Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make an official visit to the Netherlands on December 16, where he will hold a series of important meetings in The Hague. During the visit, talks are scheduled with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, as well as with King Willem-Alexander.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Key Talks in The Hague
The meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Dick Schoof will take place at the official residence of the Dutch Prime Minister, Catshuis. The foreign and defense ministers of the country will also join the discussions. During the negotiations, the parties plan to address issues of peaceful resolution and further support for Ukraine from the Netherlands.
After the talks at the Prime Minister’s residence, President Zelensky will be officially received by King Willem-Alexander at the Huis ten Bosch Palace, highlighting the special attention the Netherlands pays to Ukrainian matters.
Context of International Negotiations
Before his visit to the Netherlands, on December 14 and 15, Zelensky was in Germany. In Berlin, negotiations were held with the Ukrainian delegation led by the president and representatives of the United States, including U.S. Special Representative Steve Vitkoff and Jared Kushner. According to Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, these negotiations were constructive and allowed for “real progress” to be made.
“Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, who also participated in the negotiations, described them as constructive and leading to ‘real progress’.
On the evening of December 15, Zelensky also met with leaders of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the European Commission, the European Council, and NATO.
According to The Wall Street Journal, negotiations regarding a peace agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation remain complex. The American side is not yet ready to compromise on its own peace proposal. The document prepared as a result of a week of negotiations has become more acceptable for Kyiv; however, several contentious issues, particularly regarding territories and security guarantees, remain unresolved.
Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that the final decision regarding possible compromises on territorial issues should be made by the Ukrainian people in the format of elections or a referendum. Meanwhile, the Kremlin continues to insist that “the entire Donbas is Russian.”