Pieter Broertjes, mayor of the Dutch city of Hilversum, made some harsh comments during his radio interview on Wednesday morning, following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

More than half of the 298 people killed when the plane crashed in eastern Ukraine last week were Dutch.

More specifically, Broertjes said that the daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, 29-year-old Maria Putin, who is said to live in Voorschoten with her Dutch boyfriend, should be removed from the country.

The Dutch mayor later apologized for his remarks via Twitter, admitting they were “not wise”. He stressed however that “they stemmed from a feeling of helplessness that many will recognize”.

Ukrainians living in Holland have also called for a peaceful protest outside Putin’s daughter’s flat, De Telegraaf newspaper said on Monday, publishing a photograph of the apartment complex where Maria reportedly lives alongside the article.