Dutch aid for Ukraine

The Dutch government made further funds available for non-military support for Ukraine. The commitment comes to an additional €148 million in 2024 and €252 million in 2025, drawn from the budget for foreign trade and development cooperation. The government announced this in its 2024 Spring Memorandum.

The Netherlands will provide €10 million in support of investigations of war crimes in Ukraine and the prosecution of perpetrators. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hanke Bruins Slot, announced this at the Restoring Justice for Ukraine conference in The Hague.

The Netherlands and Ukraine signed a security agreement covering the next 10 years. The agreement signals the Dutch government's commitment to provide enduring support to Ukraine in the areas of security, defence, reconstruction and justice. This is one way that the Netherlands is helping Ukraine to defend itself against Russia.

The EU member states agreed on a financial support package for Ukraine amounting to €50 billion. Of the total package, €33 billion consists of loans. The remaining €17 billion will require additional funds which will be contributed proportionately by the 27 EU member states. The Netherlands will contribute 5.9% of this amount, or about €250 million annually, up to and including 2027.

For the first four months of 2024 the government has reserved €102 million to help Ukraine get through the winter and prepare for spring. This latest support package focuses on the most pressing needs:

• €15 million for humanitarian assistance through the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA);
• €15 million for clearing mines from agricultural land and areas liberated from Russian control;
• €62 million to help the Ukrainian government provide basic services, repair critical infrastructure and roll out reforms under the Special Program for Ukraine and Moldova Recovery (SPUR), a facility of the World Bank’s International Development Association;
• €10 million for the delivery of materials for the electricity grid.

The Netherlands pledges €17 million to support Ukraine in combating impunity and ensuring justice for Ukrainian victims of war crimes. Part of the funds will be used to strengthen the justice system in Ukraine.

The Netherlands’ support for Ukraine is steadfast. For 2024 the government has set aside over €2 billion in aid. This sum is mainly intended for military support, but a portion of it will also go to criminal investigations and justice, recovery and reconstruction, and donations to funds.

For the fourth time, the Netherlands is sending a forensic team to Ukraine to investigate war crimes. The forensic investigation team’s objective is to contribute to efforts to prosecute perpetrators of war crimes. The government believes these crimes must not go unpunished.

The Dutch government has presented its third support package for 2023 for Ukraine. The Netherlands will make an additional €102 million available to help Ukraine prepare for winter, to support the Dutch private sector’s involvement in reconstruction, and to support institutional reforms.

• Support for energy supply for the coming winter.
  • €20 million allocated via the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to purchase gas.
  • €10 million for the delivery of materials for the electricity grid, via the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.
• Support for the Dutch private sector's assistance with reconstruction.
  • €60 million in support for Dutch companies that aim to contribute to reconstruction in Ukraine. This will be applied to export credit insurance to cover the risks of doing business in Ukraine.
• Support for institution building.
  • €7 million for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) reform programme aimed at carrying out administrative reforms and tackling corruption.
  • €5 million via the multi-donor Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) to reinforce local and regional authorities and assist in quick recovery in areas liberated from Russian occupation.

The Netherlands is contributing € 1.5 million to the Register of Damage for Ukraine, to support the establishment of the organisation that will run it. The Netherlands has been host country of the Register since July 2023. The Register will receive, process and record claims at its offices in The Hague.

Ukraine to receive F-16s from the Netherlands. The exact number of planes to be provided, and when, has yet to be announced. A number of conditions must be met before the Netherlands supplies any F-16s to Ukraine. For example, the infrastructure at Ukrainian airports must be adapted to accommodate them. And there must be enough Ukrainian pilots trained to fly the planes.

The government presents its second aid package for Ukraine for 2023. The Netherlands has set aside over €118 million for this purpose. A sum of €93 million will be drawn from the €2.5 billion reserved by the government for support to Ukraine this year, while the remaining €25 million is from the Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation budget. The additional support will go to humanitarian aid, the water supply, healthcare, infrastructure repairs and other priorities. The aid package consists of:

• €83 million for repair works and healthcare, €58 million of which will go to repairing infrastructure, residential buildings and drinking water facilities. The remaining €25 million has been set aside for medical equipment and support for mobile clinics. 
• €10 million for emergency and rescue equipment, including rescue boats following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
• €875,000 (donated via the Dutch Human Rights Fund) for local NGO projects in support of Ukrainian human rights defenders.
• €25 million in grants to Dutch companies and civil society organisations. These funds will go to projects that meet the needs of the Ukrainian people and contribute to the country’s reconstruction and recovery.

