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The Hague Insider
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The latest on foreign policy, defence and politics from The Hague.

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The Hague expects US sanctions against ICC soon, while Dutch King and Nobel Prize offer symbolic support

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The Hague expects US sanctions against ICC soon, while Dutch King and Nobel Prize offer symbolic support
The International Criminal Court received two highly visible signs of support on Friday, just as The Hague braces for what could become the most serious American assault on the court in its history. W...
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October 9, 2026 at 2:10 PM
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Russia demands extradition of ICC officials from Netherlands, The Hague says no

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Russia demands extradition of ICC officials from Netherlands, The Hague says no
The Dutch government has flatly rejected a Russian request to extradite nine officials from the International Criminal Court (ICC), underscoring The Hague's determination to shield the court from grow...
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October 9, 2026 at 12:21 PM
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Dutch cabinet backs Amnesty report on Iran atrocities, explores accountability for regime officials

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Dutch cabinet backs Amnesty report on Iran atrocities, explores accountability for regime officials
The Dutch government has publicly endorsed the core conclusions of a major Amnesty International investigation into Iran's crackdown on the Women, Life, Freedom protests, while quietly examining what ...
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October 9, 2026 at 7:44 AM
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Russia is our enemy, says Dutch Defence Minister Yesilgöz, prompting Moscow backlash

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Russia is our enemy, says Dutch Defence Minister Yesilgöz, prompting Moscow backlash
The Dutch cabinet has long described Russia as the aggressor in its war against Ukraine. But Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz chose a markedly different label in parliament on Thursday, triggering an a...
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October 8, 2026 at 6:10 PM
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EU and China unlikely to reach major trade deal, Dutch minister Sjoerdsma warns

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EU and China unlikely to reach major trade deal, Dutch minister Sjoerdsma warns
The European Union is unlikely to emerge from its current trade talks with China with a sweeping breakthrough, according to Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma. Instead, Brussels may have to...
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October 8, 2026 at 3:47 PM
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Dutch cabinet embraces more pragmatic foreign policy towards Global South

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Dutch cabinet embraces more pragmatic foreign policy towards Global South
As Europe grapples with a world increasingly shaped by geopolitical rivalry, economic fragmentation and the rise of new powers, the Dutch cabinet is making a strategic bet: the Netherlands must forge ...
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October 8, 2026 at 9:16 AM
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Dutch intelligence services AIVD and MIVD warn of growing Chinese cyberattacks targeting critical network devices

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Dutch intelligence services AIVD and MIVD warn of growing Chinese cyberattacks targeting critical network devices
Chinese hackers are gaining an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the devices that sit at the gateways of Western networks, and Dutch intelligence services now warn that this trend could tran...
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October 7, 2026 at 3:47 PM
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Ukraine, Montenegro, Albania and Serbia: where The Hague stands on EU enlargement

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Ukraine, Montenegro, Albania and Serbia: where The Hague stands on EU enlargement
While Prime Minister Rob Jetten's cabinet supports bringing Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans closer to the EU, it is simultaneously pushing back against fast-track accession, opposing plans to...
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October 7, 2026 at 3:19 PM
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Dutch Caribbean not ready for major disaster, this is The Hague's answer

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Dutch Caribbean not ready for major disaster, this is The Hague's answer
The next major hurricane, cyberattack or maritime disaster may not wait for reinforcements from Europe. A new government-commissioned assessment paints a sobering picture of how vulnerable the six Dut...
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October 7, 2026 at 11:54 AM
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Dutch cabinet marks 7 October with different messages: Prime Minister Jetten remembers Israelis and Palestinians, while ministers Berendsen and Yeşilgöz focus on Israel

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Dutch cabinet marks 7 October with different messages: Prime Minister Jetten remembers Israelis and Palestinians, while ministers Berendsen and Yeşilgöz focus on Israel
Three years after the Hamas attacks of 7 October, members of the Dutch cabinet are commemorating the day in notably different ways. While Prime Minister Rob Jetten explicitly referred to both Israeli ...
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October 7, 2026 at 11:47 AM
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NATO flags major gaps in Dutch military readiness and ammunition stocks

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NATO flags major gaps in Dutch military readiness and ammunition stocks
The Netherlands has spent billions on defence, expanded its F-35 fleet and increased military recruitment. Yet NATO's latest assessment delivers a sobering verdict: the Dutch armed forces are still no...
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October 6, 2026 at 5:40 PM
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Dutch cabinet backs EU-Indonesia trade deal as Europe seeks critical minerals and new allies

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Dutch cabinet backs EU-Indonesia trade deal as Europe seeks critical minerals and new allies
The Netherlands is preparing to back one of the European Union’s most significant trade agreements in the Indo-Pacific in years. But the deal is about more than lower tariffs and new export opportunit...
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October 6, 2026 at 7:56 AM
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Fraud uncovered in Dutch-funded Uganda project as €330,000 goes missing

