Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Eindhoven air base on Thursday. According to former army commander Mart de Kruif, this was undoubtedly bad Dutch defense spending.
The reason for Stoltenberg’s visit was the multinational fleet of refueling and transport aircraft stationed at Eindhoven Air Base. This fleet is the result of a partnership between six NATO countries, including the Netherlands. Stoltenberg spoke of a “perfect” example of EU-NATO cooperation.
But Kruif has no doubts that the NATO chief has also discussed the Netherlands’ defense ambitions with Ollongren. This is because our country does not meet the NATO standard, which dictates that 2% of GDP must go to defense. “According to the schedule, we’ll get there in 2024, but nothing is set in stone after that,” says Kruif.
Against 2 percent as the legal standard
Furthermore, NATO today sees that limit as a minimum rather than the norm. “That’s because the war in Ukraine requires so much effort,” Kruif says. “Stoltenberg would also like the Netherlands to put more effort into heavy units that can be deployed on land.”
Because of that NATO standard, the meeting was politically colorful. Ollongren’s party, D66, opposes establishing such a 2 percent standard by law. This is what the SGP, VVD and CDA parties have proposed. But the tandem of Defense Minister Ollongren and Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag, both D66s, does not want to agree.
Source: BNR
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