On 30–31 March 2026, the city of Breda (the Netherlands) hosted the second intergovernmental conference the Ukraine–Netherlands dialogue on supporting Ukraine on its path toward European Union membership.
The conference was attended by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Tom Berendsen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, as well as more than 50 representatives of public authorities from both countries. The programme included high-level political consultations and thematic working groups covering the rule of law and accountability, agriculture, energy, and social policy.
The parties discussed Ukraine’s further progress within the EU negotiation clusters and the next steps on its path to membership. They reaffirmed the strategic nature of bilateral partnership and their commitment to deepening cooperation across all areas of mutual interest.
The Netherlands once again strongly condemned Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, reaffirming its support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as for efforts to restore a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Ukraine expressed its gratitude for the EU’s support and for the strengthening of pressure and restrictive measures against Russia. The parties emphasised the need to further enhance sanctions implementation, prevent their circumvention, and, where necessary, adopt additional measures.
In the context of EU accession, the Netherlands acknowledged Ukraine’s progress. The parties underscored the importance of the Copenhagen criteria and a merit-based accession process. The Netherlands reaffirmed its readiness to continue supporting Ukraine in meeting accession requirements, including through the provision of expert assistance aimed at strengthening public administration capacity.
Ukraine reaffirmed its commitment to fulfilling accession requirements across all negotiation clusters. At the same time, the reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine, aligned with EU standards, remain key priorities of the bilateral agenda.
On accountability, the Netherlands and Ukraine confirmed their commitment to continued cooperation to ensure accountability for Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. Both countries will continue to support national investigations, prosecutions and the adjudication of international crimes committed in Ukraine, and will jointly work within the Dialogue Group framework to coordinate efforts and enhance synergy among accountability initiatives.
The conference reaffirmed the strategic nature of the partnership between Ukraine and the Netherlands. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Ukraine in 2027.
* According to information available on the website: https://eu-ua.kmu.gov.ua/news/