Netherlands sees no signs of Russia's readiness for peace talks – Dutch FM

The newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Tom Berendsen, stated this during his first visit to Ukraine at a joint press conference in Kyiv with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"You have demonstrated a clear commitment to achieving a lasting peace. We will call on Russia to negotiate in good faith. But so far, we have seen no evidence of such readiness. Russia started this war, and Russia can end it. Right now, when choosing between war and peace, Russia has chosen war," he said.

Berendsen stressed that Russia has no right to decide Ukraine’s future, which belongs in the European family. In this context, the Dutch Foreign Minister noted Ukraine's progress in implementing reforms.

As Ukrinform previously reported, the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen and Minister of Defense Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius of the Kingdom of the Netherlands arrived in Ukraine on Saturday, February 28, for their first visit since taking office.