On the instruction of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, at the sidelines of the third meeting of national security and foreign policy advisors in Malta, initiated consultations with the Netherlands on concluding a bilateral security guarantees agreement in accordance with the Joint Declaration of support for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian negotiating team, led by Andriy Yermak, includes Deputy Heads of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva and Andriy Sybiha, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mykola Tochytsky, and advisors to the head of the Office of the President, Oleksandr Bevz and Daria Zarivna.
The Netherlands became the sixth country, following the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and France, and the first non-G7 country, with which Ukraine has initiated such bilateral negotiations.
"It is symbolic that we have begun security consultations with the Netherlands during the third meeting of national security advisors on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. One of the elements of the formula is to prevent the escalation of war and the repetition of aggression. The Netherlands is a reliable partner of Ukraine in approaching our common victory," Andriy Yermak said.
The bilateral consultations with the Netherlands covered cooperation in the military sphere, issues related to Ukraine's economic recovery, joint efforts to hold the Russian aggressor accountable, as well as sanctions pressure and the use of confiscated assets.
The sides have agreed on an action plan for the near future in preparation for the conclusion of the bilateral security guarantees agreement.
During discussions with Foreign Affairs and Defense Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Geoffrey van Leeuwen, the head of the Office of the President expressed gratitude for the recent visit of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to Odessa.
The interlocutors touched upon the topic of establishing the production of defense-related products in Ukraine. During the meeting they emphasized the importance of the Netherlands' continued support for Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO.
Furthermore, both sides underscored the significance of maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia and jointly countering Russian disinformation and propaganda.
