Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel, commenting on Putin’s statements about being ready to fight Europe, called them statements that must be taken seriously and emphasized the need to strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities.
He made these remarks ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
“These are, of course, terrible statements. Let us hope it does not happen. But it must be taken as a serious warning, and increasing our defense spending is not just desirable—it is a necessity in the environment we live in,” he said.
The minister also noted that the number of Russian hybrid attacks will increase, ranging from sabotage to information operations. He said the best defense is strengthening societal resilience and responding promptly to hostile actions.
“We need to ensure our resilience against such attacks. We will see even more of them, because, unfortunately, this is a hallmark of our time. This is how Russia operates—whether it’s sabotage on railways, sending drones, or spreading disinformation. We will see all types of these hybrid attacks. The best way to prevent them is to have strong defense, high public awareness, resilience against Russian disinformation, and rapid response to any of their actions to deter future attacks,” he said.
According to the minister, any future agreements with Russia must follow the principle of “trust, but verify.” He emphasized that Ukraine must have strong armed forces and receive security guarantees from the U.S. and European partners.
“In any deal with Putin, it is good to trust, but much better to verify. We need a strong Ukraine, an independent state with capable armed forces able to defend itself and deter future attacks, as well as reliable guarantees from allies—the U.S. and European partners,” he said.
