By the way, the Russian side failed to appear at the hearings of the Hamburg Tribunal, thus putting its disdain toward this international entity on display. Moreover, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the Netherlands of knowing “that the ship purposefully came to the Russian economic zone with an intention to commit illegal actions.” 

Meanwhile, this seemingly minor incident, which does not rise to the level of the Syrian drama or even the struggle for Ukraine between Russia and the EU, is no doubt an important test. It is first of all a test of Europe’s ability to unite behind the Dutch, defending European citizens of various nationalities that found themselves incarcerated. Second, it is a test of the international judicial system and its ability to ensure a fair legal process. As evidenced by the decisions rendered by the European Court of Human Rights, this process is not always flawless, so the decisions often result in political compromise (see, for instance,  the Court’s ruling that the charges against Khodorkovsky were not politically motivated). Third, it is a test of Moscow’s commitment to a tactic that can be summarized as “We don’t give a damn  what you think about us.” This tactic is not simply a reflection of the new Kremlin doctrine entitled “We Are Back—Fear Us!” In this particular instance, the incident is also another opportunity for the Kremlin to reaffirm Russia’s claims to the Arctic. Finally, the Russian authorities seem to be testing the waters to see how much Europeans can swallow if Russia starts to go around flexing its muscles.

But let us get back to the Netherlands. Until now, the Dutch have been regarded as pragmatists. They could now very well forget about their ship and the Greenpeace activists. After all, the activists come from a number of countries whose representatives keep mum lest they irritate the Kremlin. However, the Dutch decided to take a principled stand and stick to it to the very end!

It is actually a rather risky undertaking on their part. Moscow does not bury grudges and has no patience for demands—especially if they come from less powerful states that it views as insignificant. In fact, Moscow may indeed punish for defiance, as it did numerous times with regard to a whole host of countries—Ukraine, Georgia, Lithuania, and Poland.

The Sea Tribunal has to render its verdict on November 21-22. Let us suppose it will rule in favor of the Netherlands. What will the Kremlin do next? Will it refuse to comply and instead send the environmentalists to jail? If that happens, what will Europe and its major powers do? And how will the whole story affect the upcoming Sochi Olympics—Putin’s pet project?

We will soon see how the standoff between the Dutch and the muscle-flexing “civilization-state” will end. For all we know, having mustered more courage, the daring Dutch may take one more step that is expected of them—they may actually approve their own Magnitsky List!

Yet so far, we can only say this: Bravo, dear Dutch! Show the rest of Europe what it means to have principles!