Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra at the 2017 EU Eastern Partnership Summit | Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images Dutch foreign minister admits to lying about meeting Vladimir Putin Halbe Zijlstra previously claimed he overheard the Russian president talking about his expansionist ambitions at a gathering in 2006.

Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra has come under fire for lying about attending a meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2006, Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reported Monday.

At a party conference in 2016, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) politician claimed he was present at a 2006 meeting in which the Russian president laid out plans to expand the country's borders and create a "Great Russia" that would include Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic states and possibly Kazakhstan. Zijlstra, an employee of oil company Shell at the time, had traveled to Russia with Jeroen van der Veer, then CEO of the company.

Zijlstra was forced to set the record straight on his attendance at the meeting after his colleagues raised doubts about his account, De Volkskrant reported. The minister admitted he was not in fact in the room, but borrowed the story from a source. Zijlstra claimed he wanted to tell the story because of its "geopolitical importance" and presented it as his own in order to "protect" the source.

His decision was "not a smart move," he admitted. "I should have done this differently."

The disclosure comes at an inconvenient time for Zijlstra, as he heads to Moscow on Tuesday to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The ministers are expected to discuss the downing of MH17, the plane that was shot down while flying over Ukraine in 2014, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Prime Minister Mark Rutte government has previously accused Russia of spreading fake news about the incident.

Geert Wilders' far-right Party for Freedom has called on Zijlstra to take part in a parliamentary debate before he leaves, and joined other opposition parties in questioning his integrity.

Rutte, whom Zijlstra said was informed of the story some weeks ago, defended the foreign minister saying he remains "credible," because the content of the story is "not up for discussion," NOS reported.</s>„Het was dom, onverstandig en het spijt me dat ik het op deze manier heb aangepakt”, aldus Zijlstra. Hij had na onderzoek door de Volkskrant al toegegeven dat hij Poetin in 2006 niet zelf had horen praten over een ’Groot-Rusland’, maar dat hij het alleen van iemand anders had gehoord. In een eerdere verklaring had hij dit al „onverstandig” genoemd.

Hij denkt nog wel geloofwaardig te zijn. „Bij geloofwaardigheid hoort volgens mij ook dat je zo’n domme fout toegeeft.”

Domme keuze

Op de vraag of hij aanblijft, antwoordt hij dat dit aan de Tweede Kamer zal zijn. Het debat over de kwestie is dinsdag. „We zullen moeten kijken hoe het debat gaat. Ik heb destijds een onverstandige, je mag zelfs zeggen domme keuze gemaakt door degene die mij het verhaal vertelde te willen beschermen op een manier door het naar mezelf toe te trekken.” Zijlstra hoopt de Kamer te kunnen uitleggen waarom hij het zo heeft gedaan.

De VVD-minister wil de identiteit van zijn bron naar eigen zeggen nog altijd niet onthullen, vanwege de mogelijke gevolgen voor deze persoon en zijn bedrijf. „Het verhaal klopt, dat heeft die persoon ook bij de Volkskrant bevestigd.” Zijlstra zegt het in december ook al tegen een journalist te hebben gezegd, maar dat er toen niets mee is gedaan.

’Niet aan tafel’

NRC heeft Zijlstra in december nog naar de kwestie gevraagd. Hij wilde volgens de krant maandag toen alleen kwijt dat „hij niet aan tafel” had gezeten, maar wilde niet ingaan op de vraag of hij in het buitenhuis aanwezig was waar het gesprek met Poetin was.

De minister vindt nog steeds dat hij de inhoud van het gesprek met Poetin naar buiten moest brengen. Dit omdat de boodschap volgens hem „geopolitiek” van groot belang is. „De wijze waarop ik dat gedaan heb is gewoon dom.” Zijlstra heeft naar eigen zeggen geen leugens over Rusland verteld. „Ik heb alleen leugens over mezelf verteld.”</s>MOSCOW (AP) - U.S. President Donald Trump offered his condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday for the plane crash outside Moscow that killed 71 people, the Kremlin and White House said.

 

 The White House said Trump assured Putin that the United States is "standing by to assist Russian authorities in their investigation" into why a Russian airliner on a regional flight crashed Sunday, killing everyone on board.

 

 The Kremlin said the two leaders also discussed some aspects of the Mideast peace process in the telephone conversation before Putin's meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow.

