Ukrainian president, Dutch premier discuss Kyiv's 'defense needs'

ISTANBUL

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday to discuss defense support for Kyiv.

“Spoke about the risk of escalation at the front and potential challenges, as well as our defense needs for an adequate response,” Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.

“We count on concrete steps by our partners to maximize the reinforcement of Ukraine,” he added.

In a tweet, Rutte said he assured Zelenskyy that “the Netherlands will do everything it can to help Ukraine not only defend itself, but also win the war.”

“Ukraine has held its own against Russia’s barbaric invasion for almost a year now. The months ahead are crucial,” he said.​​​​​​​