Ajax’s season reached a new low on Sunday as they lost 6-0 to archrivals Feyenoord. Igor Paixao and Yankuba Minteh each scored a double, with David Hancko and Quinten Timber scoring the other goals.
It was Feyenoord’s biggest win against Ajax and the first time in the Amsterdam club’s history that they didn’t score in two matches against the reigning champions. Ajax started the match with Brian Brobbey on the bench. The striker has recovered from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for three weeks. Feyenoord was boosted by Bart Nieuwkoop passing a late fitness test to start. The tone of the match was clear from the first minute, as the home side dominated. The first chance came when Calvin Stengs laid the ball back to Santiago Gimenez, who tried to shoot at the near post. It was saved by Geronimo Rulli. The next chance came just four minutes later. Yankuba Minteh dribbled past Jorrel Hato before shooting from the byline rather than finding a teammate in the box. His shot was saved by Rulli. Arne Slot’s side kept getting chances. Lutsharel Geertruida and Gimenez squandered big chances before they finally took the lead in the 34th minute. hmetcan Kaplan lost the ball in a dangerous position to Minteh, who then played a perfect pass through to Igor Paixao. The finish was brilliant: a deft chip that went over Rulli and into the net. It was the Brazilian’s third goal against Ajax in his fourth game. The Rotterdam team doubled their lead in the next attack. Nieuwkoop was played in after another error in possession, this time from Hato; the full-back found Minteh in the box. His shot was deflected by Kaplan into the far corner. Despite being the third top scorer in the Eredivisie, Gimenez has not been at the same level he was last season, and it showed once more as he missed another significant chance to score. A free kick was chipped behind the Ajax backline to the Mexican striker, but he volleyed it far over. It was 3-0 before halftime. Gimenez tried to overhead kick the ball toward the goal, but it found Hancko instead, who was on hand to head home from close range. Ajax finished the half with zero shots on goal. Minteh got his second of the game in the 56th minute. The Gambia winger curled the ball into the far corner, and no Ajax defender did their best to stop the shot. Quinten Timber got himself on the scoresheet just after the hour mark. Again, Ajax lost the ball in a dangerous position and was punished for the third time in the match. Substitute Branco van den Boomen was the guilty party this time. Timber won the ball from him before shooting it into the far corner with a peach of a strike. Four minutes later, it was 6-0. Geertruida won a scramble in front of goal before Paixao hit in off the bottom of the crossbar. Feyenoord took off the attackers in the closing stages. They even thought they had scored a seventh, but Alireza Jahanbaksch’s goal was disallowed for offside. It was the first time in Ajax’s history that they lost a match by a six-goal margin. It was an apt ending to a tumultuous week for the Amsterdam club in a turbulent season. General Manager Alex Kroes was suspended on Tuesday for alleged insider trading. Another director, Michael van Praag, is now also accused of not registering his Ajax shares in time
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Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has padded her arrest record at a protest in the Netherlands, reportedly being detained twice by police after she helped block roads near the Dutch parliament.
The incidents occurred on Saturday, when a large crowd of Extinction Rebellion demonstrators tried to block the A12 highway in The Hague. A heavy police presence, including officers on horseback, prevented the activists from tying up the highway, but a small group broke away and sat down on a main road. The 21-year-old Thunberg was among the protesters, and a clip posted on social media shows two police picking her up by the arms and carrying her to a bus filled with other detained people. Reuters reported that Thunberg was held for a short time before being released, and she then was detained again after joining a group blocking a road leading to the railway station. Extinction Rebellion claims to have blocked the A12 highway dozens of times since 2022 in protests against fossil-fuel subsidies. Saturday’s demonstration called for lawmakers to halt subsidies and tax breaks for companies with ties to fossil fuels, such as oil major Shell and airline KLM. “We are here because we’re facing an existential crisis,” Thunberg told Dutch broadcaster RTL Nieuws. “We are in a planetary emergency, and we are not going to stand by and let people lose their lives and livelihood and, of course, become climate refugees when we can do something.” Thunberg was arrested for a public order offense last October, when she was among dozens of protesters who tried to block the entrance to an energy conference in London. She has repeatedly been arrested and fined for disobeying police