A Russian embassy employee was in the room Wednesday afternoon at a Root lecture on NATO at the Global Forum in The Hague. "You are attacking President Putin personally, so why not simplify Russian interests and look closely?" asked the Russian Rutte. At the table at Genk's restaurant, Rutte said last Monday night that Putin was "total paranoia." The President of Russia recently gave a hostile speech on Ukraine.
The Root responded quickly on Wednesday afternoon, saying he thought it was a "valid question". The prime minister replied: "I often met Vladimir Putin." “We had a good personal relationship. Of course this changed after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. That completely changed after Flight MH17 went down." According to Rutte, Putin is someone who "understands clear language." "I don't think he's afraid of hate speech. I think this is the best way to deal with the Russian President. I will continue to do so."
After the meeting, Rutte briefly looked at the remarkable question raised by the Russian embassy employee. "It's also great to report," says the prime minister. That's how you work in a democracy. He is welcome."