The port of Rotterdam, Netherlands. File photo.
The government of the Netherlands has issued 91 exemptions in the sanctions regime against Russia that it had imposed since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, NLTimes reported. According to the media outlet, the government has not disclosed the names of the companies involved, the value of the transactions exempted, and the business sectors concerned, considering it as “sensitive” information.
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs, Finance, Infrastructure, and Education of the Netherlands can grant exemptions to the sanctions to “allow a degree of flexibility in specific cases.”
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Something similar happened in April, when the European Union had banned Russian-flagged ships from its ports. On that occasion, exemptions were issued for 34 ships to access Dutch ports because they were carrying important cargo like aluminum and food.
This time the Netherlands is applying a pragmatism that goes beyond the decisions of the European Union of which it is a member. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted exemption for “transactions which involve Russian banks majority held by the State,” the Dutch media reported. The reason provided by the ministry was “diplomatic relations.”
The Ministry of Finance granted 13 exemptions related to frozen assets or goods that fall under the sanctions regime. The Ministry of Climate and Energy, which falls under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, issued 25 waivers for Dutch organizations to still obtain energy from former Gazprom companies. At least 150 Dutch companies and entities, including municipalities, schools, and water boards, depend on Russian gas.
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In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, which falls under Foreign Affairs, issued 18 waivers to 13 organizations on “humanitarian grounds” for cooperation between the EU and Russia on “purely civilian matters.”
The Netherlands is one of the largest economies in Europe by nominal and per capita GDP. The fact that it has issued waivers to the unilateral sanctions imposed on Russia is indicative of how even the most economically powerful cannot survive following the warmongering logic of the United States and NATO.
(Misión Verdad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/AF
Misión Verdad
Misión Verdad is a Venezuelan investigative journalism website with a socialist perspective in defense of the Bolivarian Revolution