orders during protests in Sweden, and she was detained last year at a demonstration against a coal mine in Germany. The activist, then a teenager, began attracting media attention in 2018, when she staged weekly protests outside the Swedish parliament to demand stronger government efforts to fight climate change. In the search for unanimity on the appointment of the new NATO chief, the number of supporters for Mark Rutte is now estimated at 28. This should convince four more NATO member states of the candidacy of the current Dutch Prime Minister. There is cautious optimism in government circles about Rutte's chances, although it is emphasized that unanimity is a condition for the appointment. It's not that far yet. For example, there is resistance from Hungary. Romania has put forward its President Klaus Johannis as an opposing candidate. Last month, the American capital Washington announced that President Biden supports Rutte's appointment. Shortly afterwards, expressions of support followed from the United Kingdom and France, among others. At that time, the number of supporters for Rutte was still estimated at 20 out of 31 countries by the website Politico. Sweden is now also a member of NATO and the support of 28 of the 32 member states is assumed. Dutch soldiers Rutte is in Lithuania on Tuesday. He arrived in the morning at the NATO base Rukla, west of the capital Vilnius. Dutch soldiers are also stationed at the camp. Later he meets Lithuanian President Nauseda. The day ends with a European working dinner with several fellow government leaders, at the invitation of European President Charles Michel. The European meeting is the reason for the lightning visit to Lithuania, but above the visit there is of course the fact that Rutte is in the race to become Secretary General of NATO. At the beginning of the day, Lithuania did not yet know whether it considers Rutte to be the right candidate for the post. However, in The Hague it can be heard that things are also 'looking good' with support around the Baltic states, in addition to Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Later on Tuesday, Rutte will hold a joint press conference with his Lithuanian host, President Nauseda. This week, a formal decision on the successor to Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg would be made at a ministerial NATO summit. The American ambassador to the organization had indicated that Washington would like to complete the appointment in the first quarter of this year. That turns out not to have worked; A number of countries in Eastern Europe in particular are not yet outspoken in favor of Rutte's candidacy. People in that region believe that they deserve a stronger say within the alliance, because the secretaries-general are usually supplied from the west of Europe. For example, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said that his country could not vote for Rutte because of his strong position at European level towards Budapest.
New CEO may have Acted with insider InformationThe administrative chaos at Ajax has reached a new low. The supervisory board led by Michael van Praag has suspended Alex Kroes with immediate effect.
The new CEO of Ajax is suspected by the commissioners of having purchased Ajax shares when he already knew that he would become the new general manager. In the press release, Ajax states: “The Supervisory Board learned that Kroes purchased more than 17,000 Ajax shares a week before the publication of his intended appointment on August 2, 2023. The Supervisory Board has obtained external legal advice, which shows that it is very likely that he has committed insider trading. Insider trading is a criminal offence.” In the press release, Ajax states: “The Supervisory Board learned that Kroes purchased more than 17,000 Ajax shares a week before the publication of his intended appointment on August 2, 2023. The Supervisory Board has obtained external legal advice, which shows that it is very likely that he has committed insider trading. Insider trading is a criminal offence.” Supervisory Board chairman Michael van Praag said in a response: “We are very unpleasantly surprised that this is now happening to Ajax, because this is very bad for the club and for everyone who cares about the club. The actions of Alex Kroes are not compatible with what we stand for with Ajax. The moment at which he bought the shares means that he was trading with insider information. A listed company cannot tolerate such a violation of the law, especially if it concerns the CEO. After careful deliberation, the Supervisory Board has come to the conclusion that Alex's position as a board member of Ajax is not tenable. I think it is important to add that the technical policy will continue with the people we have for it and on the path that Ajax has already taken with Alex.” The Netherlands will deploy a Patriot air defence unit to its NATO ally Lithuania as part of a summer joint air defence exercise, the Dutch Défense Ministry announced this week.
