Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra are due to travel to Washington early next week to meet with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, insiders said. It’s the first time they’ve met Biden in the White House since he became president in 2021.
The visit will mainly focus on supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia. “Support, coordination and further cooperation in the field of defense and security will be discussed,” says political journalist Leendert Beekman. “The Netherlands has already provided a lot of financial support to Ukraine, but the request to provide further support will likely also come from the United States.”
Additionally, it will also be about “broader commercial relationships,” says Beekman. This will mainly take place in light of the ‘Inflation Reduction Act’, with which Biden wants to pump up the American economy. There are fears from the EU and the Netherlands that companies from Europe will make the crossing to the United States. ‘It’s mostly about green tech in the US, where there’s friction with Europe. In the EU it is considered illegal state aid and unfair competition. After all, it’s hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks,’ the political journalist points out.
Possible cancellation of the visit
According to Beekman, this point will certainly be touched upon. “They’re trying to get something out of it for the Netherlands in that area.” Beekman also says that Rutte and Hoekstra’s visit could also be canceled due to a storm of criticism towards Biden. In recent days it has emerged that secret documents have been found in his office and in his home in Delaware. “If it escalates, I don’t know if Biden still has much time left for Rutte and Hoekstra to visit.”
Source: BNR
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