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Fraud uncovered in Dutch-funded Uganda project as €330,000 goes missing
A Dutch-funded development programme in Uganda has been rocked by a proven fraud case involving almost €330,000, raising fresh questions about oversight of taxpayer-funded aid projects abroad. But the...
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October 5, 2026 at 3:50 PM
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Dutch climate strategy for COP31: The Hague pushes to keep 1.5°C goal alive amid global resistance

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Dutch climate strategy for COP31: The Hague pushes to keep 1.5°C goal alive amid global resistance
As governments prepare for this year’s UN climate summit in Turkey, the Dutch cabinet is making a clear bet: keep international climate ambition moving forward, even as geopolitical tensions, shrinkin...
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October 5, 2026 at 6:55 AM
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Dutch supermarket Spar is still active in Russia despite EU sanctions, Dutch cabinet responds

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Dutch supermarket Spar is still active in Russia despite EU sanctions, Dutch cabinet responds
Despite more than four years of war in Ukraine and a long series of EU sanctions packages against Russia, Dutch supermarket brand Spar continues to expand through licensed stores in the country. Why i...
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October 4, 2026 at 6:15 AM
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Dutch strategy for World Bank Annual Meetings: more private investment, billions for Ukraine and a new Syria reconstruction fund

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Dutch strategy for World Bank Annual Meetings: more private investment, billions for Ukraine and a new Syria reconstruction fund
Can private investors help close the enormous financing gap facing developing countries? And how far is the Dutch government willing to go in using the World Bank as a vehicle for reconstruction in co...
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October 3, 2026 at 8:21 AM
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Israel orders eight Dutch diplomats in Ramallah to hand over diplomatic papers after Dutch settlement goods ban

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Israel orders eight Dutch diplomats in Ramallah to hand over diplomatic papers after Dutch settlement goods ban
Eight Dutch embassy employees based in Ramallah on the occupied West Bank have been ordered by Israel to hand in their diplomatic papers, a move that could severely hamper their ability to work and tr...
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October 2, 2026 at 9:08 PM
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Final verdict: Dutch state has no duty to bring 42 Afghan embassy guards to the Netherlands

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Final verdict: Dutch state has no duty to bring 42 Afghan embassy guards to the Netherlands
The Dutch state has won the final legal battle over the fate of 42 Afghan men who guarded the Netherlands' embassy in Kabul before the Taliban takeover. After years of litigation, the Supreme Court ha...
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October 2, 2026 at 1:15 PM
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How the Dutch navy is building a new shield against drone warfare

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How the Dutch navy is building a new shield against drone warfare
As drones reshape battlefields from the Black Sea to the Red Sea, the Dutch military is betting that traditional naval air defence is no longer enough. The Netherlands is now moving to equip its warsh...
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October 2, 2026 at 10:57 AM
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Was Sierra Leone’s EU funding suspended over 'Bolle Jos'? Brussels and The Hague offer different answers

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Was Sierra Leone’s EU funding suspended over 'Bolle Jos'? Brussels and The Hague offer different answers
The European Union has suspended €18 million in budget support to Sierra Leone, a decision that Dutch ministers are openly presenting as a warning to a government accused of sheltering one of the Neth...
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October 2, 2026 at 7:01 AM
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Dutch minister Sjoerdsma: no Gaza children to the Netherlands for treatment despite pressure from left-wing opposition

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Dutch minister Sjoerdsma: no Gaza children to the Netherlands for treatment despite pressure from left-wing opposition
Development Cooperation Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma has rejected calls to bring sick and wounded children from Gaza to the Netherlands for medical treatment, despite growing pressure from PRO, SP, Volt,...
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October 1, 2026 at 8:17 PM
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Dutch Asylum Minister Van den Brink hails EU approval for migrant return hubs abroad: "Historic day"

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Dutch Asylum Minister Van den Brink hails EU approval for migrant return hubs abroad: "Historic day"
The European Union has formally approved new return rules for rejected asylum seekers, a decision that Dutch Migration Minister Bart van den Brink called a “historic day”. The agreement provides the l...
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October 1, 2026 at 5:02 PM
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Russia's sabotage campaign must be met with more support for Ukraine, Dutch PM Jetten says

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Russia's sabotage campaign must be met with more support for Ukraine, Dutch PM Jetten says
Russia is stepping up sabotage, cyberattacks and intimidation against Europe. But according to Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, the answer is not caution or restraint. Instead, NATO allies should do e...
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October 1, 2026 at 4:46 PM
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Dutch parliament united on protecting ICC against US sanctions, but divided over immediate use of EU blocking statute

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Dutch parliament united on protecting ICC against US sanctions, but divided over immediate use of EU blocking statute
Could the European Union soon deploy one of its most powerful legal tools to shield the International Criminal Court in The Hague from Washington? The Dutch parliament is showing unity in defence of t...
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October 1, 2026 at 7:11 AM
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MIVD warns: Russia could be ready for conflict with NATO within a year after Ukraine war

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MIVD warns: Russia could be ready for conflict with NATO within a year after Ukraine war
Russia currently shows no intention of attacking NATO immediately after the war in Ukraine ends. But according to the Dutch military intelligence service MIVD, Moscow could be ready for a limited conf...
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September 30, 2026 at 7:51 PM