The several-week-long drill is essential to strengthening air defences on the eastern flank, the Dutch military claimed in a press release on Thursday. The stated goal is to test the ability of NATO troops to quickly transport and deploy such units to a given area. The decision to position a US-made system near the Russian border “contributes to the readiness of NATO air defence,” Dutch Défense Minister Kajsa Ollongren claimed in the release. Vilnius welcomed the exercise as excellent news, noting the Dutch will be training in the no-notice redeployment of such units alongside the Lithuanian armed forces. The US-led military bloc’s Enhanced Forward Presence forces are “vital for the Baltic states’ security,” Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said on Friday, calling for more deployments and exercises involving NATO aircraft and ground-based air defense systems in her country. It’s unclear what the Dutch deployment of Patriot units in Lithuania will entail. A single battery of the air defence system consists of multiple truck-mounted units, including power, radar, antenna, engagement control and other support vehicles, as well as up to eight launchers with interceptor missiles. The Netherlands has been one of the few countries to supply two of their Patriot launchers to Ukraine, along with the US and Germany, which each sent a full battery. The deployment will follow NATO’ ongoing military exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, one of the biggest in decades, which features some 90,000 troops, more than a thousand combat vehicles, over 50 naval vessels, 80 helicopters, drones and fighter jets from all 32 member states. Russia has stated the US-led military bloc’s increased military spending and increasingly frequent military drills demonstrate its “increasingly aggressive nature.” The drills are practicing a “scenario of armed confrontation with Russia,” increasing tensions and destabilizing the world, Russian Security Council secretary Nikolay Patrushev said in early March. Patrushev described NATO as “an important tool of Washington’s influence on other countries,” which, over the 75 years of its existence as a self-described guarantor of peace and democracy “unleashed more than a hundred wars and military conflicts around the world and is getting ready for more.” Europe will deliver the first batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine within the next several months, with more to come later this year, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren has said.
Denmark will be the first Western country to supply Ukraine with the advanced aircraft, with the Netherlands soon to follow, the defense minister revealed in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, as she wrapped up her visit to Kiev. “I’m very confident that we will start delivering F-16s this summer... Denmark first, and we have a schedule ... so in the second half of the year, the Dutch F-16s will be going this way,” Ollongren said, without providing details on how many jets would be included in the first shipments. She added that it will not be easy for the West to provide Ukraine with all the aid it needs, as the US struggles to approve President Joe Biden’s assistance package earmarking $60 billion for Kiev. Republican lawmakers have opposed the move, demanding that the White House do more to enhance US border security. Ollongren also called for ammunition production in the EU to be ramped up amid Ukraine’s complaints that it suffers from a lack of munitions. “We have to be realistic, and consider the possibility that it might be a lengthy war, and it is better to plan for a long war,” she said. Western countries announced an international coalition to help Ukraine procure US-designed F-16s and train its pilots last year, with plans to provide Kiev with more than 40 aircraft. Denmark has pledged to send Kiev 19 jets of this type. The Netherlands initially promised 18, later increasing the number by six. Media reports indicate that Norway could send Kiev five to ten F-16s, with Belgium pledging to support Ukraine with an undisclosed number. Ukrainian officials, however, have warned that the country could face infrastructure difficulties in maintaining the US-designed jets. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in November that while the F-16s will certainly add to Ukraine’s capabilities, they will not be “a silver bullet” to fundamentally change the battlefield situation. Russia has warned the West that arms shipments to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict without changing the ultimate outcome. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also said that F-16s would be “legitimate targets” for the Russian military, adding that the shipments will only increase the risk of a direct clash between Moscow and NATO. Over a third of Dutch people with East Asia and Southeast Asia roots have experienced discrimination in the past few year. Among Chinese Dutch it's even 52 percent. The reports are based on a study by the University of Amsterdam and the Fontys Hogeschool Tilburg on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs.
It is the first extensive study into discrimination against Dutch people with East- and Southeast Asian roots. The researchers surveyed a representative sample of 2,505 Dutch people of East Asian and Southeast Asian descent and extensively interviewed 36 respondents. They found countless examples of people being verbally abused, disadvantaged, or excluded because of their appearance or surname. Some reported having racial slurs yelled at them on the street or in class. Others reported “jokes” about eating dogs. Many noticed they had less chance of finding a job or a home. The discrimination mainly occurred in public places, education, and at work. When it comes to slurs shouted on the streets, the perpetrators are usually men, and the victims are generally women. Respondents also often noted being called “Chinese” regardless of their actual origin. These types of experiences have significant consequences, the researchers found. All surveyed groups reported psychological complaints, reduced involvement in society, and damaged trust in the authorities. Perceived discrimination also seems to have increased in all groups since the start of the coronavirus crisis, the researchers said. But they added: “It is not clear whether this increase is the result of an increase in actual discrimination, increasing awareness of discrimination, or the rising willingness to name and report it.” In recent years, there have been many studies in the Netherlands into perceived discrimination from minority groups. These studies typically ignored people with roots in East Asia and Southeast Asia. “That may have to do with the fact that they are often seen as a ‘model minority’ who experience few problems and pose few problems,” the researchers note. That can also be considered discrimination. These population groups have experienced discrimination since Chinese sailors started working in the Dutch ports at the start of the last century, especially during the economic crisis in the 1930s, the researchers said. The report cites a quote from an official in 1929. “If people are allowed in, if they are allowed to stay here for decades, it will be very difficult to get rid of them, and a Dutch colony of illegitimate children with Gypsy, Oriental, and Chinese blood will be bred.” The researchers noted that this idea still lingers in Dutch society, pointing to a broadcast of Holland’s Got Talent in which jury member Gordon said to a candidate of Chinese origin: “Which number are you singing? Number 39 with rice?” Minister Karien van Gennip of Social Affairs called the study results “unfortunately, no surprise.” She said: “It is now visible to everyone on what scale this discrimination takes place. It provides recognition, but above all, it gives us a job to do as a society. المتظاهرون المؤيدون لفلسطين يهاجمون الشرطة ويطلقون صيحات الاستهجان على كينغ عند افتتاح متحف المحرقة12/3/2024 استقبل المتظاهرون الملك ويليم ألكسندر بصيحات الاستهجان لدى وصوله لحضور الافتتاح الرسمي لمتحف المحرقة الوطني في أمستردام. كما تعرض الرئيس الإسرائيلي إسحاق هرتسوغ، الذي وصل إلى متحف المحرقة الوطني بعد وقت قصير، لصيحات الاستهجان من قبل المتظاهرين.
