(Moscow) It was a somber scene outside the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as Russian people came on Saturday, the Dutch day of mourning for victims of flight MH17, to express their condolences and sorrow over the shooting down of the passenger airliner over Eastern Ukraine. It was a solemn reminder that there is often a difference between the people of a nation and the leaders of a nation.
Flags at foreign embassies across Moscow flew at half mast in solidarity with the Dutch declaration of Saturday as a day of mourning. Several touching points are worth mentioning: Some Russians wrapped themselves in Gold/Blue flags, the colours of Ukraine, and others draped themselves in the red-white-blue of the Netherlands flag.
There were small placards with flowers reading, “Простите наc” which means “forgive us.”