The Netherlands is accelerating its military preparations and strengthening its role in NATO, provoking sharp reactions from Moscow. According to the Russian embassy in The Hague, the country is actively preparing for a possible armed confrontation with Russia, while Russian analysts estimate that the Alliance is planning to reinforce its deterrent power by 2030, although not all European countries share this strategy.
Moscow accuses the Netherlands of military preparation
The Russian embassy in The Hague told the Izvestia newspaper that the Netherlands is actively preparing for a potential armed conflict with Russia. According to the Russian side, the Dutch government is increasing its military support to Ukraine, while concurrently seeking to evolve into a major European hub for the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the Ukrainian armed forces.
The goal is to transform the Netherlands into a NATO hub
According to the same source, NATO plans to utilize the Netherlands as a core center for military logistics and transport. The port of Rotterdam, the largest in Europe, possesses deep-water docking facilities that can service the transport of heavy military equipment. Russia also believes that the Netherlands is acquiring ever-greater significance in the Alliance's joint nuclear missions.
Reports of American and potentially French nuclear weapons
According to the Russian embassy, American tactical nuclear warheads are already located at the Volkel air base. It estimates that the Netherlands and NATO may be adapting their military infrastructure to be able to support a French or broader European nuclear deterrent force in the future. Dmitry Stefanovich, a researcher at the Center for International Security of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told Izvestia that Rafale fighter jets from French strategic squadrons, which possess nuclear strike capabilities, may soon be conducting joint exercises with Dutch aircraft and training for cross-border missions.
"NATO is preparing for 2030"
According to the Russian assessment, the North Atlantic Alliance is preparing for a potential confrontation with Russia by 2030. However, political analyst Denis Denisov argued that not all European NATO countries share this outlook. As he noted, the Baltic states, the Scandinavian countries, Poland, and Great Britain have significantly increased their defense spending and are expanding their military infrastructure, as they view Moscow as a strategic threat. Conversely, he estimated that the majority of the remaining allies prefer to avoid a direct confrontation and wait for the situation to unfold, rather than adopting a strategy of conflict with Russia.
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