This is an archive article published on April 27, 2022
India and the Netherlands are on the same page on invasion of Ukraine: Dutch minister
In an interaction, Hoekstra said, “I have always learned that the situation countries are in and the room that the countries have are also determined by where they are on the globe, who their partners are, and what historic ties they have or might not have.”
Hoekstra said: “Russia doesn’t pay any respect to international law; to sovereignty and territorial independence of another country…absolutely brutal attacks on cities, soldiers, but also on innocent civilians.”
Amid India’s position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India and the Netherlands are on the “same page” and the situation the countries are in is determined by “who their partners are and what historic ties they have, or might not have”, visiting Dutch Foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra said on Tuesday.
In an interaction, Hoekstra said, “I have always learned that the situation countries are in and the room that the countries have are also determined by where they are on the globe, who their partners are, and what historic ties they have or might not have.”
“I think it is not up to me to judge from my corner in the world what India should do or should not do,” he said. “I cherish the friendship, I cherish the very clear messaging of (External Affair) Minister (S) Jaishankar.”
Story continues below this ad
“Also, on the issues that I mentioned, I think he and I are on the same page. On Ukraine, when we are talking about rule of law, when we are talking about the atrocities, when we are talking about extreme importance that the international community should attach to territorial integrity, you have other countries. And I cherish this partnership and this friendship.”
Hoekstra said: “Russia doesn’t pay any respect to international law; to sovereignty and territorial independence of another country…absolutely brutal attacks on cities, soldiers, but also on innocent civilians.”
He said: “We have seen the most horrific images of women being raped, children being murdered… what we tried to do with our friends in the European Union, NATO is that, first individual countries tried to seek to support Ukraine with weapons as a European Union. We also will make sure that very tough sanction packages are being applied.”
On China, he said: “We clearly see increased Chinese assertiveness in a number of places in the world. Not in the least in the Indo-Pacific. And I think it is there is a clear imperative for the world to make sure that each and every country subscribe to rule of law, territorial integrity of others, respect geopolitical situation.”
Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More