كما ردد المتظاهرون شعارات مختلفة مثل "فلسطين حرة" و"إسرائيل إرهابية"، حسبما سمع مراسل الشرطة الوطنية الأفغانية. وتم تعليق لافتاتين كتب عليهما "أوقفوا الإبادة الجماعية" و"لن يحدث ذلك مرة أخرى الآن" على مبنى بجوار المتحف مباشرة. وقبل دخول الملك ويليم ألكسندر المتحف، قام بتسليم مزوزة لحفيدة الناجي من المحرقة رودي كورتيسوس بمناسبة افتتاح المتحف الوطني للمحرقة. المزوزة عبارة عن جعبة تحتوي على جزء من نص التوراة، يتم لصقه على عمود الباب وفقًا للعادات اليهودية بعد التسليم، قام كورتيسوس بربط الميزوزا بإطار باب مدخل المتحف الوطني للهولوكوست. خلال هذا العرض الافتتاحي، هتف المتظاهرون بعدة شعارات، بما في ذلك "فلسطين حرة" في وجه الملك. وبعد الافتتاح بدأ جلالة الملك جولة في المتحف. أثناء افتتاح متحف الهولوكوست في أمستردام، حدثت مواجهة بين وحدة الشرطة المتنقلة (ME) والمتظاهرين عند طوق الشرطة بين واترلوبلين وفيسربلين في أمستردام. وفي وقت سابق، تمركزت الوحدة المتنقلة على الطريق بين الكنيس البرتغالي وواترلوبلين لمنع المتظاهرين من التحرك من واترلوبلين نحو الكنيس. وصعد عدد من المتظاهرين إلى سيارات الشرطة التي أقيمت كحاجز. وقام الجيش الوطني بضربهم هناك بالهراوات، وفقًا لمراسل الشرطة الوطنية الأفغانية. كما بدأ المتظاهرون في إلقاء الألعاب النارية والبيض على الشرطة ومركبات الشرطة. وألصق المتظاهرون منشورات تحمل رأس الرئيس الإسرائيلي إسحق هرتزوغ وعبارة "مطلوب" على هذه المركبات. واحتج المتظاهرون على حضور الرئيس الإسرائيلي إسحاق هرتسوغ حفل افتتاح المتحف الوطني للهولوكوست. علاوة على ذلك، تحدت مجموعات من المتظاهرين بعضهم البعض أمام المتحف الوطني للهولوكوست في أمستردام. ورددت مجموعة من أنصار فلسطين شعارات مثل "عار عليكم" و"فلسطين ستتحرر من النهر إلى البحر" أمام عشرات المتظاهرين المؤيدين لإسرائيل. وقال مراسل الوكالة الوطنية للشرطة إن المتظاهرين بدورهم لوحوا بالأعلام الإسرائيلية بشكل استفزازي.. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will not have Budapest’s backing in his bid to become the next secretary general of NATO, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday.
