The cabinet is gloomy about the talks between Ukraine and Russia about a ceasefire. There is no prospect of an agreement, said Minister Wopke Hoekstra (Foreign Affairs) during a parliamentary debate on developments in Ukraine.
The talks that are being held just over the border in Belarus yield very little, says Hoekstra. A meeting in Antalya, Turkey, between Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitro Kuleba also yielded nothing concrete.
Hoekstra mainly blames the Russians for the lack of results. “They are in a place where they don’t need to be at all. They make all kinds of demands there that are in no way reasonable.” It is “very difficult” to say when they will come to an agreement. That also depends on the course of the war, he said.
Maximum support
The Netherlands continues to provide “maximum support” for Ukraine, including sanctions against Moscow and arms supplies. In addition, the West continues to focus on the diplomatic track. He also wants to continue to support the government of President Volodimir Zelensky to prevent Ukraine from being “blackmailed” to the negotiating table.
Talks must take place under conditions that are acceptable to Kiev, the minister said. According to him, the Ukrainians want to seize every opportunity to end the war with talks.
Hoekstra lashed out at the Russian government for the attack on a maternity hospital in Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. He called that an “absolute shame”. The cabinet will do everything it can to ensure that those behind this are held accountable, the minister said.
not opportune
D66 and GroenLinks believe that Ukraine should be able to become a candidate for EU membership. The government does not consider this appropriate at this time. According to Hoekstra, the European Commission will come up with a number of options to bind Ukraine more to the EU. According to Hoekstra, this line is supported by many member states.
An overwhelming majority of the House also supports the course of the cabinet. The Party for the Animals is now also supporting arms aid to Ukraine. The House is secretly informed about these arms deliveries. The cabinet does want to see whether the costs can be made public, said Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren.
There are many concerns in the House about the possible use of chemical weapons by Russia in the war. According to Ollongren, the Russians are not afraid to use chemical weapons. She can therefore not rule out the possibility that the Russians will use these weapons.