Dutch prime minister and king to attend Sochi Games despite troubled relations with Russia

Published January 08, 2015

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and King Willem-Alexander will attend the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month, despite the Netherlands' recent troubled relationship with Russia.

Rutte says on Friday he will attend with King Willem-Alexander, an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, and Queen Maxima.

Leaders of countries including the United States, France and Germany are not going to the Sochi Games, which are a pet project of President Vladimir Putin.

The heavyweight Dutch delegation is visiting Sochi despite calls by rights activists for a boycott and a string of diplomatic incidents in 2013 that overshadowed what was supposed to be a year celebrating Netherlands-Russia ties.

Rutte says his country "has repeatedly voiced concerns about the human rights situation in Russia and will continue to do so."

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/dutch-prime-minister-and-king-to-attend-sochi-games-despite-troubled-relations-with-russia