Wopke Hoekstra The Dutch foreign minister expressed satisfaction that European Union member states agreed to an anti-Russia sanctions package in Paris on Tuesday because Moscow recognized the independence of Russia’s friendly separatist territories in southeastern Ukraine, the NLTimes news portal reported on Wednesday.
The Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed his pleasure at the high degree of unity among the member states. To the press question that Russian President Vladimir Putin Hoekstra replied: Why isn’t the Russian president among the sanctioned Russian figures?
For now, it is the current package of sanctions that we have been able to identify with sufficient speed and unity.
According to Hoekstra, the new sanctions will not affect the Netherlands. On the other hand, the Dutch daily De Telegraaf wrote that The restrictive measures affect about 1,000 Dutch entrepreneurswho work regularly in Russia. There are about 400 Dutch companies with branches or offices there.
Moscow is likely to reduce punitive measures that could harm the Dutch economy
– The newspaper wrote, adding that Russia is better prepared economically for sanctions than the European Union.
NLTimes writes that too The Foreign Ministry has called on Dutch residents not to travel to Ukraine and anyone already there should leave the country as soon as possible.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the security situation in Ukraine is unstable, it can deteriorate very quickly, and the number of flights from the European Union to the country may soon decrease. Dutch airline KLM suspended flights to Ukraine on February 12. The Dutch Foreign Ministry also issued a code red alert on entering Russian territory located 20 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Agence France-Presse reported that The Hague asked the Russian ambassador on Tuesday. This fact was also confirmed by a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Netherlands made it clear to the ambassador that Russia’s latest moves would have unacceptable consequences.
said the speaker.
Mark Rutte The Dutch prime minister will attend a seminar on NATO’s future strategic concept in The Hague on Wednesday, which will be attended by the Secretary-General of the Brussels-based organization. Jens Stoltenberg Connects online.
(MTI)