THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch foreign affairs minister has resigned, a day after admitting that he lied about attending a meeting hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin more than a decade ago.
An emotional Halbe Zijlstra announced his resignation at the start of a debate Tuesday at which he was expected to be grilled by opposition lawmakers about the lie.
He says “the Netherlands deserves a minister who is above any doubt.”
Zijlstra, a member of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s center-right VVD party, is the first minister to quit since Rutte’s four-party coalition was sworn in last year.