Limburger Bob Wouda, who lives in Kiev, does not think twice about returning to the Netherlands. This despite the appeal of the Dutch cabinet. Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have risen sharply in recent days.
Bob Wouda (72) has been married to a Ukrainian since 2011 and has two children. “I’m not going back because it’s very difficult to leave the city with all of your belongings. A lot of other people think exactly the same.”
‘Not afraid’
Despite the news reports, Wouda is not afraid: “No, not at all. There are no tensions. Nobody is afraid and the supermarkets are open. Children just go to school. It can be done now, we wait to see what happens after the Winter Olympics are ready. That could just be a tipping point.”
Habituation
“People have been used to living under this situation for some time. Because they say here is that Europe should have provided help earlier in 2014.” However, Wouda has taken a few precautions: “We have put large bottles of water in a basement flat. But people here also say: we don’t go to air raid shelters. Then we go to the corridors of our own flats.” De Limburger emphasizes that these are old flats from the Soviet era, and that they often have very thick walls.
To the Netherlands
The cabinet calls on all Dutch people to leave Ukraine on Saturday. Most of the staff of the Dutch embassy in the capital Kiev will also leave the country, according to a statement from Minister Wopke Hoekstra (Foreign Affairs).
“The security situation was already worrying, and has deteriorated further and further in recent days. In consultation with the various allies, I am now taking this step and calling on all Dutch people to leave Ukraine,” said Minister Hoekstra.
An embassy meeting point will be set up in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Things like emergency visas and laissez-passers can be issued there. Dutch citizens in Ukraine are called upon to register at the embassy.