Europe & EU
NATO & Defense
China
Dutch navy: "We were not in Chinese territorial waters" after South China Sea incident
United States & Canada
The Netherlands sends minehunter to Mediterranean Sea ahead of possible Hormuz mission
The Dutch government is taking concrete preparatory steps for a potential military contribution to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, deploying a minehunter to the Mediterranean and outlining broader options for involvement once hostilities between the United States and Iran subside.
Dutch politics
The Netherlands embraces "values-based realism" as Prime Minister Jetten sets out pragmatic foreign policy course
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has set out a sharply pragmatic vision for the Netherlands’ foreign policy, arguing that realism — not nostalgia or moral absolutism — must guide Europe’s role in an increasingly unstable world. In a keynote speech at the Next Gen: The Hague Security Conference on 27 May,
NATO & Defense
New Dutch Arctic Strategy: more NATO exercises near the North Pole, deeper cooperation with allies
NATO & Defense
Concerns over U.S. patience and Europe’s role dominate NATO talks in Helsingborg
NATO & Defense
How the Netherlands is building a top-secret military cloud, without the United States
Asia & Australia
Agreement between The Netherlands and Japan for military cooperation
NATO & Defense
New Dutch Anti-Submarine Warfare-ships delayed by years
The delivery of the new Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates for the Dutch and Belgian navies has been significantly delayed. According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, "the original ship design proved to be insufficiently stable", contributing to setbacks in the project.
NATO & Defense
The Netherlands Court of Audit slams Dutch Ministry of Defence over procurement and contracts
The Dutch Ministry of Defence is taking unnecessary risks by too frequently bypassing public procurement procedures and awarding contracts directly, according to the Netherlands Court of Audit. President Pieter Duisenberg delivered the warning while presenting the annual accountability report to the House of Representatives, arguing that the practice undermines fair
NATO & Defense
A more European NATO? The Netherlands wants 'burden shift' between US and European NATO-members
The Dutch government is calling for a shift in the balance of responsibilities within NATO, urging European allies to take over tasks currently carried by the United States. In a briefing to parliament ahead of this week’s NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Sweden, The Hague makes clear it wants
NATO & Defense
Netherlands plans major investment to upgrade NATO tanker aircraft
The Dutch Ministry of Defence is set to make a major investment in NATO tanker aircraft, announcing plans to modernise the alliance’s shared refuelling fleet to keep it operational well beyond 2035. The upgrade will take the form of a so‑called midlife update of the Multi‑Role Tanker