 

 The White House said Trump repeated his belief that it is time to work toward a lasting peace agreement. The Palestinians have said they no longer consider the U.S. to be an honest peace broker after Trump announced his intention to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

 

 Trump and Putin last spoke in December, when Putin called Trump to thank him for a CIA tip that was said to have helped thwart bombings in St. Petersburg.

 

 Putin repeatedly has said he hopes Trump can follow through on his campaign promises to improve relations with Russia and thinks pressure from Trump's opponents has gotten in the way.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)</s>THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - In a potentially damaging admission on the eve of his first visit to Russia as a member of the Dutch government, Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra has acknowledged lying about attending a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in 2006.

Zijlstra issued a statement Monday confirming the admission he made to respected Dutch daily De Volkskrant.

Zijlstra has in the past said he was present as an employee of energy giant Shell at Putin's country retreat when the Russian president said he considered Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states as part of a "Greater Russia."

Zijlstra says in his statement that he was not present at the meeting in 2006 but heard the story from somebody who was there. He says he took credit for the comments as a way of protecting his source.</s>In a potentially damaging admission on the eve of his first visit to Russia as a member of the Dutch government, Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra on Monday acknowledged lying about attending a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in 2006.

Zijlstra issued a statement confirming the admission he made in an interview published in Monday’s edition of respected Dutch daily .

“Contrary to his previous claims, he was never present at the meeting with the Russian president,” the centre-left paper wrote.

A member of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberal VVD party – the leading party in the country’s ruling coalition – Zijlstra has in the past said he was present as an employee of energy giant Shell at Putin’s country retreat when the Russian president said he considered Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states as part of a “Greater Russia”. He told members at a VVD congress in May 2016 he was there “in the background as an assistant” during the meeting.

“I clearly heard Vladimir Putin’s answer about what his understanding was of ‘Greater Russia’,” Zijlstra told the audience.

In a written statement, Zijlstra said he was not present at the meeting in 2006 but heard the story from somebody who was there.

He said he considered Putin’s statements so geopolitically important that he spoke about them publicly and took credit for hearing the comments as a way of protecting his source.

“The manner in which I wanted to protect my source and underscore my message about Russia was not sensible, that is crystal clear,” Zijlstra said.

Zijlstra’s appointment in October raised eyebrows in The Netherlands because of his perceived lack of diplomatic credentials.

“His spin doctors” had used the story of the Putin meeting “to ward off criticism about his lack of foreign experience,” said.

Asked on Monday about the issue, Rutte said “the content is true, but he should not have claimed to be somewhere when he was not”. Rutte told reporters he still found his foreign minister to be credible as “the crux of the story is true”.

Zijlstra is due to fly to Moscow on Tuesday for a meeting on Wednesday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. Among other things, Zijlstra is due to discuss with Lavrov the Dutch-led probe into the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014.</s>THE HAGUE, Netherlands — In a potentially damaging admission on the eve of his first visit to Russia as a member of the Dutch government, Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra on Monday acknowledged lying about attending a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in 2006.

Zijlstra issued a statement confirming the admission he made in an interview published in Monday’s edition of respected Dutch daily De Volkskrant.

Zijlstra has in the past said he was present as an employee of energy giant Shell at Putin’s country retreat when the Russian president said he considered Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states as part of a “Greater Russia.”

In a written statement, Zijlstra said that he was not present at the meeting in 2006 but heard the story from somebody who was there. He said he considered Putin’s statements so geopolitically important that he spoke about them publicly and took credit for hearing the comments as a way of protecting his source.

“The manner in which I wanted to protect my source and underscore my message about Russia was not sensible, that is crystal clear,” Zijlstra said.

Zijlstra is due to fly to Moscow Tuesday for a meeting Wednesday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.</s>The Netherlands' foreign minister is facing a tough debate in Parliament following his admission that he lied about attending a meeting hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin at his country retreat more than a decade ago.

Foreign Affairs Minister Halbe Zijlstra is expected to face hostile questions and calls for his resignation from opposition lawmakers at the debate Tuesday.

Zijlstra has in the past said he attended a 2006 meeting when Putin said he considered Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states as part of a "Greater Russia."

On Monday, Zijlstra conceded he wasn't present but heard the story from somebody who was. He said he considered Putin's statements so geopolitically important that he spoke about them publicly and took credit for hearing the comments as a way of protecting his source.</s>AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra admitted on Monday that he lied about hearing Russian President Vladimir Putin make comments about plans for a “greater Russia.”

