eventually send Patriot systems, participate in training, or provide other assistance with Patriot deployment. According to the Dutch defence ministry, Ukraine has requested that the Netherlands provide "Patriot capacity."
"We intend to join your efforts with Germany on the Patriot project," Rutte told Biden. "I believe it is critical that we participate in that."
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In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Netherlands had agreed to send Ukraine a Patriot battery. "There are now three batteries that are guaranteed. However, this is only the beginning. "We are developing new solutions to strengthen our air defence," Zelensky explained.
Rutte, who said he discussed the potential assistance with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, was more vague in his public comments. He told Dutch broadcaster NOS that his government is discussing how it can help. According to the defence ministry, the Dutch military has four Patriot systems, one of which is not in service.
"The plan is to provide not only training but also equipment," Rutte told NOS. He went on to say that the Dutch military is currently reviewing "what we have and how we can ensure that it works well with the American and German systems."
Rutte made the remarks as Ukrainian troops arrived at Oklahoma's Fort Sill Army base to begin training on how to operate and maintain the Patriot missile defence system. The Patriot is the most advanced surface-to-air missile system provided by the West to Ukraine to aid in repelling Russian aerial attacks.
"Training has started," said Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. "As previously stated, that training will last several months and will train up to 90 to 100 Ukrainians on the use of the Patriot missile system."
Biden also used the meeting on Tuesday to discuss the United States' efforts to further limit China's access to advanced semiconductors through export restrictions.
Since the US Commerce Department announced new export controls aimed at China in October, the administration has been attempting to get the Netherlands on board. The restrictions are intended to limit China's access to advanced computing chips, supercomputer development and maintenance, and advanced semiconductor manufacturing. "Together, we're working on how to keep a free and open Indo Pacific, as well as, frankly, China's challenges," Biden said at the start of the meeting.
The export restrictions, according to administration officials, are necessary because China can use semiconductors to develop advanced military systems, including weapons of mass destruction, commit human rights violations, and improve the speed and accuracy of its military decision making, planning, and logistics.
Slowing Beijing's access, on the other hand, will require a lot of help from allies for the US export controls to have the greatest impact. ASML, based in the Netherlands, is a major manufacturer of lithography machines used in the design and production of semiconductors. China is one of ASML's most important customers.
Soon after the administration unveiled the US export control regulations last fall, CEO Peter Wennink downplayed their significance. ASML predicted last year that company-wide sales in 2022 would be around 21 billion euros.
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The US has also been negotiating tougher export restrictions with Japan in order to limit the sale of semiconductor manufacturing technology to China. Rutte's visit follows Biden's meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week.
Following the meeting, the US and Japan issued a joint statement in which they agreed to "sharpen our shared edge on economic security, including the protection and promotion of critical and emerging technologies." Last week, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, urged Japan and the Netherlands to resist US pressure.
"We hope that the relevant countries will do the right thing and work together to protect the multilateral trade regime and the global industrial and supply chains," he said. "This will also serve to safeguard their long-term interests."
Biden praised the Netherlands as one of the US's "strongest" allies, saying it has been "very, very stalwart" in its support for Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in February. This year, the Netherlands has committed approximately $2.7 billion (2.5 billion euros) in aid to Ukraine.
The funds will be used to purchase military equipment as well as humanitarian and diplomatic efforts. The Netherlands providing Patriot assistance to Ukraine, whether in the form of weapons systems, missiles, or training, would be a significant step for the NATO ally.
The training of Ukraine forces currently underway in Oklahoma will include instruction on how to maintain the battery that will be sent to Ukraine once training is completed. Each system has multiple components, including a phased array radar, a control station, computers, and generators, and typically requires about 90 soldiers to operate and maintain; however, the Army claims that only three soldiers are required to fire it.
Once the Patriot is on the battlefield, some of the ongoing maintenance will be done remotely, according to Ryder. The Dutch prime minister praised Biden for leading the international effort to support Ukraine. "I am convinced that if the United States had not stepped up like you did, things would have turned out very differently," Rutte said.
The two leaders also discussed plans for the Summit for Democracy, which they will co-host in late March with Costa Rica, South Korea, and Zambia.
In December 2021, Biden will host the first Democracy Summit. The administration billed it as the start of a global conversation about how to best halt democracy's slide.
