Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he would argue for a "yes" vote in an upcoming referendum on a treaty on closer ties between the European Union and Ukraine which threatens to overshadow his presidency of the 28-member bloc. Rutte's remarks came a day after European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned that a rejection of the treaty by Dutch voters could lead to a "continental crisis".

While the vote, on establishing an association agreement between the EU and its troubled eastern neighbour, is not binding, most Dutch parties have said they would feel bound to take a "no" into account.

Copyright Reuters, 2016