The Dutch government has announced that its embassy in the Ukrainian city of Lvov has begun providing its services with a limited staff.
“By returning to Lviv in western Ukraine for the first time with a small staff, the embassy will get a good idea of the security situation there,” the Dutch foreign ministry said in this regard, according to Reuters.
If the situation is deemed safe, the embassy will also offer its services in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.”
On February 22, two days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Dutch embassy in Kyiv was moved to Lvov. The employees then moved to Poland on 26 February.
In addition to the Netherlands, France, as well as other European countries, have begun to reopen their visa centers located in Ukraine.
The French Embassy in Kyiv has opened its doors to Ukrainian citizens after a temporary closure.
Despite the fact that the French Embassy in Kyiv resumed its work on April 15, it continues to urge French citizens not to travel to Ukraine. Before offering its services in the capital of Ukraine, the French embassy was transferred to Lvov, where it worked from February 28th.
According to French Ambassador Etienne de Ponsin, “this return is due to the fact that the city is no longer in direct danger of encirclement, and Russian troops have crossed the border in a different direction.” The French ambassador’s comments came during an interview with France Info.
Belgian authorities also announced they would reopen their embassy in Kyiv after it was temporarily closed for security reasons in March. This decision was confirmed by Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes.
In early March, the Belgian authorities announced that the embassy in the Ukrainian capital would be closed and its staff evacuated “due to a change in the security situation.”
Recently, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio announced that the Italian embassy would resume its work after being transferred to Lviv due to the Russian invasion.
The Italian Foreign Minister stressed that the translation is intended to show the need to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
The Slovenian authorities also announced the reopening of their embassy in Kyiv, urging the countries of the European Union to follow suit.