Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders said on Feb. 24 that he is against the Netherlands signing a 10-year agreement on security cooperation with Ukraine, the day after Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said the Netherlands plans to sign the agreement.
The U.K., Germany, Denmark, and France have already signed similar agreements based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) last July to help Ukraine repel Russia's aggression.
"The war that Russia started against Ukraine two years ago can only be called illegal and barbaric," Wilders posted on X, adding that his party is "willing to discuss any form of aid."
"But an outgoing cabinet cannot conclude a ten-year agreement," Wilders said.
Earlier in the week, Wilders railed against Ukrainian refugees, saying on Feb. 19 that they are coming to the Netherlands for "free housing, free healthcare, and our jobs."
The Netherlands held an election in November 2023, which saw Geert Wilders' far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) emerge as the largest force in parliament with 37 seats.
Since the Dutch parliament has 150 seats, the PVV needs to form a coalition with multiple parties in order to rule. After 11 weeks of negotiations, talks with three other parties to form a new coalition government stalled in early February.
Mark Rutte therefore remains the country's caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.
Rutte told a Kyiv Independent reporter at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 17 that the Netherlands is actively working with Kyiv on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees.
Rutte voiced optimism that the "discussions should be closed fairly soon."
Elsa Court
