Russian diplomats ordered out of the Netherlands

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch government says “a number” of Russian diplomats will have to leave the Netherlands. The government accused Moscow of trying to smuggle spies into the country that is home to institutions including the International Criminal Court and the global chemical weapons watchdog. Saturday’s announcement is the latest development in a diplomatic dispute between the two countries that began shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago. Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra alleged that “Russia continues to try to get intelligence officers into the Netherlands under diplomatic cover. The Russian diplomats were given two weeks to leave the country. A Russian trade office in Amsterdam was ordered shut by Tuesday.