Embassy in Netherlands Embassy ● Roster captured

Insight News reported on February 19th that “the Netherlands decided to reduce the number of diplomats at the Russian embassy because of repeated attempts to employ intelligence officers in the diplomatic mission: “Again and again Russia tries to secretly employ intelligence officers as diplomats in the Netherlands. At the same time, Russia refuses to issue visas to Dutch diplomats to staff the Consulate General in St. Petersburg and the embassy in Moscow. This is unacceptable and has led to an unstable situation” This decision is quite justified if one understands that approximately one-third of the staff of each embassy are members of the security services: the GRU (former Main Intelligence Directorate, now General Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces — military intelligence), the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and the fifth service of the FSB. But ordinary diplomats should also be added to them. The government has therefore decided that the Russian embassy in The Hague cannot have more diplomats than the Dutch embassy in Moscow. “Thus, several Russian diplomats will have to leave the Netherlands. The Dutch Consulate General in St Petersburg will have to close temporarily due to staff shortages. The government has also decided that the Russian trade mission in Amsterdam should be closed,” the statement said. “Despite numerous attempts by the Netherlands to find a solution, Russia continues to try to get intelligence officers in the Netherlands under diplomatic cover. We cannot and will not allow this to happen. At the same time, it is important that embassies remain open as a channel of communication, even now that relations with Russia are more difficult than ever,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra. Russian diplomats who cannot stay must leave the Netherlands within two weeks. The Russian trade mission in Amsterdam is to be closed from 21 February. The Dutch Consulate General in St Petersburg will close on 20 February. This means, among other things, that Dutch citizens and organizations will no longer be assisted from St Petersburg. The Dutch embassy in Moscow will remain open. Negotiations on visas for diplomats have been ongoing for almost a year. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Netherlands expelled 17 Russian spies in March 2022. Russia responded by expelling 15 Dutch diplomats. Since then there have been talks about the deployment of new diplomats from both sides.”

On February 18th Reuters reported that “the Dutch government on Saturday said it would close its consulate in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and that it would limit the number of Russian diplomats allowed at the Russian embassy in The Hague. “Russia keeps trying to secretly get intelligence agents into the Netherlands under cover of diplomacy. We cannot and shall not allow that,” Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a statement. “At the same time Russia refuses to give visas to Dutch diplomats who would work at the consulate in St Petersburg or the embassy in Moscow.” In Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said it would respond to the move, RIA news agency reported. The Dutch government said it had decided to limit the number of diplomats at the Russian embassy in The Hague to match the number of those at the Dutch embassy in Moscow. “A number of diplomats shall therefore have to leave the country within two weeks,” The Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement, without giving a specific number. The Dutch government also ordered the Russian trade office in Amsterdam to close by Tuesday.”

The NL Times reported on October 31st that “Russia has summoned the Dutch ambassador over Russian accusations that the British intelligence service attempted to recruit a Russian diplomatic employee. Since it happened in The Hague, Russia believes the Netherlands was responsible for preventing it, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Dutch ambassador to vigorously protest against the United Kingdom’s recent attempt to recruit the military attaché at the Russian embassy in The Hague, a statement said. Moscow called on the Dutch authorities to prevent “countries which the Netherlands calls its allies” from taking such “unfriendly” actions. The country also alleged that the Netherlands was complicit, and must refrain from such activity. “Not only do the authorities and law enforcement agencies of the Netherlands not stop such illegal actions, but they also participate in them.” During the conversation with the ambassador, it was emphasized that “such provocative actions are unacceptable,” violate international treaties and “impede the normal functioning of Russian foreign missions.” The Russian government alleged such provocations have increased in recent years.”

Following this week’s story #46, on October 14th the NL Times reported that “the other eleven focused on actively gathering intelligence or identifying possible recruits. Two specifically worked on recruiting sources from Dutch intelligence personnel and from foreign services active in the Netherlands, like the CIA. They also watched the Russian embassy personnel for signs of them defecting to the Dutch intelligence services. At least two others were military technology experts, according to NOS. The broadcaster’s sources assume they were gathering information about microchips for the Russian army. Two years ago, the Netherlands deported another Russian too actively involved in this pursuit. Ben de Jong, an expert in Russian intelligence services and affiliated with Leiden University, told NOS that the Russians weren’t necessarily looking for Dutch information. “If a Russian service succeeds here in recruiting someone from Foreign Affairs or Defense, then there’s a good chance they will also discover secrets shared with the Netherlands by other countries or organizations. In this way, the Netherlands acts as a back door.”.”

Following last week’s series of expulsions of Russian intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover in various Embassies and Consulates, this week it was announced that the Netherlands expelled 17 Russian diplomats stating that “the current attitude of Russia in a broader sense makes the presence of these intelligence officers undesirable. The deportation is a measure taken in the context of national security.” Belgium followed along by expelling 21 Russian intelligence officers under diplomatic cover. Czech Republic expelled 1, Ireland expelled 4, and North Macedonia expelled 5. Later Ireland’s Garda stated that the 4 expelled diplomats were covert GRU intelligence officers.