For the time being, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte see no possibility of supplying the Ukraine with more than the promised twelve 2000 self-propelled howitzers.

"I don't see that at the moment," said Rutte on Thursday in The Hague in a joint press conference with Scholz.

He pointed out that weapon systems "cannot be easily made available".

The number twelve is not random.

It has something to do with "the fact that we considered when does it make sense, how much does it have to be in order to create a functioning unit from it," explained Scholz.

"And then we both got together and made a little bit more possible than otherwise would have been possible."

Rutte explained that the howitzers are not a weapon aid intended for immediate use, "but rather for a subsequent phase of the fighting".

A good training of the Ukrainian soldiers with these "complex guns" is crucial.

The Netherlands also have a lot of backlogs in their army that they have to clear up first.

The Netherlands deliver five self-propelled howitzers, Germany seven.

Both countries want to work closely together on training for the Ukrainian army.

This has already started in Germany.

Scholz and Rutte also expressed that they are pushing for a boost in the EU accession talks with the six Western Balkan countries.

"We are completely in agreement on the Western Balkans," said Rutte.

"I'm very concerned about stability," he added, mentioning Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"We must try with all our might to ensure that the Western Balkans remain stable." That is only possible if Germany takes the lead in the region.

The Netherlands had long been one of the brakes on the opening of EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia.

For his part, Scholz emphasized that the EU perspective of the Western Balkans was “right at the top of the federal government’s political agenda”.

The accession negotiations would have to be "dynamised".

"It's a question of the EU's credibility and geostrategic reason." Scholz emphasized in his government statement that morning: "The Western Balkans belong in the European Union." He announced that he wanted to travel to the region in June.

In addition to Kosovo, the six countries also include Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Hercegovina, North Macedonia and Albania.

Bulgaria is currently blocking the start of EU accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania.