"The war will not end this year": Dutch Defense Minister calls for long-term assistance to Ukraine

Dutch Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans believes that the full-scale war in Ukraine, started by the aggressor country Russia, will not end in 2024 or 2025. He urged the allies to be prepared for the fact that Kyiv will need long-term support.

The minister said this in an interview with LRT. When asked about the possible timing of the end of hostilities in Ukraine, he said that he "does not think the war will end this year, and he does not think it will end next year."

Brekelmans also emphasized that the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine is still "very difficult."

"Of course, we need to provide Ukraine with as much military support as possible, but we need to be realistic because the situation on the battlefield is very difficult," he said.

According to the official, some people believe that the Russian invasion of Ukraine "was initially a sprint that turned into a marathon, but in fact it is a 42-kilometer sprint."

According to the head of the Dutch Defense Ministry, Ukraine's allies need to take a long-term view. This means that military assistance will need to be provided for a long time. Western countries must also make sure that their people "want to support Kyiv as much as they do" and do not have false expectations.

Brekelmans said that Russia is capable of waging a high-intensity war "for a very long time."

"Russia is playing with numbers, and it is very difficult for Ukraine to defend itself against it, so we have to take the Russian threat very seriously both on the battlefield and, of course, remembering that it is a nuclear power," the minister said.

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