Combat feelings: Netherlands accelerates preparations for conflict with Russia
The Netherlands is actively preparing for an armed confrontation with Russia, the Russian Embassy in The Hague told Izvestia. In particular, the kingdom is increasing its military support to Ukraine and aspires to become one of the main manufacturers of drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The United States has already deployed tactical nuclear weapons in the Netherlands, but experts do not rule out the appearance of French carriers. The NATO bloc is preparing for a conflict with the Russian Federation by 2030, although the United States and part of Europe are not interested in such a scenario. What can prevent a direct clash between Russia and the alliance is in the Izvestia article.
The role of the Netherlands in NATO
The Netherlands is modernizing local air bases, military logistics and transport infrastructure facilities, expanding its capabilities to receive allied forces and conduct joint exercises. At the same time, The Hague is consistently increasing its participation in long-term military support programs for Ukraine, the Russian Embassy told Izvestia.
"Taken together, this indicates an accelerated integration of the Dutch military infrastructure into the alliance's military planning system," the diplomats added. — The main and quite logical conclusion that we draw is simple: the kingdom is intensively preparing for a "conflict on the eastern flank of NATO." Do I need to explain that we are talking specifically about Russia?
The kingdom fulfills the mandatory NATO norm of 2% of GDP for military spending and plans to increase this figure to 5% by 2035.
At the same time, The Hague is striving to become one of the main European developers and manufacturers of UAVs, the key weapon of modern conflicts. To do this, the kingdom uses the combat experience of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukrainian technology. In particular, the Dutch government has already invested about 900 million euros in the Drone Line project and signed an agreement on the production of Baton and K4 attack drones at the VDL defense plant in Born.
In NATO's plans, the Netherlands serves as a key military logistics and transport hub. Rotterdam, the largest seaport in Europe, has deep—water berths ready to receive heavy equipment. A well-developed road network and airports make it possible to quickly transfer forces to the east. In addition, Brunsum in the Netherlands is home to one of the three key NATO operational headquarters in Europe. He is responsible for planning and conducting all military operations on the alliance's northeastern flank.
Nuclear weapons in Europe
The Netherlands is also important to the alliance due to its participation in joint nuclear missions. American tactical nuclear warheads have already been deployed at the Volkel Airbase. At the same time, the Russian Embassy admits that The Hague and NATO plan to adapt the local infrastructure to the French or pan-European "nuclear umbrella." In March, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned the Netherlands among the countries that supported the French nuclear initiative. The Embassy of the Kingdom in Moscow refused to provide Izvestia with information on this issue.
It is possible that soon French Rafale fighters from strategic squadrons (carriers of nuclear weapons) will begin to train with the Dutch aviation and practice basing abroad, Dmitry Stefanovich, a researcher at the IMEMO RAS Center for International Security, told Izvestia.
Meanwhile, Washington is reducing its military presence on the continent. In particular, Germany 5,000 American soldiers have been abandoned, and the deployment of Tomahawk medium-range missiles is postponed.. France is trying to take the place of the United States. with his idea of a "nuclear umbrella". Paris is already negotiating with the UK., By Germany, Benelux countries and Northern Europe, as well as Poland and Greece.
But the French project is facing serious difficulties. To deploy nuclear launch vehicles, the allies will have to build a special infrastructure from scratch, Kirill Pihtov, an employee of the Department of European Political Studies at the IMEMO RAS, explained to Izvestia. He stressed that it would not be possible to use American facilities due to the difference in technology. At the same time, there is already a debate in Europe about who exactly should finance this project.
How NATO countries are preparing for war with Russia
The military activity of the Netherlands clearly shows that the entire bloc has made preparations for a conflict with Russia its main goal. Brussels has been saying for a long time that Moscow poses a "long-term threat" to the North Atlantic Alliance. However, recent NATO actions indicate a desire to accelerate the onset of the "hot phase." The alliance is gathering new forces to the borders of Russia: on June 30, a command center was opened in Estonia to coordinate operations involving about 50,000 military personnel.
Baltops-26 Exercises
The Baltic region is becoming the center of the alliance's military preparations. In June, the Baltops-26 exercises were held there., bringing together 20 ships and about 6 thousand military personnel from 16 NATO countries. At the same time, the Brave Boar maneuvers took place in the Suwalki corridor separating the Kaliningrad Region and Belarus. Against the background of calls by Lithuanian politicians to strike at the Russian exclave, Vladimir Putin warned back in May that Russia has the means to "level to the ground" anyone who tries to do so.
It is noteworthy that it is the European capitals that are most actively pushing for a direct clash with Moscow. Moreover, we are not talking about defense — projects like "Readiness 2030" and "Military Schengen" are aimed specifically at offensive actions. This was indirectly acknowledged by the commander-in-chief of the NATO joint Forces in Europe, American General Alexus Grinkevich. stating that Moscow is not looking for conflict with the alliance.
Although not all European members of NATO are ready for conflict with Russia. Political scientist Denis Denisov notes that the Baltic States, Scandinavia, Poland and the United Kingdom are indeed increasing their defense budgets and building military facilities, as they see Moscow as a strategic threat. But most of the alliance is not happy about this prospect and is simply trying to wait out the situation, the expert believes.
The timing of a possible collision remains a key issue. Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Izvestia that NATO and the European Union are preparing for war with Russia by 2030. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed: Moscow has "no reason" to fight with the countries of the alliance. Moreover, Russia has stated its readiness to give NATO written guarantees of non-aggression.
However, a full-fledged settlement requires reciprocal commitments from the West, which Brussels is clearly not ready for yet. At the same time, Moscow does not intend to rely on the words of Western politicians. Russia proposed to Washington and Brussels to conclude legally binding agreements on security guarantees back in December 2021. And if the West really wants to avoid a military conflict with Moscow, then it is worth following this path.
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