24 Comments

  1. The Royal Netherlands Navy is temporarily suspending joint actions with the United States in the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea. The decision was announced by the Dutch Ministry of Defence, citing different approaches to stopping suspected vessels in international waters off Venezuela.

    According to the ministry, the U.S. policy of attacking vessels departing from Venezuelan ports leads to the deaths of people without due process. Because of these actions, the Netherlands has decided to suspend previously agreed cooperative operations. Previously, the Dutch Navy closely coordinated actions with the U.S. Coast Guard in the fight against drug smuggling in the region, where the main routes pass through the islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

    As part of the joint operation, Dutch sailors often boarded suspicious vessels in international waters, relying on U.S. intelligence data. According to the Ministry of Defence, over the past five years tens of thousands of kilograms of cocaine have been intercepted in the Caribbean, and those detained were usually handed over to the American side for prosecution in courts.

    Regarding the escalation between the United States and Venezuela: at the beginning of autumn, the U.S. military attacked a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, and reports from Washington spoke of the deaths of several militants. There was also another attack, along with other attacks on Venezuelan vessels in international waters, after which Venezuela began military exercises in the region amid rising tensions. The government of Venezuela asked the United Nations Security Council to convene an urgent meeting on the actions of the United States in waters near the country’s southern coast. At the same time, the United States imposed a series of sanctions, including against Venezuelan oil tankers and related companies. Following further statements from Washington, the region continued to monitor developments, and tensions between the countries remained high.

    Impact on the region and prospects for cooperation
    With the Netherlands’ announcement of a temporary halt to joint operations, the security situation in the Caribbean takes on a new context. The region continues to monitor developments between the United States and Venezuela and assesses the potential consequences of a change in cooperation among allies.

    In summary, the Dutch Ministry of Defence noted that the temporary suspension does not mean abandoning the overall fight against drug trafficking, but requires a review of tactics and ways to coordinate with partners.

  2. Tbh, every democratic country should suspend its cooperation with the US…Trump administration is running a bullying state

  3. thesquidsquidly22 on

    Europe needs to cut off the US and become self reliant. Immediately. Threatening Greenland and Canada and Mexico is unacceptable. Especially after the follow through of capturing Maduro after threatening to do so. Take the threats very serious.

  4. The Trump admin poisons the what and the how of existing agreements, drugs or otherwise. Solid bases for pausing – and a precursor of terminating – agreements if the underlying intents are disingenuous, and the methods are unjustifiable.

  5. This is incredibly troubling; especially since Netherlands is the U.S.’s longest ally. But good on NL.

  6. ProfitNearby7467 on

    Nooo. The Caribean pirates lost the Flying Dutchman flagship 😆

    Ofc i am joking.

  7. SpiritualScumlord on

    Republicans want to burn our bridges so the Democrats are stuck on the island Republicans want us to be. Congress has to become real effective real soon because currently Congress isn’t even part of the equation.

  8. babybirdingURgrandma on

    Western world confused and horrified. Latin American countries apoplectic.

    All of America’s relationships are in tatters, by people who either do not understand or are pretending they don’t understand the concept of soft power. edit: spelling

  9. If only (Dutch) Rotterdam wasn’t the one of the biggest entry points for illegal drugs into Europe, lol.

    Please, please, please do nothing to slow down our money machine!

  10. Yeah.

    The Americans are murdering people.

    The Dutch won’t play with you anymore.

    You’re too psychotic and high on your own supply.

  11. fusionsofwonder on

    Probably should have done that when the US killed the shipwreck survivors. I believe the UK suspended intelligence sharing in the region with the US right after that.

  12. ruairidhmacdhaibhidh on

    I think the UK Navy also supports anti drug operations. Can anyone confirm?

  13. Training_Jackfruit81 on

    The US don’t need the Dutch to enter and investigate alleged smuggling boats if they just blow them to smithereens without any need of evidence.

  14. AdeptResident8162 on

    lol. like there are at least five six countries in south america whose high lvl government offficals are involved in drug trade. is us gonna catch them all?

  15. Decent_Risk9499 on

    Cut us off, completely. We aren’t the same nation that saved the Dutch 80 years ago.

  16. Expect more of this. Allies are bailing on the US.

    “Whatever, we are still the most powerful military in the world!”

    Doing dumb shit like the US has been, destroys soft power. Diminished soft power, reduces the ability to project power. Which in turn reduces hard power.

    The US now, is the weakest that it ever has been in my lifetime, and it is poised to get a whole lot weaker. Knuckle-draggers are mindlessly clapping their hands at the US using its toys and hitting the other kids on the playground, but when the bully has no friends and the other big kids rally all the other kids around them, one day, suddenly, you will find that being top dog is an untenable position for you to hold. You *will* be knocked down. And those you trampled before will be all too eager to circle around and kick the shit out of the lone, prone bully.

  17. Just a small note. Have a gander at some of the ‘top posters’ histories and notice there are many that are very aggressively pushing isolation of the US and do not deviate much. Especially when it comes to Europe and US relations. Which makes sense but also part of the plan to flood the internet with noise.

    This is literally what project 2025 wants and is encouraging. Pushed by real people in comment farms and scripts farms. Much of this part of a multi pronged aporoach.

    Do not blindly trust. Verify independently do not trust big upvoted comments.

  18. Dismal-Preference-66 on

    There’s two things I can’t stand……people that are intolerable of other peoples cultures…..and the Dutch !!