(CTN News) – The NATO’s ancient Gastrobar Berlage in The Hague, located behind a renowned art gallery, is a popular spot for locals, art lovers, and diplomats looking for food and drinks.

To improve the security of a NATO summit in the Dutch city, barricades were built outside as part of the Orange Shield operation, a major police and military operation. This measure limited the number of participants to a modest amount.

A military fortress is being built in the city where former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary-General, ate an apple while riding his bicycle to work.

Bianca Veenhof, the proprietor of Berlage, stated, “It is dead,” as she looked out onto an eerily deserted terrace at the start of Wednesday’s lunchtime rush. A recently installed security fence has impeded parking places. Office workers in the area have been warned to stay at home, and public transportation lines have been redirected near the property.

The city, recognized for its international tribunals and role as a global heart of peace and justice, is being transformed into a metropolis of security and irritation for the June 24-25 gathering of 32-nation alliance leaders, including US President Donald Trump.

Global geopolitical tensions increased before the conference.

The Netherlands’ largest security operation has led to restrictions on aircraft, municipal closures, and roadways by nearly half of law enforcement authorities.

The Hague has implemented additional security precautions, including temporary barricades and metal mesh barriers surrounding the NATO World Forum meeting location. Over 10,000 defense personnel and 27,000 police officers will protect the summit, accounting for half of the nation’s total force.

Military police guard delegations. They will put air defense systems on high alert, deploy frigates to patrol the North Sea, and fly F-35 fighter jets and Apache helicopters. Explosive detection teams will conduct an examination of the place.

Military police will drive leaders from airports to their lodgings on restricted roadways. However, we prohibit civilian drones from operating near the peak or other sensitive areas. Police and military drones will be allowed to fly over leaders’ gatherings.

Regular and paramilitary police will attend several events, including an attempt to obstruct the city’s main access point. An Associated Press correspondent covering a security operation on Thursday was briefed by NATO officers that the area is already being monitored by military helicopters above, naval vessels offshore, and F-35 aircraft ready for deployment.

They keep track of drones and other light aircraft. Then there are cybersecurity measures, which are equally important but less obvious. The highest-ranking counterterrorism official declined to comment.

The focus is on NATO spending and Ukraine.

After dining with Dutch King Willem-Alexander on Tuesday evening at his palace in a wooded area near the city, the leaders will meet the next day to set a new defense spending target.

The presidents will dine with the Dutch royal family as NATO military and foreign ministers meet at the summit to discuss Russia’s crisis in Ukraine.

When government officials meet on Wednesday, they will attempt to reach an agreement on the expansion of military spending. Trump insists that Europe provide its security, while Washington emphasizes China and its borders.

The Hague Courts

The conference center and theater hosting the summit are near to the United Nations tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, where Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, his military chief Ratko Mladic, and others were convicted of war crimes.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which won the Nobel Peace Prize, is nearby, as are EU law enforcement and judicial cooperation institutions.

Trump levied penalties on the ICC’s top prosecutor and four local judges. The International Court of Justice, the most senior organization in the United Nations, is in charge of resolving international conflicts.

Separated from everything else

Many summit inhabitants will miss out on the occasion. Finally, until the NATO contingent departs, Berlage will close its gorgeous terrace and doors for a week.

According to Veenhof, the café would lose 150,000 euros ($173,000) as a result of the forced shutdown and consequent drop in reservations over five weeks. Berlage chef Bauke van Schaik and Veenhof are leaving the city for the summit due to weariness.

“We are traveling to Portugal for a few days to visit our dear friends,” she told me. “Misery and frustration will be further away.”

SOURCE: AP