Latest news with #KingWillemAlexander
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Dutch queen gifts bell made from Russian weapons to show solidarity with Ukraine
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands presented the Czech Republic with the Bell of Freedom on Thursday, a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine. The bell was created using fragments of Russian artillery shells and other weapons fired against Ukraine. the Dutch Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry manufactured the bell. "This bell has a lot of symbolism in it and it's a very special project for us," Joost Eijsbouts, the owner of the bell foundry, told Czech public radio. "To use material designed for violence and turn it into something peaceful is a good idea." The Bell of Freedom will reside in the tower of Prague's Church of the Holy Saviour, replacing an original bell seized during World War I by the Austro-Hungarian army to be melted down for weapons. The Czech Republic and the Netherlands support Ukraine in its fight against Russian troops. The ceremony at the church, attended by Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva, was meant to be one of the highlights of the Dutch royal couple's stay in Prague. But King Willem-Alexander had to cut short the trip and returned home late Wednesday due to the collapse of the Dutch government.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
The Dutch queen unveils a bell made from Russian weapons to show solidarity with Ukraine
PRAGUE (AP) — Queen Maxima of the Netherlands handed over a bell made partly from Russian weapons to a church in the Czech Republic on Thursday in a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. Known as the Bell of Freedom, it was manufactured by the Dutch Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry that used fragments of artillery shells and other weapons fired by Russia against Ukraine. 'This bell has a lot of symbolism in it and it's a very special project for us,' the owner of the bell foundry, Joost Eijsbouts, told the Czech public radio. 'To use material designed for violence and turn it into something peaceful is a good idea.' The bell will be installed in the tower of the Church of the Holy Saviour in Prague, in place of one of the original bells that were seized by the Austro-Hungarian army and turned into weapons during World War I. The Czech Republic and the Netherlands support Ukraine in its fight against Russian troops. The ceremony at the church, attended by Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva, was meant to be one of the highlights of the Dutch royal couple's stay in Prague. But King Willem-Alexander had to cut short the trip and returned home late Wednesday due to the collapse of the Dutch government.
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Netherlands will undertake huge security operation during Nato summit
Patriot missiles and antidrone defences will be deployed to protect the physical airspace above the Netherlands, while its security services guard against a potential barrage of cyberattacks, during the Nato summit in The Hague at the end of June. Although German magazine Der Spiegel suggested recently that Donald Trump might refuse to attend unless alliance members agreed to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, the summit's organisers say they are working on the basis that the US president will be there. In a preview of the largest logistical operation ever mounted by the country during peacetime, the policing lead, Willem Woelders, said 27,000 police offers and 5,000 soldiers would be on duty over the two days – protecting 45 heads of state, their senior ministers and delegations. Three key locations will be focus of the security: the World Forum convention centre, where the summit will be held; Huis ten Bosch, the palatial residence of King Willem-Alexander, where the leaders will have dinner; and Huis ter Duin hotel, where Mr Trump is scheduled to stay. READ MORE There will be patrols over the city and along the coast by F35 fighter jets and Apache attack helicopters, Mr Woelders said, with an air exclusion zone operating along a 22km stretch of coast from the Hook of Holland to Noordwijk, where the president's hotel is located. [ 'I'm not going to defend them': Trump warns Nato members lagging on defence spending Opens in new window ] The Huis ter Duin hotel is also where then US president Barack Obama stayed during his 2014 visit for a nuclear security summit hosted by former prime minister Mark Rutte, who became Nato secretary general last October. Two runways at Schiphol will be closed during the summit on June 24th and 25th, and aircraft using the airport will be banned from flying within 16km of The Hague, the seat of the Dutch parliament. Special forces teams will be on 24-hour standby. Such was the scale of the deployment, Mr Woelders said, that neighbouring countries including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, would have substantial security input. 'We can never be completely open about security, but we are preparing for cyberattacks, for espionage in the form of targeted disinformation, as well as for social unrest', said Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, the national counterterrorism co-ordinator. In a bid to ensure the attendance of Mr Trump in June, Mr Rutte has suggested that Nato member states boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and commit a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related spending to meet the president's 5 per cent demand. That compromise could allow Mr Trump to declare a win in The Hague in June – while not committing European countries or Canada to a 5 per cent increase in core military spending that many see as politically and economically unsaleable domestically.
