Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra and his delegation hid in a bomb shelter for about three hours as air raid sirens went off and missiles destroyed electrical infrastructure in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Following a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, Hoekstra said that the Netherlands would invest an additional €15 million to investigate war crimes in Ukraine, according to NL Times.
Shortly after, explosions were heard at 3:30 pm local time as residential areas were struck by rockets. It was reported that part of Kyiv’s electricity infrastructure may have been the main target of the attack as large swathes of the city and surrounding area suffered power cuts.
“Being in #Kyiv and witnessing the appalling damage inflicted on this city by Russian aggression hardens my determination to hold the perpetrators to account. It is my deepest conviction that we have a duty to help #Ukraine in every way possible. #StandWithUkraine,” tweeted Hoekstra on Tuesday.
Following the incident, there were reports of missile strikes and casualties in Poland on Tuesday evening. “Serious reports about missiles landing in Poland and causing fatalities. We’re in close contact with Poland and our other NATO Allies. It’s important now to establish exactly what has happened. We are monitoring the situation very closely,” tweeted Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The Netherlands has been providing military, humanitarian, and medical air since the start of the war in February. According to Kuleba, this good relationship offers the opportunity to enter into a “strategic partnership,” NL Times reported.
(Sofia Stuart Leeson | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
