Zelenskyy to speak with Dutch university students via livestream tomorrow

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address students from Leiden University and The Hague University of Applied Sciences via a live stream on Tuesday. President Zelenskyy will deliver a speech at 11:00 a.m. Following his address, a group of students will have the opportunity to pose questions to the president.

“We are proud to offer our students this unique opportunity to engage in conversation with President Zelensky, a courageous and inspiring leader defending freedom and democracy in Europe,” the organizers wrote. This event will mark Zelensky's first address to Dutch students, following similar events in countries like Germany and France.

Zelenskyy visited the Netherlands on August 20, 2023, at an Eindhoven air base, where the delivery of Dutch-owned F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine was announced.

Before the interaction with President Zelensky, Emeritus Professor Jaap de Hoop Scheffer of Leiden University will provide a brief analysis of President Zelensky's role amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Scheffer previously served as NATO Secretary-General from 2004 to 2009 and held other significant positions in Dutch politics and diplomacy. He was notably the leader of the CDA between 1997 and 2001 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from July 2002 to December 2003 under Balkende’s second Cabinet.

After the interaction with President Zelensky, Dr. Alanna O'Malley from The Hague University of Applied Sciences will moderate a panel discussion featuring a representative from the Embassy of Ukraine in The Hague. There was no extra information about the profile of the representative.

Students could register to attend the event in room 2.01 at the Wijnhaven building, located on the Campus Den Haag. However, the event has already reached its maximum capacity for registrations, and further registrations are not being accepted.

The livestream can be accessed on YouTube using this link. Note that remote attendees will not be able to ask questions or participate in the panel discussion. This will be reserved for students physically present in the lecture hall.