Rutte slams Russian mobilisation as a “panic response”

Mark Rutte got involved in the latest round of Russian condemnation yesterday (and there’s been plenty of them!), declaring Putin’s mobilisation a “panic response.”

No stranger to publicly denouncing Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Rutte did not hold back on his opinion of the latest developments, reports NOS.

Cold feet…or not? 🤔

Rutte points out that Western involvement in the Ukrainian war effort has helped to start turning the tide against Russian advancements.

According to him, this may have made Putin mobilise his troops as a kind of “panic response”, in a last-ditch effort against Ukraine.

However, in the same NOS report Rutte did stress that the conflict wasn’t entirely over — much as we’d all hope for the Russian war effort to (finally) go down like the Moskva. 😑

Sadly, we’re not out of the woods yet

Rutte also says that a piece of land roughly the size of Hungary is still in Russia’s possession, and re-emphasises the need to keep supporting Ukraine.

READ MORE | Here’s how you can help Ukraine from the Netherlands [UPDATED]

This sentiment is echoed by Colonel Hans Bouwmeester, an associate professor at De Nederlandse Defensie Academie (the Dutch Defence Academy). In talks with NOS Radio 1 Journaal, he claims that Putin will now attempt to consolidate the areas that he already controls.

Bouwmeester also pointed to Russia’s latest referendums as further worrying developments (as if we needed any more!)

What are the latest referendums?

The law passed in the Duma (Russian parliament) yesterday makes Russia able to formally annex Ukrainian lands in which people speak out in favour of Putin and co.’s occupation. 👀

Bouwmeester stresses the negative impact that these referendums will have on the war effort in Ukraine. It will now be possible for foreigners to serve in the Russian military, aiding Putin in deploying a much larger number of troops.

Hoekstra joins in

Also vocal in his condemnation of Putin’s latest move is Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wopke Hoekstra.

Hoekstra roundedly criticised Putin’s attempt at shifting internationally recognised borders. Branding the referendums “false Kremlin-orchestrated narratives”, he stated that this move would serve as further motivation to stand with Ukraine.

What are your thoughts on Putin’s latest move? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Liana Pereira 🇱🇰
Liana Pereira 🇱🇰
Liana juggles her role as an Editor with wrapping up a degree in cognitive linguistics and assisting with DutchReview's affiliate portfolio. Since arriving in the Netherlands for her studies in 2018, she's thrilled to have the 'write' opportunity to help other internationals feel more at home here — whether that's by penning an article on the best SIMs to buy in NL, the latest banking features, or important things to know about Dutch health insurance.

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