WASHINGTON (AP) — Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte stated Tuesday that his nation plans to “join” the U.S. and Germany’s efforts to practice and arm Ukraine with superior Patriot protection methods.
Rutte signaled the Netherlands’ intentions in the beginning of a White House assembly with President Joe Biden. The Dutch protection ministry stated that Rutte’s announcement got here after Ukraine had requested the Netherlands to present “Patriot capacity.”
“We have the intention to join what you are doing with Germany on the Patriot project,” Rutte informed Biden. “I think that it’s important we join that.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in his nightly tackle that the Netherlands had agreed to send Ukraine a Patriot battery. “So, there are now three guaranteed batteries. But this is only the beginning. We are working on new solutions to strengthen our air defense,” Zelenskyy stated.
Rutte, who stated he additionally spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday in regards to the potential assistance, was extra obscure in regards to the dedication in his public feedback. He informed Dutch broadcaster NOS that his authorities is in talks about what precisely it can contribute. The Dutch army has 4 Patriot methods, one in every of which isn’t in service, in accordance to the protection ministry.
“The idea is not only training, but also equipment,” Rutte informed NOS. He added that the Dutch army is now reviewing “what exactly we have, how can we ensure that it works well with the American and German systems.”
He added throughout a discussion board at Georgetown University that the choice was a recognition that “we all have to do more” as Ukraine enters a critical phase in the war.
Rutte spoke in regards to the potential assistance as Ukrainian troops arrived at Oklahoma’s Fort Sill Army base to start coaching on working and sustaining the Patriot missile protection system. The Patriot is essentially the most superior surface-to-air missile system the West has offered to Ukraine to assist repel Russian aerial assaults.
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder stated that coaching will final for a number of months, and practice 90 to 100 Ukrainian troops on how to use the Patriot missile system.
Biden additionally used Tuesday’s assembly to focus on U.S. efforts to additional restrict China’s entry to superior semiconductors by export restrictions.
The administration has been attempting to get the Netherlands on the identical web page because the U.S. Commerce Department introduced in October new export controls geared toward China. The restrictions are supposed to restrict China’s capacity to entry superior computing chips, develop and keep supercomputers, and make superior semiconductors.
“Together we’re working on how to keep a free and open Indo Pacific, and quite frankly the challenges of China,” Biden stated in the beginning of the assembly.
Administration officers have reasoned that the export restrictions are mandatory as a result of China can use semiconductors to create superior army methods together with weapons of mass destruction; commit human rights abuses; and enhance the pace and accuracy of its army determination making, planning and logistics.
The Netherlands-based tech big ASML is a significant producer of lithography machines that design and produce semiconductors. China is one in every of ASML’s greatest purchasers.
CEO Peter Wennink performed down the impression of the U.S. export management rules quickly after the administration unveiled them final fall. ASML stated final 12 months that it anticipated company-wide 2022 gross sales to be round 21 billion euros.
The U.S. has additionally been in talks with Japan on harder export restrictions to restrict the sale of semiconductor manufacturing know-how to China. Rutte’s go to comes after Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida final week for talks.
The U.S. and Japan, in a joint assertion following assembly, stated the 2 sides agreed to “sharpen our shared edge on economic security, including protection and promotion of critical and emerging technologies.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin final week referred to as on Japan and the Netherlands to resist U.S. stress.
“We hope the relevant countries will do the right thing and work together to uphold the multilateral trade regime and safeguard the stability of the global industrial and supply chains,” he stated. “This will also serve to protect their own long-term interests.”
Biden praised Netherlands as one of many United States “strongest” allies, and one which’s confirmed “very, very stalwart” in its assist for Ukraine since Russia launched in its invasion in February. The Netherlands has dedicated about $2.7 billion (2.5 billion euros) in assist for Ukraine this 12 months. The cash will be spent on army gear, humanitarian and diplomatic efforts.
The Netherlands offering Ukraine with Patriot assistance — whether or not the weapons methods, missiles or coaching — could be a significant transfer for the NATO ally.
The coaching of Ukraine forces now underway in Oklahoma is to focus, partly, on how to keep the battery that will be despatched by the U.S. to Ukraine as soon as coaching is full. Each system has a number of parts, together with a phased array radar, a management station, computer systems and mills, and sometimes requires about 90 troopers to function and keep, nevertheless solely three troopers are wanted to really hearth it, in accordance to the Army.
Some of the continued upkeep assist, as soon as the Patriot is on the battlefield, will be executed remotely, Ryder stated.
The Dutch prime minister, for his half, praised Biden for main the worldwide effort to again Ukraine.
“I am convinced history will judge in 2022 if the United States had not stepped up like you did things would have been very different,” Rutte stated.
___
Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press writers Lynn Berry, Tara Copp and Colleen Long contributed reporting.