Dutch King, PM to meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as gov't pledges more support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting the Netherlands. This evening, he will meet with King Willem-Alexander, Prime Minister Rob Jetten, and a government delegation. Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation is also currently visiting Kyiv, where he pledged another €1.2 billion in non-military support to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s visit to the Netherlands will begin start with a meeting with Jetten at the Catshuis, the Prime Minister’s official residence in The Hague, the government information service RVD said. Afterward, delegations from the two governments will meet, including Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Berendsen.

After these meetings, the Ukrainian president will have an audience with King Willem-Alexander at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.

Foreign Trade Minister Sjoerdsma is currently visiting Kyiv. There, he pledged €1.2 billion in non-military support to Ukraine over the next three years, aimed at alleviating the country’s most urgent needs and contributing to its recovery and reconstruction.

The package also aims to expand opportunities for Dutch businesses, specifically in the water and energy sectors. According to the government, Russia is increasingly targeting Ukrainian water and energy infrastructure, which the country desperately needs to get through this winter.

"Ukraine is under heavy fire and faces an extremely difficult winter. It is also of great importance to our collective security that we continue to support the Ukrainians so they can sustain their struggle. That is why the Cabinet is now taking an additional step," the Minister stated.

The package includes the accelerated release of €40 million this year for the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, intended for urgent recovery and repairs. The Netherlands is also allocating €55 million for “in-kind energy support,” allowing energy-related equipment from Dutch companies to be supplied to Ukrainian partners, and is expanding export credit insurance to mitigate the financial risks for companies looking to export to Ukraine.

“Support for recovery and reconstruction cannot wait for a ceasefire. Ukraine needs us now—militarily, as well as socially and economically. Regardless of progress on the battlefield, essential infrastructure—such as energy systems, hospitals, and food production—must remain operational,” Sjoerdsma said. “Companies that get involved now will help shape the partnerships, supply chains, and opportunities of the future.”

On Tuesday night, Zelenskyy posted a message on social media claiming that Russia has launched over 100 ballistic missiles in the past two weeks targeting the greater Kyiv area. “This year, Ukraine’s positions on the front remain stronger than they have been in a long time during this war. If our partners’ support for Ukraine remained just as strong – particularly when it comes to Patriots and other air defense capabilities – Ukraine would be in a much better position diplomatically as well,” he said.

“Unfortunately, there are significant restrictions on supplies, with air defense packages being delayed. I want to thank all our partners who provide their support on time.”

Zelenskyy’s visit comes on the same day that parliamentarians in the Netherlands will meet with Mihai Popșoi, the foreign affairs minister from Moldova. The country sits along Ukraine’s southern border.

The Ukrainian leader is not on Wednesday’s agenda for either of the two parliamentary houses. Members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, will hold a closed-door committee meeting about investments in innovation and disruptive technologies in the defense sector, and some aspects of the national budget will be the subject of a plenary debate later in the day.