Zelensky makes a surprise visit to the Netherlands, gives a speech in The Hague

Reuters news agency reports that the president will also give a speech in the Netherlands entitled ‘No peace without justice for Ukraine’. Various media report that the speech will be given in The Hague. A meeting with MPs is also on the agenda.

Zelensky also visits the International Criminal Court. The ICC is investigating crimes committed in the war in Ukraine. The Netherlands supports that investigation with money, but also with Marechaussees who search for evidence of crimes in Ukraine.

The ICC announced in March that an arrest warrant had been issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is held responsible for unlawfully deporting children and transferring them from Ukrainian territory to Russia.

On talk show Op1, Amsterdam police chief Frank Paauw hinted that Zelensky will in any case not be present at the National Remembrance Day on Dam Square. According to Paauw, this would be a ‘very complicated exercise’ with a view to safety because of the number of people coming to Dam Square.

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It is Zelensky’s first visit to the Netherlands since the war in Ukraine broke out. The government aircraft already transported the Ukrainian president this morning from Rzeszów, Poland, to Helsinki, where he followed a summit of northern countries.

Zelensky previously visited the United States, Great Britain, France and Poland, among others. He was also a guest at the European Parliament in Brussels. Zelensky has already addressed the House of Representatives online and last year various ministers and Prime Minister Rutte met Zelensky in Kyiv.

During his speech to the House of Representatives more than a year ago, Zelensky thanked Dutch ‘politicians and the common people’ for supporting his country. “For the sanctions, the principled approach to business dealings with Russia and the aid to Ukrainians.” He also said he was happy with the weapons that the country received from the Netherlands.

The Netherlands has already provided 1.2 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense reports. The support consists of the direct supply of weapons from its own military stocks, the purchase of new weapons and a contribution to international funds. For this year, the cabinet is releasing 2.5 billion euros to support Ukraine, which was attacked on February 24 last year. In addition to military aid, there is also humanitarian aid.

Our country is also one of the instigators of a tribunal where those responsible for the war should stand trial. Dutch Marechaussees search for evidence of war crimes under the banner of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Ukraine.

Ukraine needs a lot of weapons in the fight. In Finland, Zelensky said he mainly needed anti-aircraft defenses and hoped for fighter jets. The air defense is needed against the Russian attacks with drones and missiles. There has also been speculation for months about an imminent offensive by the Ukrainians.

Russia claimed on Wednesday that a Ukrainian drone had attacked the Kremlin in the Russian capital Moscow. Zelensky denied that his country carried out the attack. “We are fighting on our own territory,” he said.