Netherlands working on plan to prevent Russian sabotage in the North Sea

The outgoing Cabinet is working on a strategy to prevent Russian sabotage in the North Sea. The involved Ministers are speeding up that work at parliamentarians’ request. During a debate in the Tweede Kamer on Thursday, several parties raised their concerns about Russia’s potential to paralyze the Dutch economy and society with sabotage, NOS reports.

A few weeks ago, European intelligence services warned their governments that Russia was planning violent sabotage actions in Europe. Journalists in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland investigated and found indications that Russia was planning to attack Western gas pipelines, electricity, and internet cables on the seabed. Russian ships have been spotted near such Dutch infrastructure in the North Sea.

VVD parliamentarian Silvio Erkens wanted to know how Russian boats are able to “moor in our ports” and “sail laps at their leisure on our vulnerable North Sea and inspect our infrastructure.” D66 parliamentarian Jan Paternotte also wanted an explanation for how Russian ships could get so close to pipes and cables that are essential to the Dutch economy.

Outgoing Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren assured the MPs that the security services were “closely monitoring” the ships. Outgoing Security and Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz added that the security services are “very broadly” mapping out the risks.

The Ministers planned to have their strategy against Russian sabotage on the North Sea ready after the summer, but they have now accelerated the process at the request of MP Erkens and others. The government will share some of the plans publicly, but implementation details will remain confidential for security reasons.

With the upcoming Cabinet change, the new Cabinet, consisting of PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, will be responsible for elaborating the strategy. The PVV has been known for its pro-Russian stances in the past.