Do you know that feeling when you’re counting on someone and they just let you down? That moment you’re waiting for them to say or do that one thing, just that one thing you thought was at the core of your relationship – that little bit of mutual understanding, what keeps your friendship true and honest. And they drop the ball, literally in this case, cause: “That one’s for Baron”, cool.

The shooting down of MH17 and the Russian denial afterwards

Just a few weeks ago Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State, presented her book about the rise of (Neo-)Fascism which refers to the rise of extremist populism in Europe and the Americas – including Trump. In her presentation Albright took a moment, even though she didn’t have to, to say something about MH-17, the code shared Malaysia Airlines/KLM flight that was shot down over Ukraine and took down three-hundred lives with it. About 200 of which were Dutch, many of which were world-renowned scientists traveling towards an AIDS-convention in Australia.

On 17 July, flight #MH17 was brought down, killing 298 passengers and crew. A black page in history that will be remembered around the world today. The Netherlands will continue to fight for truth and justice. — Stef Blok (@ministerBlok) 17 juli 2018

As Albright put it, it’s been four cycles around the sun, and still the Russian government spends it time trying to frustrate whatever investigations it can, spreading fake news and accusing all possible parties far beyond the nonsensical with complete disregard for truth of those left behind – and it’s not okay, it’s not acceptable. And she’s right.

How Trump also sold out the Dutch to Putin

Just yesterday Donald J. Trump, the most powerful man on the planet – supposedly, visited Finland’s capital of Helsinki to meet up with Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation – the central character in the MH-17 disaster – and acted like a dog who has suffered a past of abuse.

He was timid, quiet, almost shy – something we’re not used to from Trump, except for one thing: his furious defense of Russia and his denunciation of America’s own intelligence community.

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Okay, granted, given that it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that he didn’t bother – probably never even thought of mentioning anything to his overlo- uh, Putin, about anything. Surely, they had much more important subjects to discuss such as how great the current American administration is, comparing hand sizes and maybe a video tape or two that may or may have not been shot in a Moscow hotel room during someone’s visit featuring some Slav beauties and a damp hotel bed.

And then this came on twitter today, right when we’re commemorating MH17:

While I had a great meeting with NATO, raising vast amounts of money, I had an even better meeting with Vladimir Putin of Russia. Sadly, it is not being reported that way – the Fake News is going Crazy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 17 juli 2018

We’re great friends of the US, but that President though…

Still, we’re disappointed, cause whenever you ask a friend for help because you’re in need – you expect them to act. And the Dutch and Americans have always done so, when the Americans declared independence we provided you the necessary arms and tools to fight the British by the boatload to such an extend that the British began the Fourth-Anglo Dutch War, which did not end in our favor. When World War II broke out, you came for us and in return we came to Korea to stand by your side – no matter how small and ‘fresh’ our military efforts just after the second world war.

We served together side by side in countless UN missions, when America sought support to invade Iraq in 2003 we pledged to do so even though many declared us mad – we even sent troops. We also sent troops to Afghanistan, we held an entire province, and trusted it back into your care many years later.

Holland can’t start a conflict with Russia, though we could perhaps hurt them economically it would still be of little use if no one else supports us, we certainly can’t fight them. We can probably barely fight back the Belgians if our beer war finally escalates at this point in time. So we’re counting on friends, our loyalties, our mutual understanding to stand shoulder to shoulder when the worst, the unjustifiable, happens and you need others to have your back.

The American president doesn’t care, of course he doesn’t – he has other fantastic, amazing, huge things to think about over that long-standing friendship. Just because love comes cheap to Trump doesn’t mean our heart belongs in the bargain bin. Screw friendship, its business that counts, it’s going to be America first. “America first.”

Good to know then, thanks for the letdown. Russia has once again received a thumbs up from the current American administration that it doesn’t need to answer for wrong-doing, that it can do whatever it pleases. We’ll just tell the relatives to wait, at least another four cycles around the sun. Maybe forty – what’s it matter anyway? There weren’t that many Americans on-board anyway and if they, would they have voted Trump? America’s priorities have shifted, we just didn’t think your heart would too. We hope that coming November, or maybe 2020, something will change – something big. But at this point, we’re not holding our breath, we’d probably choke.

The Netherlands will remember

Yesterday the American president acted like a lap dog to Russia’s interests. He threw his own men and women, who dedicate their lives to the safety and well being of America and its allies, under the bus to meet Putin’s demands – whatever those are – and seemed proud of it too. And other than some media denunciations and mild reactions from politicians, nothing happened. You let it happen, and many among you are cheering it on.

Goodbye dear friend, we had a good run. Welcome, disinterested competitor, we’ll look elsewhere.