Dutch FM visiting Kyiv; PM Rutte to address Ukrainian parliament

Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs is in Ukraine on Tuesday for an unannounced visit, he said on Twitter. Prime Minister Mark Rutte will address the Ukrainian parliament on Thursday.

Hoekstra started his visit in Irpin, a neighborhood of Kyiv, on Tuesday morning. "The bombed-out houses and buildings illustrate the impact the war has had on the lives of the men, women, and children who live here. These acts cannot go unpunished. The Netherlands is committed to establishing the truth and achieving justice," the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs tweeted.

Hoekstra will meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his counterpart Dmitro Koeleba, among others, during his visit, according to ANP. He'll also officially reopen the Dutch embassy in Kyiv.

Rutte will address the Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, via video link on Thursday, May 12, at Zelenskyy's request. Zelenskyy addressed the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, in a similar way at the end of March. 

"The Netherlands continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine against Russia's aggression," Rutte said on Twitter.