Dutch Government Urged to ‘Reconsider’ Relationships with Kiev
The Dutch Party for Freedom is urging the government to address reports regarding Ukraine's potential involvement in the Nord Stream sabotage. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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Several members of the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) have pressed the Dutch government on whether it plans to “reconsider” its relations with Ukraine if evidence supports its involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline explosion.
On Thursday, three PVV representatives, including their outspoken leader Geert Wilders, submitted a written inquiry to leading officials such as Prime Minister Hendrikus Schoof. They referenced recent reports indicating that Germany had issued its first arrest warrant related to the September 2022 Nord Stream explosion, with a Ukrainian national named ‘Vladimir Z.’ being one of the key suspects.
In this context, the MPs asked the Dutch government if it believed Ukraine was indeed responsible for the attack and whether Dutch intelligence had any information regarding Kiev’s potential involvement.
They also queried if officials “agree that the attack on energy infrastructure that is also relevant to us is a very serious crime.”
“Do you agree that if Ukraine were indeed behind this attack, this could not remain without consequences for the relationship between the Netherlands and Ukraine? Are you prepared to reconsider that relationship?” they further inquired.
In a separate correspondence, they requested a response to a Wall Street Journal report that claimed President Vladimir Zelensky gave the initial order to bomb the vital pipeline that connected Russia and Germany—a pipeline that, before the Ukraine conflict, supplied a significant portion of EU gas imports. Ukraine has denied any involvement.
“If it is true that President Zelensky knew in advance about the attack, can you indicate what the consequences are? If not, why not?” the letter questioned.
There has been increased scrutiny over the legitimacy of the Ukrainian leader since his presidential term officially ended in May.
While Dutch government officials have yet to issue a response, Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp previously stated that despite the WSJ report, “we stand firmly behind Ukraine and support the country in the fight against Russia,” emphasizing that “the entire cabinet is behind this.” He also declined to speculate on the potential perpetrators of the attack until the investigation concludes.
The PVV, which holds 37 of the 150 seats in the lower house of the Dutch parliament, has expressed skepticism about providing assistance to Ukraine, with Wilders advocating for a focus on the Netherlands' own defense.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that US intelligence services may have orchestrated the sabotage, suggesting that “not everyone” has the technological capabilities to execute such an attack.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News