Dutch politicians gather to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Politicians in the Netherlands will meet with each other and with allies on Thursday to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started in the early morning hours.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the most-involved Ministers will meet in the morning for emergency consultations on this newly started war. Rutte strongly condemned the attack, and Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren called it "an illegal act of aggression with serious consequences."

Later in the day, Rutte will travel to Brussels for a previously scheduled EU summit on the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Earlier this week, the EU announced an initial package of sanctions against Russia after the country recognized the renegade Ukrainian regions Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. And the Netherlands already pledged support for Ukraine in the form of military material and cybersecurity.

On Thursday afternoon, the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, will debate the situation in Russia. All four coalition parties already called for quick and harsh sanctions against Russia. Left-wing PvdA also called for a "harsh response" against Russia. On the far-right, PVV leader Geert Wilders said the West "has made a huge mistake by not excluding Ukraine's NATO membership."