Caribbean & Latin America
Prime Minister Jetten visits the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 8 to 14 May 2026. It will be the first time Jetten visits the islands as prime minister. What is Jetten going to do? And what is Jetten's Caribbean policy? “The visit is taking
Africa
Governing party D66 is seeking clarification from the cabinet over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian, economic and security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
NATO & Defence
The Dutch government wants its armed forces to be visibly more deployable by 2026, for national and allied tasks. In the Defence Policy Letter 2026, the focus shifts from rebuilding capacity to immediate military readiness, a response to what the ministry describes as a sustained decline in Europe’s security
NATO & Defence
The Netherlands is extending its military training support for Ukraine until the end of 2028 and will shift a large part of that effort from the United Kingdom to Germany. Defence Minister Yeşilgöz announced this in a letter to parliament ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) meeting on
Middle East
The Dutch government condemns calls by Israeli ministers to annex Lebanese territory and describes statements about a possible occupation of southern Lebanon as “deeply concerning”. This was written by Foreign Affairs Minister Berendsen in answers to parliamentary questions. According to the cabinet, the annexation of Lebanese territory would be in
United States & Canada
Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen still considers the United States an ally, but acknowledges that the country has become “less predictable.” In an interview with Algemeen Dagblad, Berendsen says the Netherlands remains dependent on the US for its security, while at times disagreeing with the actions of the
Middle East
The Dutch cabinet says it currently has no legal or practical means to regulate or ban the export of dogs to Israel, writes the cabinet in a letter to the House of Representatives addressing the implementation of a parliamentary resolution. Dogs exported from the Netherlands could be used in Israel
Europe & EU
The Dutch cabinet wants to become more “strategically European”, even to the point of considering European nuclear weapons in cooperation with France. Russia is seen as the main threat. The Netherlands aims to maintain good relations with the US, while also becoming less dependent on its long‑standing and trusted
Russia
The Dutch cabinet says it cannot determine whether Dutch weapons have ended up in the hands of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a far‑right militia that is part of Ukraine’s International Legion. This was written by Minister for Foreign Trade Sjoerdsma, also on behalf of the ministers of Foreign
NATO & Defence
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has voiced his support for Spain amid a dispute over NATO’s direction and the role of critical allies. According to Jetten, it is “absolutely clear” to all EU leaders that Spain will remain a full member of the military alliance. “And it will remain
Caribbean & Latin America
The Dutch cabinet believes that relations between the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten can be improved through the creation of a new Kingdom Conference. Improving governance on the islands, tackling poverty and strengthening local economies are presented as key policy priorities. This emerges from the Policy Letter on Kingdom
Russia
The Dutch cabinet has approved the appointment of eleven new Dutch ambassadors. The proposal was submitted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Berendsen. The appointments are still subject to the consent of the receiving countries and are expected to take effect this summer. Among the appointments are six (geo)politically sensitive