Cabinet considers the risk of escalation in Ukraine still real
The cabinet still considers the chance of an escalation of the tense relationship between Ukraine and Russia “real”, ministers Wopke Hoekstra (Foreign Affairs) and Kajsa Ollongren (Defence) wrote to the House of Representatives. There are no signs yet that Russia is withdrawing troops on a large scale along its border with the neighboring country.
The Netherlands has not yet made a decision on a request for arms assistance from the government in Kiev. Ukraine has also not yet responded to the Dutch offer to help with cyber defence. The House of Representatives will discuss the situation in the Eastern European country with Hoekstra on Wednesday.
Since Saturday, a negative travel advice has been in effect for Ukraine. The cabinet urges people to leave the country. 147 Dutch people in Ukraine have now registered at the embassy in Kiev. It remains unclear how many Dutch people there are in the country. Registration is not an obligation.
However, the embassy has previously made it clear that in the event of an escalation, “no government-organized evacuation will take place,” the ministers said. People would then have to leave the country with their own transport by road. The embassy in Kiev has been scaled down and an emergency office has been set up in the western city of Lviv for consular services.