Main image: Peter Rijsink, Director of the MIVD, and Erik Akerboom, Head of the AIVD. By Veerle Haan for Volkskrant.
Dutch intelligence services have reduced the volume of intelligence sharing with the United States due to the political situation in Washington, according to two senior Dutch intelligence officials, as reported by Volkskrant.
Erik Akerboom, Director of the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), and Peter Rijsink, head of Military Intelligence (MIVD), confirmed that the Netherlands has become more cautious about the information it shares with American partners, particularly the CIA and the NSA. They emphasized that overall relations between the countries remain excellent, but Amsterdam is now acting more selectively.
Rijsink acknowledged that the Netherlands sometimes refuses to share certain information, while Akerboom added that every decision on data sharing is made individually. He noted that the country has adopted a more critical approach due to the changing political environment. Both officials also highlighted that the Netherlands has strengthened intelligence cooperation with European partners.
This specifically involves countries in Central and Northern Europe, including Germany, France, the UK, Poland, and the Scandinavian states. According to De Volkskrant, this shift reflects a broader trend in Europe, where countries are seeking to reinforce internal security collaboration amid increasing uncertainty in relations with Washington.