While election campaigning two years ago, Zijlstra said that in 2006 he had been at Putin’s dacha when he heard the Kremlin leader speak of plans for a “greater Russia” which would include some of Russia’s neighbors.

“I was tucked away back in the room, but I could clearly hear Putin’s answer to the question about what he considered greater Russia,” Zijlstra told a gathering then of his People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, which heads the new Dutch government.

“He said this included Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states, and, well, Kazakhstan would be ‘nice to have’,” he said in his speech which was recorded on video.

But on Monday he acknowledged he had never been at the meeting with Putin and had heard of the comments second hand.

“The discussion did take place and someone who was there told me what President Putin said about greater Russia,” Zijlstra said in a statement after admitting the lie in an interview with the Dutch daily De Volkskrant.

Zijlstra’s admission comes ahead of a scheduled meeting on Wednesday with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov with relations at a poor ebb since the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 in July 2014, with 196 Dutch citizens onboard.

The Dutch have blamed the Russians for the downing of the airplane and are narrowing down their investigation to identify the suspects to be tried in the Netherlands.

Opposition parties called for a debate on Zijlstra’s position. But Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that though Zijlstra had a made a “big mistake” he remained a credible member of the government and did not have to resign.

Rutte, speaking to reporters, said he did not see relations with Russia deteriorating further. “The Russians know the content of the story is true”, he said.</s>THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands’ foreign minister was facing a tough debate in Parliament Tuesday following his admission that he lied about attending a meeting hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin at his country retreat more than a decade ago.

Foreign Affairs Minister Halbe Zijlstra, a member of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s center-right VVD party, was expected to face hostile questions and calls for his resignation from opposition lawmakers.

Zijlstra has in the past said he attended a 2006 meeting when Putin said he considered Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states as part of a “Greater Russia.”

On Monday, Zijlstra conceded he wasn’t present at the meeting but heard the story from somebody who was. He said he considered Putin’s statements so geopolitically important that he spoke about them publicly and took credit for hearing the comments as a way of protecting his source.

The Russian embassy in the Netherlands waded into the debate by issuing a statement accusing some in the Netherlands of distributing “fake news” aimed at discrediting Moscow by suggesting it has expansionist ambitions.

“This can only be heard from those who are interested in presenting Russia as an enemy and who under the pretext of the notorious ‘Russian threat’ keep pushing NATO military infrastructure eastwards, therefore consciously provoking military confrontation,” the Russian statement said.

The spat came a day before Zijlstra was due to meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow.</s>THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Dutch foreign affairs minister resigned Tuesday, a day after admitting that he lied about attending a meeting hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin more than a decade ago.

An emotional Halbe Zijlstra announced his resignation at the start of a debate Tuesday at which he was expected to be grilled by opposition lawmakers about the lie. He called it “by far the biggest mistake I have committed in my entire career.”

“This is about the credibility of the minister of foreign affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,” Zijlstra said. “That credibility must be beyond doubt.”

Zijlstra, a member of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s centre-right VVD party, is the first minister to quit since Rutte’s four-party coalition took office in October. Rutte, who was also in Parliament for Zijlstra’s resignation, hugged him as he left.

Zijlstra’s position as the country’s top diplomat became untenable after he admitted lying about a meeting with Putin.

Zijlstra has in the past said he attended a 2006 meeting when Putin said he considered Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states as part of a “Greater Russia.”

On Monday, Zijlstra conceded he wasn’t present at the meeting but heard the story from somebody who was. He said he considered Putin’s statements so geopolitically important that he spoke about them publicly and took credit for hearing the comments as a way of protecting his source.

“It was clearly a wrong choice,” Zijlstra said as he announced his resignation.

The Russian embassy in the Netherlands waded into the debate by issuing a statement accusing some in the Netherlands of distributing “fake news” aimed at discrediting Moscow by suggesting it has expansionist ambitions.

“This can only be heard from those who are interested in presenting Russia as an enemy and who under the pretext of the notorious ‘Russian threat’ keep pushing NATO military infrastructure eastwards, therefore consciously provoking military confrontation,” the Russian statement said.

Zijlstra’s resignation came a day before he was due to meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow.

There was no immediate announcement about a replacement.
Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Halbe Zijlstra admits to lying about having attended a meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2006. Zijlstra had said that Putin mentioned plans to expand Russia to include Belarus, Ukraine, and the Baltic states but now says that he was not present and borrowed the story from a source.