IRIA News

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten in The Hague on October 28, 2026, to discuss military assistance, economic cooperation, and efforts to involve European countries in upcoming peace negotiations with Russia.

The visit comes as Kyiv seeks stronger European support amid strained relations with Washington and renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war.

During their meeting at the Dutch prime minister’s official residence, Catshuis, Zelenskyy and Jetten discussed strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses, expanding defense cooperation, and securing additional support ahead of winter.

Zelenskyy also called for European countries to participate in planned U.S.-mediated negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.

“We hope to find a way to involve Europe,” Zelenskyy said in The Hague, emphasizing that European partners should have a say in decisions affecting the continent’s security.

Netherlands Announces Additional Aid

The Netherlands pledged €500 million (approximately $556 million) in additional military assistance to Ukraine, according to Jetten. The package is intended primarily to help Ukraine withstand the coming winter and includes anti-aircraft guns and drones.

The announcement comes alongside a separate €1.2 billion (approximately $1.3 billion) package of non-military assistance planned over three years to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

Landed in the Netherlands with my team for a meeting with Prime Minister Rob Jetten. We are strengthening our partnership and working to provide greater protection for Ukraine. We will discuss defense and economic cooperation, strengthening Ukrainian air defense, and new steps to support Ukraine. A meeting with representatives of Ukrainian and Dutch businesses is also scheduled for today. I will also have an audience with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. I am grateful that the Netherlands supports Ukraine and stands up for the protection of lives. We are working together to strengthen our shared security.

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 28, 2026

The Netherlands has also provided approximately $10 billion in military aid as of mid-2026, including F-16 fighter jets, Patriot air defense systems, and funding for military equipment through NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program.

Jetten said Russia was intensifying attacks on civilian targets and critical infrastructure as winter approached. He called on European countries to coordinate their response and strengthen sanctions against Moscow.

Zelenskyy’s visit also included meetings with Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen and Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, as well as discussions between Ukrainian and Dutch business leaders. He also met Dutch King Willem-Alexander at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.

Energy Support Ahead of Winter

The visit coincided with Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma’s trip to Kyiv for discussions with Ukrainian officials.

Sjoerdsma outlined parts of the Netherlands’ three-year support package, including €40 million (approximately $45 million) for the Ukraine Energy Support Fund and €55 million (approximately $62 million) to finance energy equipment supplied by Dutch companies to their Ukrainian partners.

Ukraine is preparing for another difficult winter as Russian attacks continue to threaten its energy infrastructure, which has suffered extensive damage from Russian attacks. The latest assistance is intended to help maintain energy supplies and support the country’s reconstruction efforts.

The Netherlands’ latest commitments add to its existing military and economic assistance as Kyiv seeks to secure continued backing from European allies.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten @MinPres and I met with the heads of Ukrainian and Dutch companies in the defense, energy, and software sectors. Our teams also joined us online from Kyiv, where Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade Sjoerd Sjoerdsma is visiting today. We defined key priorities and decisions that can strengthen our practical economic cooperation: defense production, joint technology and energy projects, industrial development, and, very importantly, satellite technologies and air defense. Our teams have been tasked with working out a specific air defense project, Bliksem. We have already started this work. We are taking our cooperation to a level where it is clear that standing alongside Ukraine also means achieving additional positive industrial, technological, and social results. Thank you for your support!

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 28, 2026

Zelenskyy’s appeal follows renewed diplomatic efforts to restart negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. Kyiv expects a trilateral meeting involving representatives of the three countries by November 10, with Abu Dhabi identified as the expected location. The discussions are being prepared at the negotiating-team level rather than as a meeting of the three presidents.

On October 27, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a rare telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The call, initiated by Finland and Norway in consultation with Ukraine, focused on the war, de-escalation, and preparations for further negotiations.

The Nordic leaders subsequently briefed Zelenskyy on their conversation with Putin. They urged Moscow to take concrete steps toward reducing tensions, including reducing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, according to the Ukrainian president’s office. Both leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and stressed that ending the war was important for European security.

The Kremlin said the participants welcomed plans to resume trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi and reiterated Moscow’s position that any settlement must address Russia’s stated security interests.

Zelenskyy has also maintained contact with U.S. officials as diplomatic preparations continue. The latest efforts follow discussions in Oslo involving European leaders, Zelenskyy, and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who subsequently met Putin in St. Petersburg on October 21.

Kyiv is seeking to ensure that European governments participate in the negotiations, arguing that any agreement ending the war will have direct consequences for the continent’s security. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will continue coordinating with its partners while seeking additional military assistance and diplomatic progress.