Hard right party JA21 says it opposes Ukraine joining NATO or EU during election debate

JA21 is opposed to Ukraine joining NATO or the European Union. “The country is ‘too much in the Russian sphere of influence,’” said candidate MP Michiel Hoogeveen on Monday during a foreign policy debate at De Balie in Amsterdam.

In the debate on the Netherlands’ role in international affairs, Hoogeveen was joined by Laurens Dassen (Volt), Harmen Krul (CDA), Daniëlle Hirsch (GroenLinks–PvdA), Eric van der Burg (VVD), and Jan Paternotte (D66). JA21 turned out to be the outlier.

Hoogeveen, who previously served in the European Parliament for the party, believes that Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership is a “huge risk.” He describes Ukraine joining NATO as an “unnecessary provocation,” while NATO maintains that Ukraine has made an “irreversible step” toward membership.

Hoogeveen believes there are alternative ways to engage Ukraine with the EU and NATO. For him, it is not up for debate, as U.S. President Donald Trump has already stated that he does not want Ukraine to join the military alliance.

“This is a misjudgment,” said D66’s Paternotte in response to Hoogeveen. He argued that NATO membership is vital for Ukraine’s security, noting that the Baltic states have not been attacked by Russian President Vladimir Putin because they are already part of NATO.

JA21 stood largely alone not only on Ukraine but also during the debate on Gaza and Israel. While other parties advocate pressuring the Israeli government to advance the peace process, Hoogeveen insisted on focusing on implementing Trump’s peace plan first.

The self-described conservative-liberal party JA21 is rising in the polls and aims to influence the upcoming government formation. Recent surveys indicate the party could secure 13 seats.