Like most of the rest of the EU, the Dutch have succumbed to the panic created by NATO - the War Industry's Storefront, and Trump's withdrawal from a losing war. They are too blind to see that they are being manipulated by the War Industry to dramatically increase profits for those oligarchs. They are already filthy rich and getting filthier by the day.
Dutch gov't promises €3.5 bil. more aid to Ukraine;
Wilders might vote against it
The Netherlands will give approximately 3.5 billion euros in support for Ukraine in 2026, Prime Minister Dick Schoof said in the parliamentary debate on the war in Ukraine and the defense of Europe. According to the Prime Minister, the amount continues the line set in motion in recent years. PVV leader Geert Wilders would not promise that the largest coalition party will support the amount.
Up to February 4 of this year, the Netherlands had provided over 5.88 billion euros in military support, wrote Minister Caspar Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs, NSC) and Ruben Brekelmans (Defense, VVD) in a letter to parliament last month. This also included financial contributions to international funds.
Earlier on Wednesday, Schoof had already informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the Netherlands would provide 700 million euros to purchase drones. This money comes from a commitment that had already been made.
Various opposition parties pushed Schoof to do more for Ukraine and quickly provide clarity about what the Netherlands was willing to contribute. “Be clear tonight so that we know what message you are taking to Brussels,” GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans said, referring to a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.
Timmermans, a former Foreign Affairs Minister and diplomat, said that he had never been so concerned about security in the world as he is now. He does not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions in the peace talks with the United States. “He does not want peace, he wants Ukraine.” According to Timmermans, the fact that American president Donald Trump reportedly decided on Wednesday to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine is a major advantage for Russia.
Another example of the absolute and absurd panic that NATO and the USA have fostered in Europe so that they will buy American War Industry products by the ship-load full.
Putin wants Ukraine to stay out of NATO and to treat Russian-speaking Ukrainians fairly. That's all. But Ukraine had 8 years to prove that they could be fair and they were anything but. So, now Putin wants Russian-speaking people to be on Russian territory.
“These times call for leadership,” D66 leader Rob Jetten told Schoof. “It is good that the Prime Minister attends summit after summit. But it is not good if he arrives empty-handed and returns without promising anything concrete.” He pushed the Schoof I Cabinet to join the other countries promising more support for Ukraine. “Because Trump and Putin are not waiting for the Cabinet.”
But Geert Wilders, the leader of the largest coalition party, PVV, would not commit to supporting the 3.5 billion euros for Ukraine. According to the PVV leader, he will only provide support if extra money is also spent on cheaper groceries, lower rents, and a lower energy bill.
Amazing! Someone in the Netherlands is actually thinking about Dutch people.
The government program of the Schoof I Cabinet states that the Netherlands will continue to support Ukraine “unabatedly.” That word is not in the coalition agreement that the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB made, Wilders said. “So we as a faction are not bound by that.”
The elaboration of the billions for Ukraine will be discussed in the Spring Memorandum, the annual update to the national budget, Schoof said. The PVV’s demands “may be discussed there,” he said. Wilders replied: “It would help me if you were a bit more friendly.” He said he does not completely rule out support for the new amount for Ukraine.
Wilders’ position immediately sparked irritation in the coalition. After the exchange, VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz came forward to speak of a “false contrast” between purchasing power and Ukraine. “As if you wouldn’t worry about the high costs if you invest in the safety of the Dutch.”
Wilders, in turn, thought that was a “wrong remark.” According to him, there is a trade-off between defense and citizens’ wallets. “Don’t pretend that’s a non-discussion. Only rich show-offs from Wassenaar say that.”
Even without the PVV’s support, there is almost certainly a parliamentary majority for the extra billions. This is partly due to Timmermans speaking out against the fact that Wilders won’t commit to the package. “Wilders is taking a holiday from responsibility. He can do that because my party will take that responsibility.”
Timmermans confuses panic with responsibility. Or, perhaps he has a vested interest in the War Industry.
Reporting by ANP
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South Korean fighter jets accidentally bomb residential area, injuring at least 15
SEOUL, March 6 (UPI) -- A pair of South Korean KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a residential area outside of Seoul during a live-fire exercise, Seoul's air force said Thursday, injuring at least 15 people.
Eight MK-82 conventional bombs were "abnormally" dropped during a joint air force-army live fire exercise and fell outside the firing range, the air force said in a statement sent to reporters.
The incident occurred at around 10 a.m. in the city of Pocheon, around 16 miles south of the border with North Korea.
