The Netherlands, together with Belgium, will hand over to the Ukrainian military ships for the detection and disposal of mines for the coast guard. In addition, they organize training for Ukrainian units.
This was stated by the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Kaisa Ollongren, during a briefing in Odesa.
According to her, the systems will be transferred to Ukraine in 2025.
"In the Netherlands, as a seafaring nation, we have a great maritime tradition and we understand the strategic and economic importance of harbors in Odesa in order to import food, in order to trade and this certainly has a connection with the rest of the world. The Netherlands is providing two minesweepers of the Alkmaar class, and we will start training Ukrainian units so that they know how to use these boats," Ollongren said.
She noted that the harbors of the Odesa region are of strategic and economic importance for the effect of the grain agreement.
At the same time, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, said that the demining of the territories will be carried out after the end of the war. Firstly, this is due to the fact that Ukraine cannot mine the sea while there is a threat from the Russian Federation. Secondly, minesweepers will not be able to enter the Black Sea due to Turkey's decision to close the Bosphorus to warships.