Dutch general receives Ukrainian medal in The Hague
General Onno Eichelsheim, Chief of Defense Staff of the Netherlands Armed Forces, was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Merit, 3rd Class. The award was presented to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to the Netherlands. Military officials emphasized that this is recognition of all the work done by the Dutch military in support of Ukraine. The general spoke about this in a comment to Ukrinform.
General Onno Aijhelsheim, Chief of the Defense Staff of the Netherlands Armed Forces, was honored with a Ukrainian state award—the Order of Merit, Third Class—which was presented to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his official visit to the Netherlands.
In his comments to Ukrinform, the general himself emphasized that he views this award as a sign of gratitude not only to him personally, but also to all military personnel and employees of the Dutch defense system who have been supporting Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale war. “Receiving the Order of Merit for Ukraine, Third Class, from President Zelenskyy is a great honor. At the same time, I view this first and foremost as recognition of the merits of all the men and women of the Dutch Armed Forces and the broader defense organization,” he said.
According to Aichelsheim, during meetings with the President of Ukraine, the parties discussed further strengthening cooperation between the countries, particularly accelerating military aid and developing the defense industry. Special attention was paid to technological areas that are critical on the battlefield today. “We discussed how to accelerate support for Ukraine, especially in those areas that are critical on the battlefield today, including the development of unmanned technologies and cooperation in the defense industry. There is a clear shared understanding that speed is of the essence,” the general emphasized.
Thus, the award became not only a symbolic gesture but also a confirmation of the close defense cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands, which continues to strengthen against the backdrop of the war.
The Netherlands has signed a partnership agreement with Ukraine and is investing 248 million euros in the joint production of drones.
