Dutch Defence Minister says "we need to be realistic" about ending war in 2025

Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans believes that the Russo-Ukrainian war will not end in 2024 or 2025, and therefore it is necessary to consider the long term and not create false expectations.

The journalists asked Brekelmans whether he believed that the war in Ukraine could end this year.

"I don't think the war will end this year; I don't think it will end next year either," Brekelmans said in an interview with Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.

Brekelmans said that it is necessary 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.

"This means that we have to do more, but we also have to be realistic," he said.

Brekelmans also believes that Ukraine needs to be supported while taking a long-term view, so that people in Europe are ready to support the country for a long time.

"Therefore we should not create false expectations so that people are not disappointed," he said, adding that it is necessary to be optimistic and at the same time remain realistic.

Recently, the Netherlands condemned Iran's supply of ballistic missiles to Russia and called for tougher sanctions by the European Union.

At a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (Ramstein) on 6 September, the Netherlands announced a new package of military assistance to Kyiv related to the maintenance of F-16 fighter jets.