Putin is trying to destroy Kharkiv with his air strikes, his goal is to break the faith of the people living here, but the opposite happened, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at a press conference in Kharkiv on Friday.

Rutte said the people of Kharkiv will never be broken. Despite the constant atmosphere of threat, uncertainty and difficulty, they continue to live; and the city lives on, he said.

According to the prime minister, the Netherlands will transfer 22 patrol boats for the State Emergency Service and police, as well as three combat boats. He said the Netherlands has purchased four radars, nine howitzers, which we will provide in addition to what they have already donated. The Netherlands' focus is on increasing their defense production and finding ways on how they can overcome supply disruptions, Rutte said.

He said the Netherlands will help the Czech initiative to purchase 800,000 ammunition. And this will happen in the coming weeks. The prime minister said they will also allocate EUR 250 million and assured that his NATO colleagues will join him in this process.

Rutte said the Dutch authorities are also working on the F-16s so that they arrive in Ukraine as soon as possible so that Ukraine has an advantage in the air. He expressed hope that their message is clear – they stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.

According to him, the task facing Ukraine's allies is clear – to do everything possible to keep it here as long as possible. This is the only way for Ukraine to defend itself, this is the only way to contain Putin's expansionism, Rutte said.

The Dutch prime minister said here and now they continue to provide direct military, financial and humanitarian support and continue to look for other ways in which they can help.