Commission to be set up in The Hague to compensate Ukraine for damage caused by Russia's war
David van Wiel (Photo: EPA/SEM VAN DER WAL)

The Netherlands will host an international commission that will consider claims for compensation for damage caused by Russia's war against Ukraine. This was announced by Foreign Minister David van Wael, transmits NRC.

The Commission will be based in The Hague. In Ukraine, individuals, organizations and state institutions can apply for compensation. The Commission will determine the amount of compensation to be paid from a specially created fund. Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset said that 86,000 applications have already been submitted.

The Dutch Foreign Minister said that he expects Russia to pay the claims if clear agreements on this issue are reached during the peace talks. But he emphasized that there are no guarantees in this regard.

Van Weel also did not rule out that Russia might be dissatisfied with the creation of this commission. Therefore, he called this decision one that poses a "limited security threat."

Ukrainians will be able to report damages to the claims register already established in The Hague starting in 2023. It will be transformed into a Claims Commission. Van Weel believes that the existence of a claims register in The Hague makes it a "logical step" to create a new committee.

  • In October, the European Parliament supported providing Ukraine with a "reparations loan" of up to €140 billion.
  • on December 12, Slovak Prime Minister Fico promised block the reparation loan for Ukraine and again spoke of a "policy of peace".