Dutch authorities accuses Moscow of making an attempt to ship spies to the Netherlands, says ‘a quantity’ of diplomats to be expelled.

The Dutch authorities has stated that “a quantity” of Russian diplomats should go away the Netherlands, accusing Moscow of making an attempt to smuggle spies into the nation that’s house to establishments together with the Worldwide Legal Court docket and the worldwide chemical weapons watchdog.

The announcement on Saturday is the newest twist in a diplomatic dispute between the 2 nations that started shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost a 12 months in the past sparked a warfare on Europe’s japanese flank.

“Regardless of quite a few makes an attempt by the Netherlands to discover a answer, Russia continues to attempt to get intelligence officers into the Netherlands underneath diplomatic cowl,” Minister of Overseas Affairs Wopke Hoekstra stated in an announcement.

“We can’t and won’t permit that.”

He added that it stays “essential to maintain the embassies open as a communication channel, even now that relations with Russia are tougher than ever”.

The Russian diplomats got two weeks to depart the nation. A Russian commerce workplace in Amsterdam was ordered to close by Tuesday.

The federal government stated it had determined to restrict the variety of diplomats on the Russian embassy in The Hague to match the variety of these on the Dutch embassy in Moscow.

In addition to accusing Russia of making an attempt to put up spies within the Netherlands, the federal government stated Moscow was refusing to grant visas to Dutch diplomats to employees the Netherlands’s consulate in St Petersburg and embassy within the Russian capital.

The Dutch authorities stated it will shut its consulate in St Petersburg.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Dutch authorities expelled 17 Russian intelligence officers. Russia responded by kicking out 15 Dutch diplomats.

There was no fast remark from Moscow.