Zelensky to visit Jetten and King Willem-Alexander in The Hague on 28 October

Programme in The Hague

Volodymyr Zelensky is due in the Netherlands on 28 October for a full day of meetings. In the afternoon he is set to meet Prime Minister Rob Jetten at the Catshuis, the first time Jetten receives him there, since Zelensky last visited the Catshuis in 2025 when Dick Schoof was prime minister. He will also talk with Jetten, Dilan Yesilgöz and Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, and then with business leaders from the Netherlands and Ukraine. In the early evening King Willem-Alexander receives him at Paleis Huis ten Bosch.

Dutch aid package

The cabinet has announced 1.2 billion euros in non-military support for Ukraine over the next three years, on the day of the visit. Minister Sjoerdsma, responsible for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, made the announcement in Kyiv, where he is speaking with Ukrainian government representatives and Dutch companies active in the country. Of the total, 40 million euros is to be transferred this year to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, set up by the European Commission and Ukraine's energy ministry to repair energy infrastructure that Russian air attacks keep hitting. Another 55 million euros will let Ukraine order parts from Dutch companies to keep that infrastructure running, while 136 million euros goes to businesses willing to help rebuild the country.

Ukraine Energy Support Fund (this year)40

Orders from Dutch companies for Ukrainian energy infrastructure55

Businesses helping Ukraine rebuild136

Ukraine Energy Support Fund (this year)

40 million euros

Orders from Dutch companies for Ukrainian energy infrastructure

55 million euros

Businesses helping Ukraine rebuild

136 million euros

Data from the article text

Sjoerdsma pointed to the harsh winter ahead and explained why the cabinet is acting now:

“For the security of us all, it is also very important that we keep supporting the Ukrainians so they can sustain the fight.”

Coen van Oostrom of the employers' organisation VNO-NCW, who is travelling with the minister, said the task in Ukraine is enormous:

“Dutch companies can play an important role in that. But we do then need to work closely with the Ukrainian government and remove the bottlenecks for businesses.”

Battlefield claims

On Tuesday, 27 October, Zelensky said in his evening video address that Ukraine had regained ground through a series of offensives, including one operation that had not been announced beforehand. He said the country's position on the battlefield is better than it has been for a long time in a war that has lasted more than four years, and that more air defence systems from Western allies could strengthen it further. He named Operation Veles, in which pipelines were used to encircle Russian positions, and also referred to an air-landing operation in eastern Ukraine and Operation Vivaldi farther north. Both were meant to stop Russian forces advancing into important areas. How much territory Ukraine has retaken is not clear from his remarks.

Talks and European tensions

New negotiations are planned for the week of 2 November, aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine, according to Het Parool. The United States now leads the talks between Ukraine and Russia, and Europe has so far been left on the sidelines. Zelensky was in Norway in the week of 19 October, where he spoke with US envoy Steve Witkoff about the negotiations. In October 2026 he also visited the United Kingdom and Belgium, where King Charles and King Philippe received him.

On Tuesday, 27 October, Finnish President Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre unexpectedly phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin. By their own account, they conveyed 'the message from Ukraine', and they spoke with Zelensky again afterwards. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the call a 'solo action' and said Europe should act as one. Støre said the other countries had been warned in advance that the call would take place.