Dutch PM Schoof wants Europe and Ukraine to be present in Russian peace talks

Prime Minister Dick Schoof wants Europe and Ukraine to be present during possible peace negotiations with Russia. He said during his weekly press conference after the Council of Ministers meeting that Ukraine and Europe are needed during the negotiations in order to avoid a bad deal.

"That would reward Russian aggression and, in the long run, provoke new aggression," said Schoof. The non-partisan prime minister said that the Netherlands is staying on course. “We want peace through power. Concretely, that means the unabated continuation of support to Ukraine, financially, with the military, and politically.”

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said on Wednesday that he had spoken about peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Caspar Veldkamp and Ruben Brekelmans, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense, respectively, had also said in the past that the Netherlands should be a part of the conversations about peace in Ukraine. Schoof will be traveling to Munich with the ministers this weekend for an international safety conference.

A comment was made to Schoof during the press conference that the Netherlands wants to be present during the negotiations but has not been visible during the last week. For example, Schoof responded to Trump’s comments on Thursday evening, a day and a half after the U.S. president made the comments.

A comment was also made that Mark Rutte, Schoof’s predecessor and current Chief of NATO, was always present at conversations and negotiations. “The Netherlands was visible,” Schoof responded. He pointed out that Brekelmans and Veldkamp were heavily involved during the NATO meeting on Thursday. He added that the Netherlands is active on this matter, and they will also be speaking to many people this weekend.

“Especially now, it is essential to continue conversations with international partners,” said the prime minister. “This also concerns our safety.”

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Friday that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union (EU) needs to be accelerated. “We have made significant progress already, but now is the time again to move mountains.”

Von der Leyen said that Ukraine is a part of the European family and that its future lies with the European Union. "A failed Ukraine would weaken Europe but would also weaken the United States," Von der Leyen warned. She reiterated that the EU, like Ukraine, wants a just and lasting peace.