Il ministro degli esteri olandese Halbe Zijlstra, una delle maggiori personalità del Governo del premier Mark Rutte, si è dimesso martedì dal suo incarico, dopo aver ammesso di aver mentito su un incontro, mai avvenuto, con il presidente russo Vladimir Putin.
"L'Olanda merita un ministro che sia al di sopra di ogni dubbio", ha dichiarato Zijlstra oggi in Parlamento all'Aja, ufficializzando con voce emozionata le proprie dimissioni.
Il 49enne aveva affermato di aver preso parte nel 2006 ad un incontro nel quale il capo del Cremlino avrebbe detto di considerare Bielorussia, Ucraina e il Baltico come parte di una "Grande Russia". Ieri però Zijlstra aveva ammesso di non essere stato presente e di aver sentito queste dichiarazioni da altre persone che avevano partecipato all'incontro.
In una nota piccata, l'ambasciata russa nei Paesi Bassi ha denunciato una divulgazione in Olanda di "notizie false", con l'obiettivo di suffragare l'idea che Mosca abbia ambizioni espansionistiche.
Red.MM/ARi
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