King Willem-Alexander speaks with Dutch and local staff of Dutch mission in Ukraine

On Thursday 17 March, His Majesty the King spoke to the entire staff of the Dutch embassy in Ukraine, via video link. 

In this conversation, which was led by Ambassador Jennes de Mol, the King talked with the embassy team about issues like personal safety and the well-being of staff and their families. 

Due to the war it is currently not possible to work from Kyiv. Many Dutch staff members and their families had to leave the country in February and return to the Netherlands. For their part, Ukrainian staff have had to find a safe place to stay, with the embassy’s help where necessary. Some are now living with relatives; others have relocated to the west of the country or have gone abroad. A number of them chose to remain in Kyiv for personal reasons. In the conversation with the King the embassy team talked about what the past few weeks have been like for them and what the impact has been on them and their families.

Ambassador Jennes de Mol stays in touch with the team on a daily basis.