Africa
The death toll is rising at an alarming pace, the World Health Organization fears thousands of infections may still be undetected, and international funding remains under pressure. As the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa escalates, the Dutch government is stepping up its contribution — but health officials warn the crisis could
Africa
It remains uncertain whether the Dutch embassy in Juba, South Sudan, will stay open. The prospect of closure has raised concerns in the Dutch House of Representatives and among humanitarian organizations due to the deteriorating situation in South Sudan. New parliamentary answers reveal that the government is, for now, sticking
United States & Canada
A new offensive from Washington against the International Criminal Court is triggering growing alarm in both The Hague and Brussels. As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accuses the ICC and its supporters of waging a “war” against America, Dutch and European officials are responding with increasingly sharp language of
United States & Canada
The Dutch government’s unprecedented decision to block the sale of IT services provider Solvinity by the US technology company Kyndryl has cleared its first major legal hurdle. A Rotterdam court has refused to suspend the takeover ban while the case is under review, offering an early indication of how
Dutch politics
What happens if Washington goes beyond symbolic measures and launches a full-scale campaign against the International Criminal Court in The Hague? That question is increasingly dominating conversations behind closed doors in The Hague, according to diplomatic and legal insiders, after the Trump administration signalled it is prepared to use
Europe & EU
The European Union moved one step closer to debating restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements on Monday — but not closer to agreement. Despite growing pressure from countries including the Netherlands and Spain, EU foreign ministers remain deeply divided over whether any measures should be taken, how far they should go,
Ukraine
As Russia intensifies its ballistic missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, Kyiv and nine European allies have agreed to take a major new step in defence cooperation: jointly developing a future missile shield capable of countering some of Moscow's fastest and most difficult-to-intercept weapons. The decision, announced
Russia
The Netherlands has summoned the Russian ambassador following what Dutch authorities describe as a series of cyberattacks linked to Russia, including the hacking of private surveillance cameras positioned along routes used for the transportation of military goods.
Caribbean & Latin America
A last-minute Dutch intervention forced Venezuela’s most prominent opposition figure to turn back mid-flight. New revelations from Washington suggest the episode was triggered by confusion inside the Trump administration, exposing an extraordinary diplomatic miscommunication involving The Hague, the United States and the future of Venezuela’s political
The latest on foreign policy, defence and politics from The Hague.
Washington raised concerns. Beijing remains a crucial market. And at the centre of it all stands ASML. How does The Hague assess ASML's compliance with export controls after concerns previously raised by American officials? And what does this reveal about the Netherlands' increasingly delicate position between the
Should Bonaire, Aruba and the other Caribbean parts of the Kingdom move closer to the European Union – or instead preserve their autonomy? A major new study now before the Dutch House of Representatives makes one thing clear: the answer is far less straightforward than The Hague had hoped.
Could Monday's gathering of more than 30 Ukraine-supporting countries mark the next step? Will allied nations move beyond political declarations and begin preparing joint military exercises? And what does this mean for Ukraine as hopes for a ceasefire remain distant? Those are some of the questions hanging
Dutch intelligence services have now revealed that Russian state-backed hackers managed to compromise a number of internet-connected cameras in the Netherlands, including devices positioned along military logistics routes used to transport equipment and weapons. The answers offer a rare glimpse into a covert surveillance campaign stretching across NATO
How far is the Netherlands prepared to go against vessels suspected of helping Moscow evade sanctions? What specific powers will Dutch authorities gain? Which ministries will be responsible for enforcement? Subscribers can read the full political and security implications here.
How far is The Hague willing to go behind the scenes for Omar Elshal, a Dutch ASML employee who has been held in an Egyptian prison for months? The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is saying little publicly, but it has confirmed that Cairo has been formally urged to ensure
How dependent is the Netherlands on the raw materials needed to build warships, drones and batteries? And what happens if those supplies suddenly disappear — because of Chinese export controls or the closure of the Strait of Hormuz? The Dutch government is sounding the alarm over growing geopolitical pressures on critical
When the Dutch government launched a €50 million fund for scientists working under pressure, ministers insisted it was not aimed at any one country. But the first results tell a different story. Some are arriving from institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale and Columbia. How did the Netherlands become one
Before NATO leaders gathered behind closed doors in Ankara, the mood among diplomats was tense. Donald Trump had publicly attacked allies, questioned the Alliance's value, criticised Spain, and once again stirred controversy with remarks about Greenland. Senior officials privately admitted the summit would largely be about one thing:
For most ministers attending the NATO Summit in Ankara, the visit is a matter of diplomacy and defence policy. For Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz, it is also deeply personal. Born in Ankara and fled Turkey as a child because of her family's political background, Yeşilgöz has returned
One year after NATO allies agreed to dramatically increase defence spending, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten believes Europe and Canada now have a strong message for Washington: they are stepping up. But will it be enough to convince US President Donald Trump, who continues to question the value of the
A Dutch minister who was once sanctioned by China and barred from entering the country has now emerged from a three-day visit to Beijing describing it as the warmest reception he has received since joining the government. Behind the diplomatic smiles, however, lie difficult questions about trade imbalances, semiconductor
