Pressure mounts on the front line, Kiev warns Europe, German Chancellor talks about military involvement, Netherlands 'paves the way' for 2 billion euros

The Netherlands signs a security agreement with Ukraine, Chancellor Scholz is determined not to allow German troops to participate in the conflict in Ukraine, Kyiv approves a plan for cooperation with NATO in 2024... these are the latest news updates on the situation in Ukraine.

Tình hình Ukraine: Sức ép gia tăng ở tiền tuyến Kiev cảnh báo châu Âu, Hà Lan 'mở đường' cho 2 tỷ Euro, Thủ tướng Đức nói về sự tham gia của quân đội

London is urging Berlin to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles. (Source: YouTube)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on March 1 that his country and the Netherlands had signed a security agreement, paving the way for Amsterdam to provide Kyiv with up to 2 billion euros in military aid this year.

Announcing on social media, President Zelensky said: “Today, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and I signed a bilateral security agreement. This document allows for €2 billion in military assistance from the Netherlands, as well as boosting military support for the next 10 years.”

This information was released following a meeting between Ukrainian and Dutch leaders in Kharkiv.

Kyiv has been facing increasing pressure on the front lines in recent months, forcing it to urge its Western allies to send more aid.

Last month, Ukraine warned that it had only received about 30% of the ammunition that the European Union had committed to delivering and was struggling in the war. The current situation has forced Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the town of Avdeevka.

* On the same day, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that he would not accept any decision that would involve German troops in the conflict in Ukraine.

This is seen as a response to British criticism of the German leader's reluctance to supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range cruise missiles.

Politico reported that London had previously made a private request to Berlin for Taurus missiles and expressed displeasure at Chancellor Scholz's comments about Britain's involvement in Ukraine.

"I would not support any decision that would in any way lead to the German military becoming involved in a military operation related to the Russia-Kraine conflict," Politico quoted Scholz as saying at the Munich Security Conference.

* Earlier that same day, March 1st, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov signed a cooperation program between Kyiv and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for 2024, which includes plans to continue restructuring the Ukrainian armed forces according to NATO standards, as well as strengthening cooperation between Kyiv and the military alliance.

The program includes 50 steps aimed at achieving 17 objectives, such as completing the transition of the command and control system to NATO standards; establishing a joint analysis, training, and education center between Ukraine and NATO; developing a national defense document in accordance with NATO standards; and introducing changes to Ukrainian law to strengthen civilian control over the military.

In September 2022, Ukraine applied for NATO membership on a priority basis and was assured at the NATO summit in Vilnius (Lithuania) in July 2023 that Kyiv would be accepted if it met the necessary requirements.

However, there is currently no timetable for Ukraine's accession. Meanwhile, NATO continues to point out that Ukraine's accession is impossible as long as the country remains in a state of armed conflict.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Ukraine was trying to pressure NATO member states on the issue of membership. He warned that Ukraine's potential membership would have very negative consequences for European security and would provoke a strong reaction from Russia.

Source