On Thursday, January 16, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, welcomed Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Kaspar Veldkamp to Kyiv.
During bilateral talks, the diplomats discussed the preparation of the EU's 16th sanctions package, achieving a just peace, advancing Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO, rebuilding the energy sector, and increasing sanctions pressure on Russia. Both sides agreed on the necessity of raising the cost of war for the aggressor, strengthening sanctions, and closing any loopholes for their circumvention.
The ministers highlighted the establishment last year of a special registry in The Hague for documenting damages caused by Russian aggression against Ukrainians. They coordinated steps to launch a compensation mechanism and ensure its funding through confiscated Russian assets, with the first step being the creation of a Compensation Commission.
Andrii Sybiha announced that Ukraine, together with the Netherlands, is working on launching an annual bilateral intergovernmental conference. According to him, such a format would facilitate Ukraine’s EU accession process and elevate Ukrainian-Dutch relations to a new level of partnership.
The minister emphasized Ukraine’s interest in developing trade, increasing direct investment from the Netherlands, expanding Dutch involvement in Ukraine’s recovery and energy system reconstruction, and jointly entering third-country markets.
The Ukrainian foreign minister expressed particular gratitude to the Netherlands for bolstering Ukraine’s air defense.
“The radar and three Patriot air defense launchers have been guarding our skies since late last year. The Netherlands also continues to supply F-16 fighter jets, missiles, and their armaments. We are grateful for the decision to allocate €1 billion for artillery ammunition,” the minister said.
The Dutch foreign minister reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine and announced additional aid packages: €7 million through UCAP under NATO coordination and €20 million for Ukraine’s Energy Support Fund.
Andrii Sybiha expressed gratitude to the Netherlands and its people for their sincere and steadfast support of Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.
Special attention was given to further strengthening Ukraine's air defense capabilities and increasing Dutch investment in Ukrainian weapons production, including drones.
A highlight of the visit was a presentation at Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs of specially selected archival diplomatic documents from the era of the Ukrainian People's Republic. These historical artifacts reflect the friendly nature of Ukrainian-Dutch relations during that period, including the active operations of the Dutch Consulate General in Kyiv.
Presenting the exhibition to his Dutch counterpart, Andrii Sybiha emphasized that the friendly relations between Ukraine and the Netherlands have deep historical roots.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine extended its gratitude to the head of the State Archival Service, Anatolii Khromov, and the director of the Central State Archive of Higher Authorities and Governance, Larysa Levchenko, for their assistance in preparing the exhibition materials.
