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The Netherlands has expelled about ten Russian diplomats from the country. Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs announced this to the NOS television station in The Hague on Saturday evening. He justified this by saying that Russia was secretly trying to station employees of espionage services in the Netherlands. The Russian trade office in Amsterdam must also close. The Netherlands would also close its consulate general in Saint Petersburg.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands had decided that there should be a numerical balance of diplomats. This means that as many Russian diplomats may enter the country as there are Dutch diplomats in Russia. Hoekstra could not say exactly how many Russians are being expelled. He said about ten.

Last March, the Netherlands had already expelled 17 Russian diplomats on suspicion of espionage. As a result, Russia expelled Dutch diplomats from the country. According to the minister, both countries had agreed to allow each other new diplomats. But Russia refuses to issue visas. The Consulate General had to close due to a lack of staff.

Relations between the two countries are tense after the downing of passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014. At that time, the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile, killing 298 people, most of them Dutch. goods. The Russian attack on Ukraine about a year ago further strained relations. (sda/dpa)