Dutch Minister Calls Russia ‘The Enemy’; Russia Demands Clarification
Dutch Minister of Defence Dilan Yeşilgöz called Russia “the enemy” during a parliamentary budget debate, citing escalating threats across Europe. Russia’s embassy demanded clarification on whether the remark reflected official policy or signaled confrontation, while Yeşilgöz stressed that the Netherlands was not at war.
On October 8, Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz referred to Russia as "the enemy" during a parliamentary debate on the defense budget. This marked a shift in European rhetoric, which has traditionally described Russia as a "threat" or "the aggressor". Yeşilgöz emphasized that Russia is no longer the aggressor and that she would use that term less frequently.
She urged the Netherlands not to be naive and declared that "Russia is our enemy". However, she clarified that this does not imply a state of war, but rather that a carefree peace is still a distant goal. Yeşilgöz highlighted a series of escalating Russian threats, including attacks in Ukraine, drone strikes on ships in the Black Sea, explosive drones near Leipzig airport, an assault on a train near the Polish-Ukrainian border, and flares fired at a Danish helicopter.
In the Netherlands, there have been reports of camera hacking, possibly to map military routes. The Russian embassy responded online, asking the Dutch government to confirm or distance itself from her comments and to clarify whether this constituted an official declaration of direct military confrontation.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
