Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren expressed her concern on Nov. 24 in comments to reporters about the future of the Netherlands' support for Ukraine in light of the victory of Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch elections two days before.
"The PVV is now the largest party and they have never been enthusiastic about support to Ukraine. They have even been pro-Russia at times. So that has me worried," she said.
Wilders, whose PVV party won 37 of 150 seats in the Dutch Parliament, has long been vocally anti-immigration but has also made a number of statements in favor of Russia and against the Netherlands continuing to provide support to Ukraine.
The far-right leader has close relations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and has been accused of having ties with Russia. Wilders has condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and referred to Russia as the aggressor.
Nonetheless, Wilders would need to build a coalition in order to actually govern the Netherlands, and his ability to become prime minister is not guaranteed.
Polls have suggested that an overwhelming majority of Dutch citizens are in favor of continued support for Ukraine.
Elsa Court
