Netherlands allocates EUR 9M for Ukraine's judicial system

The Netherlands has allocated EUR 9 million for capacity building for the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office and the country's judicial system.

Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot said this at a joint briefing with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on Tuesday, December 5, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

Slot said that support for Ukraine's capabilities to investigate and prosecute international crimes was extremely necessary. That is why the Netherlands offered capacity building and training to the prosecutor general and the judicial system of Ukraine, she said. For this, the Dutch government has allocated EUR 9 million in 2024, she added.

Slot noted that she had additionally pledged EUR 8 million for the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine aimed at building capacities in the liberated territories of Ukraine. According to her, this assistance will strengthen police units and restore the rule of law in these regions.

She stressed the need to support Ukraine in the long term, no matter what it costs and how much it takes, because Ukraine is fighting not just for its existence, but also for the future of Europe.

Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin also held a meeting with the Dutch foreign minister.

He thanked the Netherlands for its comprehensive support, which is of crucial importance to Ukraine's struggle for justice.

Kostin also welcomed the establishment of the Secretariat of the Dialogue Group led by the International Development Law Organization (IDLO).

"We highly appreciate the leadership of the Netherlands in the creation of the Dialogue Group, which unites 45 countries around initiatives in the area of accountability," he said.

Kostin said that this cooperation was already bearing results in four directions: coordination and synergy of assistance provided to Ukraine to ensure accountability at the national and international levels; work of regional and international institutions; national investigations in Ukraine and other countries; civil society efforts to document war crimes and support victims.

"Overcoming impunity for Russia's crimes is our common goal. The position of the Netherlands in support of initiatives in the field of international justice, including the placement in The Hague of the International Center for Prosecution of Aggression Crimes [against Ukraine] and the Register of Damage, is convincing evidence of this," Kostin said.

Earlier reports said that the Netherlands would provide Ukraine with an additional aid package worth EUR 2.5 billion in 2024.