Speech by Minister of Defence, Ruben Brekelmans, upon the opening of 'War stories. Ukraine up close' an exhibition at the Nationaal Militair Museum in Soesterberg

Your Excellency,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to see you all here today.

And laskavo prosymo to all of our Ukrainian guests.

We are here today at the NMM, the National Military Museum.

A remarkable place, full of stories.

Stories of how the Netherlands fought for peace.

However, beyond these walls but still on the same continent unfortunately, military history is still being written every day.

Some of you have experienced this first-hand.

It is a harsh truth: there is a large-scale war in Europe which Russia started a decade ago and has been escalated by Russia for almost 1,000 days now.

And while children visiting this museum can learn about Dutch military history through treasure hunts.

Ukrainian families, just two countries away, have no choice in this matter.

They witness and experience the consequences of Russian evil on a daily basis.

This brings us to where we are now. Here, today.

The exhibition will open in a few moments and the NMM deserves a special word of gratitude.

It made this exhibition happen together with its Ukrainian partners.

They show us that this war - which may seem distant to some - is not far away.

Because it is not just impressive photos, videos and objects that we are seeing here. 

Every exhibit is evidence of a great injustice that will only grow worse if the Russian aggression is not stopped.

A realisation that touches me as a minister, but above all, as a human being and a father.

It strengthens my motivation to continue giving Ukraine our unwavering support and to prevent war from expanding any further into Europe.

But in order to make sure that we in The Netherlands keep war at a distance physically, we need to be close to it emotionally by not only seeing, but also feeling what is at stake if we fail to provide adequate support to Ukraine.

Especially in our country where, after eighty years of peace, people might take freedom for granted.

People must understand that Russian aggression will not simply disappear if we close our eyes to it.

War is not something we should ever let ourselves become accustomed to.

Not in the first days and weeks, not after 1,000 days, not after 10 years.

This is why it is so important that we keep the images of the consequences of this brutal aggression at the forefront of our collective consciousness.

And that is exactly what this exhibition is able to do.

We are grateful to Eddy van Wessel for allowing us to see Ukraine through the lens of his camera from the anguish of a mother forced to identify the body of her son among those of his fallen comrades.

To the shell-shocked soldiers riding a tank back from the front lines, fortunate to have survived, but scarred for life.

Or to the funeral of Yuliya and Anna Aksenchenko not soldiers, but children. Twin sisters, 14 years old.

They died during a rocket attack on a residential district in Kramatorsk.

Eddy, I'd like to turn to you for a moment.

I believe that every photograph of yours in this exhibition has an extraordinary story to tell.

They give a voice to those whose stories might otherwise have not been heard.

Thank you for your courage and dedication.

The same goes for Krystyna Kranovska's work.

Krystyna, War Diaries shows us that we must not overlook the experiences and emotional state of Ukrainian children.

And I have been told that there is someone here who was brave enough to share her experiences with you.

Soffia Gromakova, where are you?

I have great respect for the path you have already taken in your young life.

The war has taken a lot away from you, including your father, for which I would like to express my deepest condolences.

We can also see that you are a great creative talent.

Your paintings are a testament to your emotional depth, and they rightfully belong in this exhibition.

I hope that the road ahead will bring you lots of success and happiness.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As you walk through this exhibition, you will also encounter the story of Vladyslav Piatin-Ponomarenko.

This 17-year-old young man made a documentary about his experiences during the siege of Mariupol.

His panel features an insightful quote from him:

It is important to me that people feel the value of life and that they are able to figure out who they really are.

This is what he aims to achieve by pursuing his dream of becoming a film director.

And I hope he will succeed.

Because the more people understand how valuable life is the more they want to make a positive difference and the more they come to realise that their actions, however big or small, do make a difference.

It reminds me of the saying:

Evil only succeeds when good people do nothing.

And so each of us has the ability to make a meaningful impact, even in a situation like this.

You could simply tell your neighbours and friends what you saw here today and how it affected you or you could even travel all the way to Ukraine to put a smile on people's faces by serving them French fries.

Franky and Coen, your dedication to Ukraine through the 'Into The Breach' foundation is truly inspiring.

You have already distributed hundreds of thousands of portions of French fries and snacks where they were needed most.

But not without risk to yourselves.

You were there during the rocket attack on Kramatorsk and you witnessed and shared in the grief for all the victims who died that day.

In the meantime, you also distribute relief supplies offer financial support to victims and take in refugees at your shelter in Dnipro.

We will be collecting for 'Into The Breach' during the opening of this exhibition.

So for anyone who wants to make a positive difference today, that collection is the perfect opportunity.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let us not simply walk through this exhibition, only to forget tomorrow what we saw today.

Let us carry its message with us and use it to be better, to do better.

So that we in the Netherlands do not only enjoy the fruits of peace, but also help to create it.

Let us take the people of Ukraine as an example.

They show that they are willing to fight for their freedom, their sovereignty and their future.

In this exhibition, we see the evidence of their unprecedented resilience.

That’s why the Netherlands will continue to give Ukraine its unwavering support.

Together with our allies, we have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian military soldiers and supplied them with howitzers, air defense systems, F-16 fighter aircrafts, and many other types of military support.

And we will continue to do so for as long as it takes.

Until Ukraine too can say that war can only be found in stories of the past, safely within the walls of military museums.

Thank you.