Dutch foreign minister avoids calling Russia an ‘enemy’ a day after using the term

Dutch foreign minister Tom Berendsen avoided calling Russia an “enemy” when questioned on Friday morning, instead repeatedly describing it as “our greatest security threat”, according to Dutch news agency ANP. Journalists pressed him on the word “enemy”, which he had used the day before. [1]

On Thursday, defence minister Dilan Yeşilgöz called Russia an enemy during a debate in the Dutch parliament, and Berendsen used the same description, ANP reported. Yeşilgöz said she no longer wanted to use what she called the “euphemism” of describing Russia as the aggressor in the war with Ukraine.

Berendsen said there was no difference between what he and Yeşilgöz meant. “Everyone chooses their own words,” he said, in translation. Both ministers said their remarks would have no consequences for policy. ANP reported that the Russian embassy in the Netherlands had sought clarification about the “enemy” label. Berendsen had not contacted the embassy and said he did not want to adopt its framing of the remarks as an escalation. [1]