Africa
The Netherlands and four other European countries are moving ahead with plans for a return hub in Rwanda for rejected asylum seekers, taking a controversial European migration policy closer to reality. But the coalition parties of the Dutch minority coalition itself remains divided over whether Rwanda is the right place
Ukraine
The Hague is committing €1.2 billion in non-military support to Ukraine over the next three years, with energy security and reconstruction at the heart of the package. But the plans announced by Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma in Kyiv also reveal a second Dutch priority:
Dutch politics
The Dutch government wants the Netherlands to remain a global quantum frontrunner, but the new national strategy makes clear that The Hague is no longer looking at quantum technology primarily through the lens of innovation and economic growth. Faced with rising geopolitical competition, cyber threats and concerns over strategic dependencies,
Middle East
The Dutch government is stepping up its humanitarian contribution as severe funding shortages force the UN’s World Food Programme to scale back food assistance in Gaza. The additional money comes alongside unusually blunt criticism from The Hague of the obstacles facing aid organisations, with the government acknowledging that its
NATO & Defence
The Netherlands is buying a new package of armoured vehicles to strengthen its land forces, including additional CV90 infantry fighting vehicles and new tracked support and heavy recovery vehicles. The plans also show how The Hague increasingly combines European procurement with a role for Dutch industry. Exclusive reporting and analysis
Asia & Australia
After more than a decade without a Dutch foreign ministerial visit to Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Berendsen has travelled to both Baku and Yerevan, combining a push to strengthen bilateral ties with renewed Dutch support for the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. The trip comes as the Netherlands and Azerbaijan prepare to
Caribbean & Latin America
The Dutch government is preparing one of its largest international climate-finance commitments in years, with plans to invest up to $500 million over the next decade in a new global fund designed to reward countries for preserving tropical forests. The move places The Hague among a growing coalition of
Dutch politics
The Netherlands risks losing credibility and influence in a rapidly changing world unless it fundamentally rethinks the way it approaches international development cooperation, according to a new government advisory report. The advice, to be presented to Foreign Trade and Development Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, argues that traditional aid relationships are no
Middle East
More than 230 former Dutch ministers, ambassadors, diplomats and senior civil servants have urged the government to take stronger action against Israel. Now, the Dutch cabinet has responded, signalling that it shares many of their concerns and highlighting a series of measures already taken, while avoiding any commitment to adopt
United States & Canada
After more than two years of negotiations, the Dutch government has quietly acknowledged that it failed to persuade Meta to address privacy concerns linked to official government Facebook pages. The talks collapsed without agreement, leaving The Hague facing a difficult choice: continue using a platform deemed problematic by privacy experts
Dutch politics
The International Criminal Court has received yet another powerful display of international support. After a Nobel Peace Prize linked to former ICC judge Navi Pillay and a symbolic reception by King Willem-Alexander, the Hague-based court has now been awarded the European Parliament's 2026 Sakharov Prize for
Asia & Australia
The Dutch government has decided to extend its military contribution to the United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea until the end of 2028, underlining a growing Dutch security interest in the Indo-Pacific at a time of rising tensions in East Asia and deepening cooperation between Russia and North