The Dutch politician is considered the frontrunner for the job. Rutte has the endorsement of several heavyweights in the military alliance, including France, Germany, the UK, and the US. But the Hungarian government opposes the candidacy due to his vocal criticism of their country in the past. ”We certainly can’t support the election of a man to the position of NATO’s secretary general, who previously wanted to force Hungary on its knees,” Szijjarto said. He was referring to remarks made by Rutte in 2021, after Hungary passed a law that prohibited the exposure of LGBT-themed content to minors. The Dutch prime minister had argued that this was incompatible with EU values, saying Hungary had “no business being in the European Union any more.” Brussels’ goal should be “to bring Hungary to its knees on this issue,” he added, speaking ahead of an EU leaders’ summit. While roughly two-thirds of alliance member states support Rutte’s bid, the secretary general has to be appointed by a unanimous vote. Budapest has demonstrated its willingness to leverage its voting rights in NATO by withholding the ratification of Sweden’s bid to join the transatlantic bloc for almost two years. President Tamas Sulyok signed the bill approving the accession on Tuesday. The Dutch prime minister is serving his fourth term. Rutte announced his decision to depart from national politics last July. He currently holds office in a caretaker capacity, as MPs elected in November’s election have struggled to form a new government. Jens Stoltenberg is set to step down as NATO secretary general in October after a decade in the position. His successor is expected to be chosen in July, during a leaders’ summit in Washington. Did you bought an 'environmental diesel' ten years ago, you bought a car that met the wishes of politicians. The powerful car industry had gone along with politics and allowed itself to be gagged by them, so diesels neatly rolled off the production line that emit a maximum of 110 grams of CO2 per kilometer. If they emitted 111 grams, unfortunately, then a completely unsellable model... unless of course the software was tampered with. The latter was an emergency measure by the car industry to avoid being financially lynched by consumers who only wanted additional tax-friendly 'environmental diesels'. These 'environmental diesels' have now largely left the country, after all, a private individual cannot afford diesel because the road tax on these extremely climate-friendly cars is unaffordable. And so they disappeared to the Eastern Europe or Africa, after all, everyone wants an environmental diesel there, right? When hybrid cars were introduced, office clerks flocked to the tax-friendly hybrid. The fact that the much too heavy Mitsubishi Outlander only gurgled away gasoline to propel this colossus did not bother any official at the Tax Authorities
Policy officials in Brussels and at town halls in the Netherlands continue to fantasize about it. Zero-emission cities, for example. Can someone explain to such an uneducated civil servant that it is not zero-emission, such a 100 percent electric car? The citizens do understand it. Or what about a total ban on the sale of combustion engines in 2035? That is complete madness because the electricity grid is already completely overloaded in the Netherlands with 5 percent electric cars. The citizen understands it, but the policy official still does not. They continue to shoot down everything that moves from the town halls.
Those who have now woken up are the car manufacturers themselves and the consumers. Because a car that depreciates 70 to 80 percent in 5 years is also unsellable when new, despite all the tax benefits for the office clerk. And the banks have their fingers fist deep in the leasing companies, who now run the risk. And so major car manufacturers are now turning against politics and giving them a big middle finger, they no longer believe in it. Volkswagen sees the mood, Mercedes now understands it, Ford understands it and Fiat also understands it. When will the (policy) officials understand it? A major police operation is underway in Berlin in the investigation of two suspected RAF terrorists, who have been wanted for decades. Two men have been arrested, but their identities have not been released. 130 police officers were deployed for the action. According to German media, shots were heard, but this has not yet been officially confirmed. Heavily armed police units take part in the operation in the Friedrichshain district. Several properties are being searched. The two wanted men are Ernst-Volker Staub (69) and Burkhard Garweg (55), it is still unclear whether they have also been arrested. The two men are wanted for armed robbery, among other things. They were members of the extreme left-wing terrorist movement Red Army Faction (RAF), which committed attacks and murders in Germany in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. This week, Daniela Klette was also arrested in the German capital. She formed a trio together with Staub and Garweg. In addition to Klette, another person was also arrested on Tuesday, but his identity has not yet been released. Weapons and ammunition were found in the house where Klette was staying, German media report. This includes a Kalashnikov, a machine gun and a rocket launcher. DNA from a total of three RAF members was also found, police said. In addition to robberies, Klette is also suspected of attempted murder. The trio has been on international wanted lists for about thirty years. It was taken into account that the three Germans may have been staying in the Netherlands. Evidence of this was found during the investigation into an armed robbery in 2016 in Northern Germany.
Max Verstappen's dad, Jos, was present in the paddock on what turned out to be a chaotic Thursday for Red Bull. Christian Horner's future remains a topic of hot debate despite being cleared of alleged inappropriate behaviour following a lengthy investigation.