Thirteen people suffered minor injuries and two had serious injuries, fire officials said, according to local media reports. The bombs damaged a church and seven other buildings.
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The Air Force said it was conducting an investigation into the incident.
"We apologize for the civilian casualties caused by the abnormal drop accident and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured," the air force said. "We will also actively implement all necessary measures, including compensation for damages."
An official with Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff later confirmed additional details from defense officials, telling reporters that each aircraft dropped four MK-82 bombs, and that one of the pilots had mistakenly entered the coordinates for the bombing target.
The official said that the military will suspend all live-fire drills until the cause of the accident is determined.
Seoul's Defense Ministry said at a press briefing before the incident Thursday that South Korea and the United States were holding combined live-fire drills at the Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon.
The drills were linked to the allies' upcoming annual Freedom Shield joint exercise, which will begin next week.
The 11-day exercise runs from Monday through March 20 and will involve computer-simulated drills and on-field training, according to a joint statement released Thursday by both militaries.
"ROK and U.S. units will execute combined joint all-domain live field training exercises across the land, sea, air, cyber and space domains integrated within the exercise scenarios to strengthen interoperability," the statement said, using South Korea's official acronym.
"By reflecting realistic threats, lessons learned from recent armed conflicts, and evolving challenges, including the DPRK's military strategy, tactics and capabilities, as well as its growing partnership with Russia, the ROK-U.S. Alliance will further strengthen its readiness, capability and combined defense posture," the statement said.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.
Pyongyang regularly condemns the allies' joint drills as rehearsals for an invasion. On Tuesday, Kim Yo Jong -- the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un -- warned that the deployment of U.S. assets to the Korean Peninsula would compel the country to bolster its nuclear arsenal and ramp up military provocations.
Just 16 miles from the border with North Korea makes one a little nervous about dropping bombs askew. This is a reckless flirtation with accidentally starting a war.
North Korea has sent thousands of additional troops to Russia: S. Korean lawmaker
SEOUL, March 5 (UPI) -- North Korea recently sent some 3,500 additional soldiers to Russia's Far East for field training, a South Korean lawmaker said Wednesday, with the possibility of a third wave of troops soon being dispatched to the frontlines of Moscow's war against Ukraine.
Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the ruling People Power Party outlined the developments in a statement posted on Facebook, citing a briefing from Ukrainian defense intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov during his visit to the country on Feb. 23-26.
Yu said the North sent roughly 12,000 troops to Russia in October and deployed additional forces in January and February, with a second wave of 1,500 soldiers already sent to the frontlines in Russia's Kursk region after undergoing local adaptation training.
The lawmaker said that there were currently "some 3,500 North Korean soldiers who are undergoing field adaptation training in five locations in Russia's Far East, and there is a possibility of a third deployment."
Moscow and Pyongyang have grown closer since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The two signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in June, which includes a defense clause that calls for mutual military assistance in the event either country is attacked.
Remember, North Korea is a nuclear country!
Casualties have been high for North Korean troops, according to Ukraine's defense intelligence agency. Yu quoted the most recent figures as approximately 400 killed in action and 3,600 injured, with 300 returned to the frontlines.
An estimated 63,000 Russian and North Korean troops are fighting as a joint force in Kursk, Ukrainian officials said. The North's communication equipment is outdated and night vision goggles are not in wide supply, but the soldiers appear to be gaining valuable military experience and are regarded as fierce fighters.
"North Korean forces were vulnerable to drone warfare at the beginning of the battle, but they are gradually adapting to modern warfare," Yu said in the report.
The lawmaker also had the chance to speak with a pair of North Korean soldiers who were captured by Ukraine and told a press conference Tuesday that at least one soldier intends to defect to South Korea.
"I really want to go to South Korea," the soldier, identified by the surname Ri, said in an audio interview. "I want to go there to meet my parents in the future. If I go to South Korea, will I be able to have the rights I want? Can I have a place to live and start a family there?"
Seoul's Foreign Ministry said last month it would accept captured North Korean soldiers who want to come to the South.
"North Korean soldiers are our citizens according to the Constitution," a ministry official told UPI.
"Therefore, the government will provide necessary protection and support if they request to come to South Korea in accordance with related laws and the basic principle of accepting all requests," the official said.
In addition to sending troops, North Korea has also supplied munitions to Russia for its war against Ukraine. Pyongyang is receiving hard currency and technical help with its weapons programs, Washington and Seoul claim.
Last week, the North test-fired strategic cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea in a demonstration of what Pyongyang called its nuclear deterrence capability.
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