The cabinet has gathered to further discuss the Dutch position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte opened the session with a short speech, calling for the condemnation of Putin’s aggression against Ukraine. Rutte further called on collective solidarity for Ukraine on a national and international level.
Overall, there is a general consensus in the cabinet to take further steps towards the support of Ukraine, reports RTL Nieuws.
Outcry over statement by Baudet
However, Thierry Baudet, head of the far-right extremist party Forum voor Democratie (FvD), caused an uproar in his refusal to condemn the Russian invasion: “I don’t understand the place of judgement in international politics.”
In response, GroenLinks party leader Jesse Klaver has demanded that the FvD should be investigated for eventual ties and funding from the Russian government.
In addition, Klaver called to limit the access of the FvD and the Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV) to confidential government documents on the war with Russia.
More money for defence
One of the main points of discussion was to increase funding for military defence. This term, the Dutch government has spent an additional 10 billion euros on defence expanses already.
The consensus is that it is useful to further expand the budget. Sjoerd Sjoerdsma from the party D66 said that there is a definite willingness to do more.
Reduce reliance on Russian gas and oil
Leftist parties have further called to reduce the Netherlands’ reliance on Russian oil and gas. More funding should go to alternatives such as the construction of alternatives such as liquid gas terminals, reports RTL Nieuws.
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