The Netherlands and Ukraine were some of the more than 30 countries to formally sign up on Tuesday to a claims commission to assess Ukrainian requests for compensation for damage done by Russia during the full-scale invasion.
The Council of Europe-backed International Claims Commission will evaluate war-related damage and determine compensation, to be paid from a dedicated fund.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told leaders at the meeting in The Hague he hoped to “receive strong and sufficient international support so that people can truly feel that any kind of damage caused by the war can be compensated.”
The Hague is the latest stop on a tour of European capitals for Zelensky that has included London, Rome, Vatican City and Berlin. In Berlin, on Monday, he met with US leaders as part of peace talks.
As yet, the claims commission does not have a funding source and the operational budget will be supplied by the members. The European Union has already announced it will contribute €1 million.
Before the signing, MPs and senators gave Zelensky a standing ovation after he addressed both houses of parliament. During the speech, he called on the Netherlands to continue providing “the same strong political support” to Ukraine as it has done since the beginning of the war.
He also thanked the Netherlands for its political, financial and military support to date. He said he was honoured to address parliament at “such a meaningful moment, in the middle of the most intense peace talks since the beginning of the war”.
Together with partners, we are working not only to stop the bloodshed, but to change the situation along Russia’s borders – so that there is no opportunity to start another war. It is also about making Russia finally learn to live by the rule of law. And it will only work if… pic.twitter.com/3Bm7dntDYt
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 16, 2025
All parties apart from the far-right Forum voor Democratie were present in parliament for the speech, but Marjolein Faber, an MP for the far-right PVV, remained in her seat and did not applaud after Zelensky had finished speaking.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, the Netherlands has provided €13.5bn in military support to Ukraine and around €3.5bn in other forms of aid. Last week, the caretaker cabinet announced a further €700m in support for next year.
The visit comes amid uncertainty over continued US support for the war effort. An EU summit later this week will discuss whether the bloc can provide Ukraine with a large loan using frozen Russian central bank assets.
Caretaker prime minister Dick Schoof later told a press conference with Zelensky that he would “do all he could” to ensure that frozen Russian assets are converted into military equipment, despite the reluctance in some EU quarters.
D66 leader Rob Jetten, who is set to be the next prime minister when a new government is formed, said the continued support of the Netherlands and Europe for Ukraine is crucial. “Peace can only exist when an agreement does justice to the Ukrainians themselves,” he said on social media. “Their struggle for freedom is ours as well.”
