Folding it Geert Wilders for sending military aid to Ukraine. The far-right leader of the Netherlands hinted on Saturday that he intends to consider sending military aid to Ukraine in the future in a reversal of his previously opposed stance.

Wilders, who aims to lead a new government after the victory of his nationalist PVV party, argued for months in November that the Netherlands should stop supplying Ukraine with weapons because it needs them to defend itself.

The Netherlands has been one of the main donors of military aid to Ukraine with total spending expected to exceed 4.5 billion euros by the end of 2024.

Wilders’ opposition to further military aid is one of the many obstacles to the formation of a coalition government in the three months since his election victory, but a post on Platform X shows that he has changed his stance.

“The PVV supports Ukraine and intends to discuss any form of assistance,” he said, calling Russia’s war against Ukraine “illegal and barbaric.”

Wilders’ potential partners in a coalition government have never supported his intention to end military aid to Ukraine.

Yesterday Friday they reiterated this position and in a joint statement several opposition parties said they want to continue the economic, political and military support of Ukraine “for as long as necessary”.

This message echoes outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s position in his video message to Ukraine on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.

“The Netherlands is with you. Even if it takes a long time and even if it’s difficult,” says Rutte, whose bid for the post of NATO secretary-general was this week backed by the US, Britain, France and Germany.

Rutte’s caretaker government, which will remain in power until a new government is formed, announced yesterday that it would soon sign a ten-year security deal with Ukraine to bind future aid.

Wilders criticized this deal in his post saying it is not for a caretaker government to make such long-term deals.