Former minister of foregin affairs urges government to prepare Ukraine evacuation

The Netherlands should advise against traveling to the whole of Ukraine and prepare for rapid evacuation of, among others, embassy personnel from the country, former foreign minister and former NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in the television program Buitenhof.

The United States and Germany have already started preparations to move people to safety quickly should tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalate into armed conflict.

Russia has assembled a significant force on the border with Ukraine. De Hoop Scheffer considers the chance "very small" that the conflict will be resolved through diplomatic channels, based on his personal experience with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his in NATO.

"We are constantly monitoring developments and are always weighing what steps we should take," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday. "Of course, we will also consider whether there is a reason to let embassy employees leave. At the moment, there is are no grounds to do so."