The Netherlands is sending additional aid and life-saving equipment to the region of Ukraine affected by flooding after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam. A total of 40 boats, 75 water pumps, 20 lifebuoys, 370 lifejackets and 120 wading suits have been made available by the Dutch water authorities and the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM). In addition, Reddingsbrigade Nederland will provide 22 rescue boats.

The Netherlands is sending aid and life-saving equipment to the region of Ukraine affected by flooding after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam. Approximately 20 boats and more than 15 water pumps, over 180 lifejackets and over 50 wading suits have been made available by the Dutch water authorities and the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM). Reddingsbrigade Nederland will provide an additional 22 rescue boats. 

Together with a large group of other member states of the Council of Europe, the Netherlands has made the decision to establish a register of damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The register will be housed in The Hague. This register is an important step towards holding Russia accountable and ensuring that it pays reparations for war damage inflicted on civilians, companies and government institutions in Ukraine.

The government presents the first support package of 2023 for Ukraine, part of the €2.5 billion pledged for this year. The money is intended for matters such as repair work, non-lethal support to the Ukrainian armed forces via NATO, humanitarian aid, combating impunity, demining activities, and food security. The package amounts to a total of €274 million.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) launches a mission of experts to investigate the deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia. The Netherlands, Germany and others have actively supported the establishment of this mission of experts to obtain new independent data that will shed more light on the child abductions. The team of independent experts will travel to Ukraine to gather data and take statements from victims and witnesses. The Netherlands is part of the working group for the mission and is contributing financially.

The Netherlands gives an additional € 1 million to the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of war crimes.

The Netherlands, Ukraine, the European Union, Eurojust and the International Criminal Court launch an international network: the Dialogue Group on Accountability for Ukraine. The network provides countries, international organisations and other parties with a platform to discuss and coordinate initiatives to combat impunity. A key principle of the Dialogue Group is that Ukraine will be closely involved and remain in control of international efforts to ensure accountability.

This network is an outcome of the Ukraine Accountability Conference, held in The Hague in July 2022.
 

An international investigation centre will be established in The Hague in order to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine, and with the ultimate goal of prosecuting those responsible for the invasion. The International Criminal Court is currently also investigating war crimes committed in Ukraine, though it does not have jurisdiction over the crime of aggression committed in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte announces a Dutch contribution of EUR 4 million to the Grain from Ukraine initiative.

The government contributes EUR 25 million to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This contribution will enable the EBRD to continue investing in the Ukrainian agricultural sector despite the high risk associated with such investments. In this way the Netherlands is helping, via the EBRD, to keep the Ukrainian food sector afloat and maintain global food security.

The government reserves an additional € 110 million (in Dutch only) to help Ukraine through the winter. This contribution is intended for shelter, the restoration of water pipes and houses, and the purchase of gas, food and electricity. Previously, an amount of € 70 million was announced for this purpose. These funds, which total EUR 180 million, are being donated through the World Bank (€ 90 million) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (€ 72 million). The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is also providing € 18 million worth of parts for the Ukrainian electricity network.

For the second time, the Netherlands is sending a forensic team to Ukraine (in Dutch only) to investigate war crimes.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosts a conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine in The Hague.

At the Foreign Affairs Council, the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs decide to provide further support to Ukraine in the form of an EU training mission and by setting aside an additional € 500 million from the European Peace Facility (EPF).

In the next two years the Netherlands will support the Cultural Emergency Fund with an additional € 1 million, for projects dedicated to protecting Ukrainian cultural heritage.

The Netherlands announces that it will be contributing € 70 million to help Ukraine through the winter.

The Netherlands contributes approximately € 2 million to the Istanbul coordination mechanism for the grain deal, via the organisations that will help implement the deal: UNCTAD and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.

