Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp has criticised Russian president Vladimir Putin for refusing to attend peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, calling it “a slap in the face for the Ukrainians”.
“President Putin is missing in action,” Veldkamp said on Thursday on the fringes of a meeting with fellow Nato foreign ministers in Antalya. “It is clear that the problem lies with Russia, and we must now increase the pressure so that they take this peace initiative seriously.”
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte echoed Veldkamp’s remarks, saying the ball is now “in the Russian court”. According to Rutte, Ukraine has shown it is willing to agree to a 30-day ceasefire and to enter immediate talks — a move backed by the United States.
Veldkamp added that the Netherlands would welcome Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to the Nato summit in The Hague this June, amid reports that Donald Trump, who is expected to attend, may object to Zelensky’s presence.
“As far as we are concerned, the Ukrainian delegation is welcome,” Veldkamp said, though he noted the final decision lies with the Nato secretary general. The full programme for the summit is still being worked out.
Veldkamp did not confirm whether the Netherlands supports a proposed increase in Nato defence spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2032 — a target put forward by Rutte in consultation with Trump. The Netherlands currently only just meets the existing 2% benchmark.
“We had our first political-level discussion about this on Thursday,” Veldkamp said. Higher higher defence spending is essential, he said, both because of the Russian threat and pressure from the United States for Europe to take more responsibility for its own security.
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