President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof, who is visiting Ukraine. Although this is not Dick Schoof’s first visit to our country, it is his first time in Kyiv.
The Head of State thanked the Netherlands for its unwavering attention to and support for Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that today Russia carried out a drone strike on a maternity hospital in the city of Sumy. Fortunately, there were no casualties: the staff, 35 women, and 11 children were in the shelter.
“The Russians do not even try to conceal the fact that all Ukrainian life is a target for them. They launch these drones, aerial bombs and missiles on the orders of their Putin, but these orders are carried out by other people. Every one of those Russian killers is a war criminal. All must be held accountable,” the President emphasized.
According to the Head of State, this is why one of the areas of joint work with the Netherlands and other partners involves legal mechanisms that can ensure real accountability for Russian war criminals and full compensation for the damage caused to Ukraine by Russian aggression. This issue was among the topics discussed during the meeting with Dick Schoof, and the Dutch team expressed its support.
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands stressed that Russia shows no willingness to achieve a just and lasting peace, but instead continues to intensify its attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure. He emphasized that Russia must be held accountable for its crimes.
During the meeting, the leaders discussed strengthening sanctions against Russia. The President emphasized that Ukraine expects the adoption of the European Union’s 19th sanctions package and continued pressure on Russia’s war machine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed Dick Schoof about the situation in Ukraine, including developments on the battlefield.
“Ukraine deeply values every format of defense support provided by the Netherlands. This includes military aid packages that have contained Patriots and F-16s. We also appreciate the Netherlands’ participation in such undoubtedly important initiatives as PURL, which enables us to purchase American weapons – the scarce ones that Europe itself does not have,” the President said.
Dick Schoof reaffirmed that the Netherlands will continue its defense support for Ukraine, including under the PURL initiative. The Netherlands is also an active participant in the Ramstein format and in the global Coalition of the Willing, which, as the President noted, will serve as the foundation for multilateral security guarantees for Ukraine and for all of Europe. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that work continues toward the full launch of this system, and Ukraine counts on the participation and active support of the Netherlands.
The meeting also addressed Ukraine’s energy challenges resulting from Russian strikes. The President asked the Netherlands to consider providing additional assistance.
The leaders discussed the continuation of political cooperation, particularly at the level of the European Union. The Head of State stressed that Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations to open the clusters and expects a corresponding step from the European side.
“I am grateful to the Netherlands for its readiness to continue standing with Ukraine and with all other Europeans in defending our shared values and our way of life,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded.
