The Netherlands is providing Ukraine with self-defense weapons free of charge, marking a political U-turn.

The cabinet decided on Friday to give a positive answer to a request from the government in Kiev after the same four parties had blocked the procurement of armaments through NATO last year – together with Berlin.

The government explained point by point why the EU arms control criteria justified an export.

Germany is now the only member of the alliance unwilling to help Kiev defend against a Russian attack.

As diplomats report, this has recently led to internal irritation and criticism of Germany in the alliance.

Thomas Gutschker

Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.

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The equipment pack includes a hundred sniper rifles along with 30,000 cartridges.

These are ninety British Accuracy rifles (in the Bundeswehr: G22), which are used against enemy shooters, and ten American rifles of the M-82 Barrett (G82) type.

They work against lightly armored targets.

In spring 2020, Germany and the Netherlands had vetoed an order for ninety Barretts through the NATO procurement agency, while all other member states were in favor of a release.

"Legitimate Security Needs" of Ukraine

The Hague also supplies several battlefield radars.

The AN/TPQ-36 artillery reconnaissance radars scan the horizon, detect projectiles, calculate their impact and the exact firing position.

In this way, your own troops can be warned and a counterattack on the artillery position can be initiated.

The Squire battlefield surveillance radar, which detects moving targets, works in a similar way.

There are also two underwater drones for reconnaissance of sea mines, 2000 flak jackets and 3000 protective helmets.

The government put the total value of the equipment, most of which came from its own armed forces, at 7.4 million euros.

In a letter to Parliament, the Foreign and Defense Ministries state that the export clearance is in line with the 2008 EU States' Common Position on Arms Exports.

The goods served the “legitimate security needs” of Ukraine.

They are disproportionate to Russian support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

It is therefore not to be expected that the existing tensions will be exacerbated or prolonged by the delivery.

The ministries only express a reservation on one of the eight EU criteria: there is a risk that the guns would be diverted and all goods would fall into Russian hands in the event of an invasion.

In view of the "acute threat of a Russian attack", however, this risk is classified as "acceptable".

When asked about the Dutch course correction on Friday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz saw no reason to change Germany's position.

"That would be exactly the wrong time," he said.