Netherlands puts itself in Russia’s crosshairs with plans for Ukraine Tribunal

After leading the charge in the MH17 scandal, the Netherlands now risks even greater retaliation by hosting a tribunal targeting Russia.

The Netherlands already are near the top of Russia’s target list thanks to their leading role in the MH17 scandal (cover-up). Now, the Dutch government wants to take things even further by organizing a tribunal in their country to punish alleged Russian crimes and aggression against Ukraine.

Another risky move by Dutch leaders

There seems to be no end to the blunders committed by their leaders. They have now come up with the disastrous idea of hosting a tribunal that would prosecute Russia for “all the crimes” it is said to have committed against Ukraine. This was revealed in a letter from outgoing Foreign Minister Veldkamp to the House of Representatives.

The Netherlands has long been a driving force behind the establishment of such a tribunal and had already signaled its willingness to host it. But there are conditions: other countries must pay their share, and sufficient capacity must exist to carry out such a colossal task.

Security risks comparable to a major summit

Government sources are warning that the security risks are on par with those of a major international summit. That means preparing for potential large-scale Russian cyberattacks, among other threats.

The desire to establish a special tribunal to punish Russian aggression in Ukraine is not new. Since the International Criminal Court (ICC) lacks jurisdiction over Russian aggression, the decision was made to set up a temporary tribunal that could.

This tribunal was formally established on June 25, following more than two years of negotiations among 36 countries. The big question remains: will Russia pay any attention to a tribunal it never recognized in the first place?

A tribunal without real power

So, the ICC has no jurisdiction over Russian actions — but a self-appointed group of 36 countries does?

In reality, Russia will almost certainly ignore the tribunal altogether. What it will do, however, is put the Netherlands even more prominently on its list of potential targets should things escalate. And escalate they will.

You don’t build a new multibillion-dollar industry and conduct years of fear-driven media campaigns without the ultimate goal being war.

Fear propaganda and a paralyzed public

The real motives behind the planned war are very different from what most people believe.

Thanks to relentless fear propaganda, the public is effectively paralyzed — unable to evaluate facts rationally and willing to accept any absurd measure as long as it is framed as a matter of safety.

Even the minister behind this plan, from a party that will soon disappear from the political scene, seems uneasy. As the NSC minister noted:

“Risks also involve security. This means that hosting this tribunal will demand substantially more from the Netherlands than the other international courts and tribunals already based here.”

If a tribunal, then the right one

If the Netherlands really needs to host a tribunal, let it be a Vaccine Damage Tribunal. Those crimes are clear, and the suspects could easily be arrested right there at home.

By pursuing a tribunal against Russia, the Netherlands may be trading safety for symbolism — with potentially devastating consequences.