The Netherlands rehearses for possible international force in Ukraine
The exercise is intended to prepare countries for a possible international force after a future ceasefire.
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The Netherlands will shortly take part in a military exercise by the Coalition of the Willing. According to the cabinet, the exercise is intended to test the deployability of a possible international force for Ukraine.
Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen announced the Netherlands’ participation on Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Defence, the Coalition of the Willing consists of countries willing to contribute to the Multinational Force Ukraine, a planned international force that could support Ukraine after the war ends.
The exercise will focus mainly on moving personnel and equipment. The participating countries want to demonstrate that they can act jointly at short notice. For now, this is an exercise, not a decision to send Dutch troops to Ukraine.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the possible force will be activated only if there is a ceasefire and Ukraine requests international support. Dutch participation in an actual mission will also remain subject to political decision-making. The cabinet says it has been involved in military planning within the coalition for some time.
The Dutch government links the preparations to the security of Europe and the Netherlands. According to the cabinet, after a peace agreement Ukraine must be able to defend itself, while an international presence should help deter further Russian aggression. According to the Ministry of Defence, Russia has so far shown no willingness to end its war.
The announcement highlights a political choice that has not yet been finalised. The Netherlands is contributing militarily to the preparations but has not given a definitive mandate for a mission. The Lower House (Tweede Kamer) and the cabinet will have to determine, when a concrete decision is taken, what contribution the Netherlands will make, under which conditions and with what risks to service personnel and national defence capacity.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Netherlands is taking part in an exercise by the Coalition of the Willing.
- The exercise includes, among other things, moving personnel and equipment.
- An actual Multinational Force Ukraine would be activated only after a ceasefire and following political decision-making.
Left
Arguments European countries have a responsibility to protect Ukraine and make a peace agreement credible. An international force can offer civilians and the Ukrainian state greater security than statements alone.
Values International solidarity, civilian protection and collective security.
Consequences Not taking part could weaken deterrence, but participation requires a clear mandate and protection for service personnel.
Centre
Arguments Preparing is sensible as long as the conditions, mandate and risks are discussed openly in advance. Parliament must be able to assess whether the mission is feasible and fits within the available defence capacity.
Values Institutional oversight, proportionality and legal certainty.
Consequences A phased approach keeps options open, but could delay decision-making if a ceasefire emerges suddenly.
Right
Arguments The Netherlands should be cautious about military deployment outside its own territory and prevent a European mission from coming into direct confrontation with Russia. Support for Ukraine can also consist of equipment, training and strengthening NATO’s defences.
Values National security, deterrence and protection of service personnel.
Consequences A limited role reduces the risk of escalation but could diminish the credibility of European security guarantees.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The announcement, the exercise’s purpose and the reservations surrounding an actual mission can be found directly in the Ministry of Defence’s publication. The text does not attribute any Dutch deployment in Ukraine that has not yet been decided.
- confirmed The Netherlands will shortly take part in an exercise by the Coalition of the Willing. — Reported directly by the Ministry of Defence. source
- confirmed The Multinational Force Ukraine will be activated only after a ceasefire. — A condition stated by the Ministry of Defence. source
- confirmed Dutch participation in an actual mission will remain subject to political decision-making. — This reservation appears in the defence publication and parliamentary documents. source
Editor's note
The Netherlands’ participation in the exercise and the conditions for any potential mission have been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence. No final decision has been made on actual Dutch deployment in Ukraine.Sources
- Nederland oefent met Coalition of the Willing — Ministerie van Defensie
- Krijgsmacht en missies — Rijksoverheid
- Vragen over militaire inzet voor Oekraïne — Tweede Kamer
More on this in Dutch media
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- Trouw — „oekraïne defensie”