Ukraine and the Netherlands signed a joint statement following negotiations in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that following talks with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, a joint statement was signed between the two countries. He announced this during a joint briefing in Kyiv.
The head of state noted that he had informed the Prime Minister about the situation on the battlefield and the ongoing Russian attacks.
"I informed the Prime Minister about the situation we are in and about the Russian attacks, which continue every day, and therefore we need stable support every day while this war continues. The Netherlands is demonstrating the most effective form of support – a predictable annual amount, and we are grateful for this decision – €3 billion per year. The Netherlands is also investing in the PURL programme, which is critical for us because it allows us to purchase air defence missiles, primarily PAC-2 and PAC-3. And this is the only option for us today," Zelenskyy said.
The President also noted that Ukraine has already started joint production of weapons with the Netherlands and plans to expand this cooperation.
"We have started this, and we will definitely continue and increase this joint work. In particular, this is provided for in the joint statement that we adopted today between our countries, and we discussed this in detail at the meeting – investments, licensing opportunities, production volumes, everything that is a priority today," the head of state said.
During the talks, the parties also discussed the issue of establishing justice in response to Russia's aggression and strengthening sanctions against the so-called shadow fleet of the Russian Federation.
"Russia's war directly depends on Putin's ability to make money from oil. That is why it is so important for European countries to stop the movement of tankers carrying Russian oil, which are still numerous in European seas. I know that the Netherlands is developing appropriate measures. Perhaps these will be legislative changes. Nevertheless, we must take any steps necessary to block and confiscate the shadow fleet and oil. And it is important that all of this works. We have also discussed this with France, other states, and the European Commission. Decisions are needed. Just like sanctions against Russia. The 20th package of sanctions is needed," Zelensky emphasised.
He also expressed hope that the Special Tribunal on Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine, located in The Hague, will be organisationally prepared this year.
Separately, the President thanked the Netherlands for supporting the decision to allocate €90 billion in aid from the European Union.
"We raised this issue with Rob today. This support is essential for us, as it directly determines how many lives we will be able to protect from Russian attacks. It is important that all countries support us," the head of state said.
The President also thanked Rob Jetten for his symbolic visit to Ukraine almost immediately after the new Dutch government took office.
He stressed that the Netherlands has supported Ukraine since the first days of the war. This includes defence assistance, energy support, sanctions policy against Russia and political support for Ukraine.
On 8 March, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten paid tribute to the fallen Ukrainian defenders at the Memorial Wall in Kyiv.
