Russians in the Netherlands receive phone calls asking where their loyalties lie. Universities have received reports about this, the umbrella organization of the University of the Netherlands tells The Financial Times† According to the newspaper, the callers say they belong to the Russian government, and ask whether the called party supports the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It is unclear how many notifications are involved. Universities also do not want to say anything about it. Intelligence service AIVD tells the FD that it is aware of the practices and sees a direct link with the Russian invasion. “Russians in the Netherlands have access to free media and contact with family or acquaintances in Russia. The Russian government sees the critical view they convey as undesirable,” says a spokesperson.
The Ministry of Education says it finds the signals very bad. A Russian woman tells the FD that she was called shortly after the raid because she had placed a Ukrainian flag on Facebook. “He asked if I’m for Ukraine. He was friendly, but I found that uncomfortable and a little intimidating in the context of the war.”
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