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| Dutch FM resigns after admitting lie about meeting Putin | Dutch FM resigns after admitting lie about meeting Putin |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra has resigned, a day after he admitted lying about overhearing Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. In 2016 Zijlstra alleged Putin had in 2006 expressed ambitions to create a “Greater Russia.” | Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra has resigned, a day after he admitted lying about overhearing Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. In 2016 Zijlstra alleged Putin had in 2006 expressed ambitions to create a “Greater Russia.” |
| The official admitted that his credibility had been damaged by the ongoing scandal to such an extent that his position had become untenable. | The official admitted that his credibility had been damaged by the ongoing scandal to such an extent that his position had become untenable. |
| Halbe Zijlstra announced his resignation in an emotional speech to the House of Representatives. Zijlstra described the “Greater Russia” affair as the “biggest mistake” in his political career, adding that the country deserves a Foreign Minister who is beyond reproach. | |
| READ MORE: Dutch FM admits lying about Putin describing land-grab ambitions in 2006 | READ MORE: Dutch FM admits lying about Putin describing land-grab ambitions in 2006 |
| Zijlstra’s resignation comes the day before the official’s scheduled visit to Russia, where he was expected to meet his counterpart Sergey Lavrov. It was to be the Dutch official’s very first visit to Russia. | |
| The “Greater Russia” scandal has prematurely finished Zijlstra’s term as the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, as he assumed the post only back in October 2017. | |
| The scandal has its roots in 2016, when Zijlstra claimed at a party conference that he had overheard the Russian leader Vladimir Putin talking about his plans to create a “Greater Russia” at a gathering of businessmen in 2006, at which time Zijlstra was working for the Shell oil company. The official claimed that he heard Putin talk about a “Great Russia” which included “Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states,” while “Kazakhstan was nice to have” as well. | |
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