The Dutch government has announced the closure of its consulate in St. Petersburg. At the same time, the Netherlands will limit the number of Russian diplomats working at the Russian Embassy in The Hague. The Russian trade representation in Amsterdam will also be closed. BBC reports.
The Dutch Foreign Minister commented that this is being done because of Russia's constant attempts to introduce spies into the diplomatic environment, "Russia continues to bring secret intelligence agents to the Netherlands under the guise of diplomacy. We cannot and will not allow this," stated Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, adding, "At the same time, Russia refuses to issue visas to Dutch diplomats who will work in the consulate in St. Petersburg or the embassy in Moscow."
