The Netherlands will allocate EUR 2 million through the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) to expand Ukraine’s capacity in the field of forensic research and will also provide a mobile laboratory for forensic medical examination, the newly appointed Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said.
At a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on Sunday, the Dutch Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of justice and the responsibility of the Russian Federation for serious crimes against the Ukrainian people.
“Crimes against Ukraine must be brought to justice, and deported children must be returned to their families. That is why I am pleased to announce that the Netherlands will provide 2 million euros to enhance Ukraine’s capacity in forensic research, data collection and analysis through the International Commission on Missing Persons,” Veldkamp said.
In addition, the Netherlands will provide Ukraine with a mobile forensic laboratory to help with activities near the front line. “This will help to restore justice for the many dead Ukrainians whose bodies are being returned from the front. It will also facilitate the investigation of cases of missing persons and help collective efforts to return deported children from Russia and reunite them with their families,” the head of diplomacy noted.
He also announced a decision to support the activities of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine for fact-finding over the next two years for a total of EUR 8 million. “The mission’s mandate is to report objectively on the situation throughout Ukraine, to provide indisputable facts that serve as a basis for international discussions on Ukraine, as well as for alternative legal analysis of many crimes, which can then be used by justice mechanisms,” the minister explained.
Veldkamp emphasized that justice is needed “for the sake of thousands of killed and wounded, for millions of displaced persons, for innocent children who have been deported to Russia and whose fate is unknown.”
The Minister assured that the Netherlands will continue to support the work of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, the International Criminal Court, the International Center for the Prosecution of Crimes of Aggression and the Register of Damages for Ukraine.
Separately, the Foreign Minister emphasized the Netherlands’ support for Ukraine’s accession to the EU, stressing the importance of reforms and readiness to share the necessary experience.
“Of course, the path to EU membership is a marathon in itself. Reforms are needed. Good governance, transparency, and the rule of law are of paramount importance. And yes, the Copenhagen criteria must be fulfilled. The rules are strict. But there is no rule that says you have to go it alone. We will share our experience as an EU member state,” Veldkamp said.