Horner was all smiles at the start of the day as he resumed normal service after a complaint made by a female Red Bull employee was dismissed by the drinks company. The 50-year-old had been carrying out his F1 duties amid a backdrop of uncertainty while an independent barrister brought in by Red Bull compiled their findings. On Thursday afternoon, another bombshell hit the paddock as a Google Drive folder, allegedly containing messages and photos from Horner to an unnamed person, was sent to journalists by an anonymous source. The Red Bull team principal responded by saying: "I won't comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations. "I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way. It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister and it has concluded, dismissing the complaint made." According to The Times, Horner was seen leaving the Red Bull garage after Thursday's Bahrain practice sessions before stopping for a quick word with F1 legend David Coulthard and heading inside. The United States, Britain and other major NATO members have said they would support Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the new leader of the military bloc, as the current secretary general prepares to end his ten-year term.
The White House threw its backing behind Rutte on Thursday, with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby telling reporters that Washington had already conveyed its stance to other member states. ”The United States has made it clear to our allies, our NATO allies, that we believe Mr. Rutte would be an excellent secretary general for NATO,” he said. Berlin has also declared support for Rutte, with the office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz describing the outgoing PM as an “outstanding candidate” to take over from Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. ”Chancellor Scholz supports the nomination of Mark Rutte as the new Secretary General of NATO,” Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, wrote in a social media post. He praised Rutte’s “immense experience, his great security policy expertise and his strong diplomatic skills.” Britain adopted the same position. “The UK does strongly back Dutch PM Mark Rutter to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO secretary general,” a government spokesperson said in a statement to the British media. A senior French official told Reuters that President Emmanuel Macron was an early backer of Rutte, and had discussed the matter with him last year. While unnamed diplomats told Reuters that 16 other NATO states also favoured Rutte for the role, his appointment would require a unanimous vote from the bloc’s 31 members. The Polish Foreign Ministry noted that Warsaw has not yet expressed support for any candidate, while officials in Hungary and Türkiye have not made their positions known. Berlin has also declared support for Rutte, with the office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz describing the outgoing PM as an “outstanding candidate” to take over from Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. ”Chancellor Scholz supports the nomination of Mark Rutte as the new Secretary General of NATO,” Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, wrote in a social media post. He praised Rutte’s “immense experience, his great security policy expertise and his strong diplomatic skills.” Britain adopted the same position. “The UK does strongly back Dutch PM Mark Rutter to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO secretary general,” a government spokesperson said in a statement to the British media. A senior French official told Reuters that President Emmanuel Macron was an early backer of Rutte, and had discussed the matter with him last year. While unnamed diplomats told Reuters that 16 other NATO states also favoured Rutte for the role, his appointment would require a unanimous vote from the bloc’s 31 members. The Polish Foreign Ministry noted that Warsaw has not yet expressed support for any candidate, while officials in Hungary and Türkiye have not made their positions known. The Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, has said that admitting Ukraine to NATO is not feasible while the conflict with Russia is ongoing.
Rutte has been described in the media as a frontrunner to become the next secretary-general of the US-led bloc. The politician made the comments at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday in response to a question about whether EU prime ministers would “personally support” Ukraine’s membership bid at the next NATO summit in Washington in July. “The bad news is – as long as the war is raging, Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO,” Rutte has said. “The good news is that we can learn from the European Union,” he added referring to the EU approach of implementing “intermediate steps” that countries take on “the way to accession” as opposed to NATO’s process that goes “from nothing to full membership.” Rutte admitted that the last time the question of Ukraine’s membership arose, Kiev was left “dissatisfied.” As a result, there is a need to “work carefully” to see “what next step is possible” so as not to “overpromise.” Ukraine applied to integrate with the NATO Membership Action Plan in 2008 and a decade later enshrined in its constitution membership in the US-led bloc as a strategic foreign policy goal. At last year’s NATO summit in Vilnius, the bloc’s leaders said that Ukraine’s “rightful place is in NATO,” but failed to provide clear commitments or describe a timeline. While the question of Ukraine’s membership is likely to be discussed at the next NATO summit in July, some Western politicians have warned against expecting a “big leap forward on that.” Russia views NATO expansion towards its border as a major security threat. President Vladimir Putin has argued that Western powers have used Ukraine to antagonize Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Putin called the West’s approach to Ukraine a colossal political mistake, pointing to NATO’s 2008 promise to accept the country into the bloc, as well as the Western-supported coup in Kiev in 2014. |
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