Utopia Talk - Politics - Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra

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Utopia Talk / Politics / Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra

swordtail
rank Mon Feb 12 18:53:05 2018
Mon Feb 12, 2018 / 11:33 AM EST

Dutch foreign minister admits lying about Putin comments

Bart H. Meijer

(Reuters) - Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra admitted on Monday he had lied about hearing Russian President Vladimir Putin make comments about plans for a "greater Russia", unleashing a storm of criticism.

"I told an untruth, it was unacceptable," he told reporters. Zijlstra, who is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow in two days' time, said he had been "stupid" and regretted his behavior.

While election campaigning two years ago, Zijlstra said that in 2006 he had been at Putin's dacha when he heard the Kremlin leader speak of plans for a "greater Russia" which would include some of Russia's neighbors.

"I was tucked away back in the room, but I could clearly hear Putin's answer to the question about what he considered greater Russia," Zijlstra told a gathering in 2016 of his People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, which heads the new Dutch government.

"He said this included Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states, and, well, Kazakhstan would be 'nice to have'," he said in his speech, which was recorded on video.

But on Monday he acknowledged he had never been at the meeting with Putin and had heard of the comments secondhand.

"I wasn't present at the meeting in President Putin's dacha," the minister said in statement on Monday.

"The discussion did take place and someone who was there told me what President Putin said about greater Russia."

Zijlstra said he was prepared to discuss the matter with parliament, which has the power to dismiss him.

His admission led opposition parties to demand his resignation, but the governing parties stood by him.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Zijlstra had a made a "big mistake", but remained a credible member of the government.

In a scathing editorial, the prominent daily business newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad called on the minister to step down.

"Staying on would undermine the credibility of the Cabinet. Not only in criticizing Russia, but also in the campaign against fake news," it wrote.

Zijlstra is to meet Russian minister Lavrov on Wednesday. Relations between the two countries have been poor since the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew. The airliner had been flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, and 196 of the victims were Dutch.

Dutch authorities say it was brought down by a Russian-made Buk missile, fired from territory held by pro-Russia separatists, and hope to identify suspects to be put on trial in the Netherlands.

It is not clear how far Russia will cooperate with a Dutch court. Moscow denies one of its rockets could have been used against the airliner.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Andrew Roche)

http://mob...W19S?__twitter_impression=true

obaminated
rank Mon Feb 12 18:59:09 2018
Putin got to him.

Hot Rod
rank Mon Feb 12 19:12:38 2018

I expect it from the Swedes, but not from the Dutch.

Aeros
rank Mon Feb 12 19:34:30 2018
tbqh, the Swedes take a much harder line to Russia then the Dutch do. FFS, the Russians murdered over 100 dutch citizens and the Netherlands didn't even send a strongly worded letter to Moscow.

Hot Rod
rank Mon Feb 12 19:38:46 2018

I was thinking of paramount at the time.

Paramount
rank Mon Feb 12 20:06:57 2018
?

Pillz
rank Tue Feb 13 00:42:17 2018
Ukraine murdered them, and the Dutch know it.

Aeros
rank Tue Feb 13 01:41:37 2018
Ukrainian rebels using missiles supplied by russia and fired by russian soldiers on vacation if we want to be more specific.

Hot Rod
rank Tue Feb 13 04:20:50 2018

That is the way China did it in Korea.

swordtail
rank Tue Feb 13 19:58:43 2018
Disgraced Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns After Admitting Lying About Putin's "Greater Russia" Comment

http://www...ut-putins-plans-greater-russia

Paramount
rank Tue Feb 13 20:03:00 2018
He could have made a Trump and denied everything. Saying: "I didn't say it", "media is lying", or simply saying what he said was an "alternative fact".

show deleted posts

swordtail rank	Mon Feb 12 18:53:05 2018 Mon Feb 12, 2018 / 11:33 AM EST Dutch foreign minister admits lying about Putin comments Bart H. Meijer (Reuters) - Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra admitted on Monday he had lied about hearing Russian President Vladimir Putin make comments about plans for a "greater Russia", unleashing a storm of criticism. "I told an untruth, it was unacceptable," he told reporters. Zijlstra, who is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow in two days' time, said he had been "stupid" and regretted his behavior. While election campaigning two years ago, Zijlstra said that in 2006 he had been at Putin's dacha when he heard the Kremlin leader speak of plans for a "greater Russia" which would include some of Russia's neighbors. "I was tucked away back in the room, but I could clearly hear Putin's answer to the question about what he considered greater Russia," Zijlstra told a gathering in 2016 of his People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, which heads the new Dutch government. "He said this included Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states, and, well, Kazakhstan would be 'nice to have'," he said in his speech, which was recorded on video. But on Monday he acknowledged he had never been at the meeting with Putin and had heard of the comments secondhand. "I wasn't present at the meeting in President Putin's dacha," the minister said in statement on Monday. "The discussion did take place and someone who was there told me what President Putin said about greater Russia." Zijlstra said he was prepared to discuss the matter with parliament, which has the power to dismiss him. His admission led opposition parties to demand his resignation, but the governing parties stood by him. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Zijlstra had a made a "big mistake", but remained a credible member of the government. In a scathing editorial, the prominent daily business newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad called on the minister to step down. "Staying on would undermine the credibility of the Cabinet. Not only in criticizing Russia, but also in the campaign against fake news," it wrote. Zijlstra is to meet Russian minister Lavrov on Wednesday. Relations between the two countries have been poor since the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew. The airliner had been flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, and 196 of the victims were Dutch. Dutch authorities say it was brought down by a Russian-made Buk missile, fired from territory held by pro-Russia separatists, and hope to identify suspects to be put on trial in the Netherlands. It is not clear how far Russia will cooperate with a Dutch court. Moscow denies one of its rockets could have been used against the airliner. (Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Andrew Roche) http://mob...W19S?__twitter_impression=true
obaminated rank	Mon Feb 12 18:59:09 2018 Putin got to him.
Hot Rod rank	Mon Feb 12 19:12:38 2018 I expect it from the Swedes, but not from the Dutch.
Aeros rank	Mon Feb 12 19:34:30 2018 tbqh, the Swedes take a much harder line to Russia then the Dutch do. FFS, the Russians murdered over 100 dutch citizens and the Netherlands didn't even send a strongly worded letter to Moscow.
Hot Rod rank	Mon Feb 12 19:38:46 2018 I was thinking of paramount at the time.
Paramount rank	Mon Feb 12 20:06:57 2018 ?
Pillz rank	Tue Feb 13 00:42:17 2018 Ukraine murdered them, and the Dutch know it.
Aeros rank	Tue Feb 13 01:41:37 2018 Ukrainian rebels using missiles supplied by russia and fired by russian soldiers on vacation if we want to be more specific.
Hot Rod rank	Tue Feb 13 04:20:50 2018 That is the way China did it in Korea.
swordtail rank	Tue Feb 13 19:58:43 2018 Disgraced Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns After Admitting Lying About Putin's "Greater Russia" Comment http://www...ut-putins-plans-greater-russia
Paramount rank	Tue Feb 13 20:03:00 2018 He could have made a Trump and denied everything. Saying: "I didn't say it", "media is lying", or simply saying what he said was an "alternative fact".
	show deleted posts

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