NL Foreign Minister to Kiev today

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frans Timmermans, is heading to Kiev today with his colleagues from Belgium and Luxembourg to discuss the situation in Ukraine. He will meet the temporary president and the interim-minister of Foreign Affairs as well as activists and Journalists. The civil servants want to hear from the new Ukrainian government what solutions they have come up with for the crisis in Crimea and the eastern part of the country. The visit also serves as an opportunity to keep the lines open between Kiev and the European Union, and to show that the EU is constantly vigilant over the situation. It is the first visit from the ministers since the EU enforced measures against Russia last week. According to the EU, Russia has to scale back its presence and de-escalate the situation in Crimea. The EU is threatening Russia with economic sanctions if the Kremlin de-stabilizes the situation any further. A snapshot of the protests, much of which is now tinged with Putin-Hitler comparisons.

Putler, a nickname that compares Putin to Hitler. Both invaded other countries saying that they aim to “protect”. pic.twitter.com/epDdmRZjfV

— أمينة (@AminaMA_) March 3, 2014

Timmermans is also going to call attention to the Independence Square, or Maidan Nezalezhnosti, in Kiev where dozens were killed and injured during protests against the reign of ousted president Viktor Yanukovych. The visit from the three Benelux ministers will last one day.