The government informs the House of Representatives about its intention to provide a € 200 million loan to Ukraine via the administered account of the IMF (in Dutch only).

The Netherlands reserves the following amounts for extra support for Ukraine:

• € 65 million for Dutch and Ukrainian companies. This money will be used, for example, to help fund the work of Dutch companies to repair infrastructure, such as bridges, dikes and hospitals, in affected areas.
• € 10 million for projects to clear mines and other explosive remnants of war.
• € 2.5 million for technical assistance to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support the implementation of projects in Ukraine.
• € 2 million for the UN Population Fund for psychosocial support to victims of sexual and gender-related violence.
• € 1 million for supporting the initial design plans for rebuilding three municipalities: Kherson, Odesa and Mykolaiv, via the Association of Dutch Municipalities.

The Netherlands donates an additional € 1 million to support the work of the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). This will allow OHCHR to do more to defend human rights in Ukraine, including documenting and reporting human rights violations.

Together with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the European Commission, the Dutch government hosts the Ukraine Accountability Conference at the World Forum in The Hague.

The government reserves € 1 million (in Dutch only) to support artists who have had to flee Russian aggression in Ukraine. This will help people from both Ukraine and Russia to practise their cultural and creative professions in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands sends a forensic investigation team to Ukraine. The team will collect evidence which can be used to investigate war crimes and support criminal justice proceedings.

The Netherlands gives an additional € 1 million to the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine.

The Netherlands earmarks € 10 million for aid to Moldova (in Dutch only). As one of Ukraine’s neighbours, Moldova has taken in a large number of refugees.

The Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) of the WHO sets aside USD 10.2 million for the purchase and delivery of essential medical supplies to Ukraine. In 2022 the Netherlands donated nearly USD 1.2 million to this fund, intended for various health and humanitarian crises around the world.

Thanks to a contribution by the Netherlands, the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has been able to allocate an additional USD 40 million for the expansion of humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine. Twenty million dollars had already been reserved at the beginning of the humanitarian crisis. The Netherlands was the second-largest donor to the fund in 2022.

The government allocates an additional € 15 million of emergency aid to victims of the war in Ukraine. This was announced during the national day of action fundraiser for Giro555, a special joint bank account for 11 aid organisations, used for disaster relief.

The Netherlands provides ventilators to Ukraine through the European programme rescEU. The equipment will first be sent to a logistics hub in Poland, and from there it will be sent to Ukraine as quickly as possible. The EU has expressed an intention to set up similar hubs in Romania and Slovakia.

The Netherlands sends medicine and medical relief goods to Ukraine (in Dutch only). This includes protective medical gear, antibiotics and painkillers.

The Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA) is launching a € 2.5-million project with support from the government. Three of the 14 aid agencies that make up the DRA (Dorcas, Cordaid and Save the Children) will provide food, drinking water, emergency shelter, protection and psychosocial care, such as support for people suffering from emotional issues and social problems.

The Netherlands provides € 1 million to OHCHR, enabling the agency to continue its valuable work in Ukraine, including documenting and reporting on human rights violations.

The Netherlands gives a € 100-million guarantee to the World Bank (in Dutch only) so that Ukraine can receive further budget support from this body.

An amount of € 1.5 million is being set aside via the Dutch-funded partnership with the Dutch Red Cross, for humanitarian aid in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries which are taking in refugees. This money will be used to fund aid work by the various Red Cross societies.

The Netherlands earmarks € 20 million for victims of the war in Ukraine. This money will help the UN provide emergency aid to Ukraine and neighbouring countries, for example distributing food and water and providing medical care. The UN is also coordinating international aid efforts.

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) sets aside USD 20 million for humanitarian aid in the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk and other parts of the country. In 2022 the Netherlands contributed € 75 million to CERF, to be flexibly spent on addressing various humanitarian crises around the world.

The Netherlands has pledged an additional € 2 million through the Matra programme. These funds will go to support projects that boost Ukraine’s resilience, combat disinformation and focus on psychosocial support for Ukrainians. The Netherlands has provided support to Ukraine since 1993 via the Matra programme. In 2020 the Netherlands pledged over € 3 million, which was used to expand the capacity of the judicial sector in Ukraine and investigate international crimes in Ukraine.