Dutch Prime Minister makes first visit to Ukraine

During the visit to Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskyy and Schoof attended the first themed lesson at one of the city's educational institutions. They also spoke with students from the 1st and 11th grades.

During the visit, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands emphasized the importance of staying in Ukraine, continuing education, and developing there.

"We understand how stressful the conditions are and how challenging it is for you. But please, continue to do this. The Netherlands remains with Ukraine, supporting you economically, politically, financially, and militarily — in every sense," he said.

Background

Last year, parliamentary elections in the Netherlands resulted in a victory for the far-right Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders. During his campaign, Wilders pledged to halt aid to Ukraine and sought to cancel the delivery of F-16s to Ukrainian defenders. However, Wilders was unable to become Prime Minister as an agreement could not be reached within the parliament.

Meanwhile, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who provided military and economic assistance to Ukraine while in office, is set to become NATO Secretary General, replacing Jens Stoltenberg.

Dick Schoof is a Dutch official and civil servant who has held various high-level positions in the Netherlands. He was known for his work as a national security and counter-terrorism coordinator, responsible for security measures, terrorism prevention, and crisis management.

Schoof was appointed Prime Minister of the Netherlands on July 2, 2024. He is a former head of the Dutch Security and Intelligence Service and was a compromise candidate following the victory of the right-populist PVV party in the elections.