The Netherlands suddenly announced that it could not send more armored howitzers to Ukraine

“We are at the limit of what we can offer Ukraine,” Rutte said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

He also thanked the German government for its efforts to help Ukraine resist Russian forces. The Dutch leader said that the two countries had committed to provide 12 Panzerhaubitzen 2000 armored howitzers to Ukraine, five of which belonged to the Netherlands, according to New Voice of Ukraine.

These weapons have not yet entered official service with the Ukrainian army because Ukrainian soldiers need to be trained to use them.

“First, it is very important to train Ukrainian soldiers with these ‘complex’ weapons because they are integrated with other systems. This cannot be learned in a few days,” Rutte said.

Earlier, according to Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren, consultations with Germany on the exact amount of artillery to be supplied to Ukraine were ongoing.

On May 11, the Ukrainian army began training in the use of self-propelled artillery Panzerhaubitzen 2000.

The Ukrainian military news agency Defense Express emphasized that the Panzerhaubitze 2000, dubbed the German “artillery emperor”, is considered to have the best performance in the group of weapons of its kind.

“PzH 2000 holds the world record for the range of a 52-caliber cannon – 67 km long, built in 2019. At the same time, even a conventional projectile fired from it can reach the range. 30-36 km, while the improved ammunition has a range of 40-47 km,” wrote Defense Express.