President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Rob Jetten held a meeting in The Hague with representatives of Ukrainian and Dutch businesses from the defense, energy, and software sectors. Teams from both countries also joined the event online from Kyiv, where the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade, Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, is currently on a visit. This is reported by Rubryka, citing the Office of the President, as noted by the portal PromPolitInform.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister, and thank you to our ministers and business representatives. It is quite notable that a Dutch minister is currently in Ukraine—in our capital—while we are here in the Netherlands. It is important that our businesses are working together. We are counting on you and on our relationship. And we trust one another.” “Naturally, once the war ends, we will welcome Dutch businesses to Ukraine to help rebuild our country. We are very open to this. Thank you for the opportunity to speak and for this new format of communication,” said the Head of State.
The President emphasized that this constitutes a key component of the bilateral relationship between Ukraine and the Netherlands.
“The goal is for all political agreements to translate into tangible economic outcomes for companies from both our nations—fostering economic growth and creating jobs in both Ukraine and the Netherlands,” noted Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During the meeting, key priorities and solutions were identified to strengthen practical economic cooperation. Discussions covered defense production, joint technology and energy projects, and industrial development.
Particular attention was given to the development of satellite technologies and air defense. Both teams are set to work on the ‘Bliksem’ air defense project; this work is already underway.
“We are elevating our cooperation to a level where it becomes clear that standing with Ukraine yields additional positive technological and social outcomes,” the Head of State remarked.
Representatives of the Dutch business community outlined the areas in which they are already assisting Ukrainians in navigating the challenges of this war and proposed new forms of support. They expressed their full backing for Ukraine and extended their gratitude for the defense of shared European values. Rob Jetten assured that the Netherlands will continue to provide firm and unwavering support to Ukraine—politically, legally, and through humanitarian and military means.
Specifically, the Netherlands has allocated an additional military aid package worth 500 million euros. This package includes, among other items, air defense systems and drones designed to provide protection against relentless Russian aerial attacks on civilian targets and critical infrastructure.
Furthermore, a 1.2 billion euro package of non-lethal support has been allocated to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience. This is intended to address the most urgent needs, including those related to the energy sector, the provision of drinking water, humanitarian aid, healthcare, and demining.
