Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa #Ollongren has reassured Kyiv that the 24 F-16 fighter jets that the #Netherlands intends to donate to #Ukraine may be used to strike targets inside #Russia.
In an interview with POLITICO at the Shangri-La Dialogue in #Singapore, Ollongren said the Netherlands would not impose a limitation as was the case with #Belgium, where Prime Minister Alexander De #Croo has warned #Kyiv not to fly the F-16s it gets from his country in Russian airspace.
#Netherlands MEP Marcel de Graaff office was just searched by police in relation to links of one of his employees with #Russia disinformation campaigns. Shortly after de Graaff posted a statement on Twitter claiming the following:
By the way, I have no involvement whatsoever in any so-called Russian disinformation operation. I have my own political beliefs and I proclaim them. That is my job as a MEP.
To which Bellingcat’s Elliot Higgins promptly recalled how in April 2022 de Graaff publicly laughed off their investigation into #Bucha massacres.
So, the #Netherlands now has selected a prime minister for its new fashy govt. The new PM is not part of any party, and headed up the intelligence agency and the anti-terrorist agency. That doesn't sound foreboding at all...
@Raffo NL is pretty efficient, but let's just say trying to get citizenship there is going to get a lot less fun there soon, especially if you aren't white.
A snippet from yesterday’s final ride in The Netherlands before heading east – cycling in the golden hour near sunset often brings beautiful views across the expansive landscape 🌞🙂
Thankful that this afternoon’s storm was short & sharp, leaving a crisp clear evening for this evening’s final 37km ride ⛈️🌞👍
Thankful also to the good people of The Netherlands, their fantastic cycling infrastructure, & the often beautiful landscape it crosses 🥰
I’ve ridden >97,000km here in the past 12 years, >3,500 hours in the saddle, & it has been vital to my physical & mental health – dank jullie wel 💪🧠🙇♂️
@derickr My pleasure, Derek. Traversing this landscape has become a hugely significant part of who I am now & I’m so grateful for everyone making cycling so important & pleasant here. I’ll be back, I’m absolutely certain.
Made a last pre-move visit to #ESTEC today, in part to hand back a laptop charger that I’d forgotten about 🤷♂️💻
Was kindly greeted at reception by the highest representative of the establishment, Micky the Space Cat, who has been at the place even longer than my 15 years 😽🤷♂️
Saw a few of my science colleagues too & said farewell for now … but I know we’ll be in touch & that I’ll be back soon enough ✊
@Lizette603_23 Heidelberg – a land of narrow valleys & hills, very lovely for many reasons, but not an ideal cycling landscape. And nowhere has cycling infrastructure like The Netherlands – it’s utterly astonishing by comparison to anywhere else & yet totally quotidian & unremarkable when you’re actually here. Sure, it’s flat, but that’s a tiny part of the equation …
The lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has announced that he is seeking arrest warrants for Benjamin #Netanyahu and Yahya #Sinwar, along with senior figures of their respective regimes, for the commission of #WarCrimes and #CrimesAgainstHumanity.
Amidst the predictable performative outrage from the US political elite, one fact is barely reported upon: the US is amongst a handful of nations that does not recognise the #ICC, and has on its books a 2002 law (colloquially dubbed 'the Hague Invasion Act') threatening war upon the #Netherlands (!) should any US citizen (or the citizen of any US ally) be brought for trial before the ICC.
Given the fact that the #US routinely fails to follow its own laws, let alone #InternationalLaw, when it comes to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the chances of an actual US invasion of the European lowlands is scant. Nonetheless, the rogue nature of #USexceptionalism is the always the elephant in the room when it comes to all discussions of accountability for the most egregious crimes of #geopolitics.
Of course, it is worth noting that the so-called Hague Invasion Act is itself a crime under international law, as are all the current US and Israeli threats being made against the ICC.
@ai6yr This is actually no surprise, it was already apparent three weeks ago. The decisive factor is probably South Africa's urgent application and the hearing last Thursday and Friday before the ICC.
(hardly any journals, newspapers reported on it)
Another lovely May evening ride, albeit with a brisk northerly wind 💨
Inland to Vogelenzang, including part of the Leidsevaart with its daisies, then back along the coast & past the beaches, then to Noordwijk & its new Ferris wheel, before the riding home through dunes to Wassenaar in the dusk 🎡
Enormous hugs 🤗 and strength 💪 to those of you in the #Netherlands dealing with this enclave of actual nazis and their alleged conservative/centrist collaborators. Who have revealed themselves also as nazis.
This unthinkable group of filth will not dim your own ideals or resistance.
I'm honestly still in shock from just how horrible the new coalition in the #Netherlands is. I mean, I knew it was going to happen for over a decade, but now that it actually happened... fuck.
I don't follow news from my home country #netherlands much, but I just saw that the coalition is going as fashy as possible. With the liberals (note for Americans, liberalism is not left wing in most of the world) being the most left wing party in the coalition.
According to my information 4 out of 5 student encampments are allowed to stay the night! 🎉 Only Amsterdam was evicted, more about that later. Preview: outside agitators, not Antifa, escalated things. Probably same folks as earlier (nazi hooligans). 💤
Up at 04:30 this morning to take my wife to the station & thence the airport for an early flight to Edinburgh, to help our daughter again in her post broken kneecap surgery recovery 🤕🩼
If you know me & my night owl habits, you’ll know how much fun that was 😬✌️
So have some pre-dawn clouds: I’m going back to bed 🤷♂️
