Middle East
As violence between the United States and Iran flares up again, the Dutch government is increasingly concerned about the deteriorating situation. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen says the crisis is worsening and warns that the consequences could be felt far beyond the region. What could it mean for energy prices,
Middle East
From 22 September 2026, goods originating from Israeli settlements in territories occupied by Israel will no longer be allowed onto the Dutch market. The ban reaches far beyond imports alone and could have consequences for Dutch companies operating elsewhere in Europe. But what exactly will the new Dutch sanctions prohibit?
Middle East
More than eleven years after the Dutch airstrike on an ISIS car-bomb factory in the Iraqi city of Hawija, the Dutch government has definitively ruled out individual financial compensation for victims. Despite a motion adopted by parliament and submitted by PRO MP Kati Piri (formerly GroenLinks-PvdA), Defence Minister
Ukraine
Twelve years after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, the Netherlands is still pursuing justice on multiple legal fronts. International courts have increasingly concluded that Russia bears responsibility for the disaster, yet compensation, full accountability and any form of admission
United States & Canada
As political pressure on the International Criminal Court intensifies from multiple directions, the Dutch government has now taken a clear position in one of the most consequential crises in the Court's history. Ahead of a decisive vote by the ICC's member states on 24 July, The
Caribbean & Latin America
Was a Curaçao-flagged vessel really involved in a US military operation near the Strait of Hormuz? Authorities in Willemstad are pushing back against reports linking the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the incident, saying the ship in question was not lawfully registered under the Curaçao
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
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,
Middle East
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
Dutch politics
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
NATO & Defense
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: