NATO announced this Wednesday the appointment of Outgoing Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, as the new Secretary General, at a critical moment due to the war in Ukraine and the possible return of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States.
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Rutte, 57, will take office on the 1st. October, replacing the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, and will thus lead the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at a particularly delicate moment.
“The North Atlantic Council has decided to appoint Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the new Secretary General of NATO,” the alliance announced after the ambassadors of the member countries approved the appointment.
Almost immediately, Stoltenberg greeted Rutte’s appointment with a congratulatory message on the X network. “He is a strong leader and a consensus-builder. I wish him every success. I know that I am leaving NATO in good hands,” he said.
He is a strong leader and a consensus builder. I wish you all the success. I know that I leave NATO in good hands.
Meanwhile, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, noted that Rutte’s leadership and experience “will be crucial for the Alliance during these difficult times.” “I look forward to working with you to further strengthen the EU-Nato partnership,” she added.
From the beginning of his campaign, Rutte had obtained the support of key members of NATO, such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
The race swung in his favor last week, after The only remaining candidate, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, abandoned his aspirations and declared his support for Rutte.
Jens Stoltenberg.
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Furthermore, the Dutch leader achieved the support of two countries openly hostile to his appointment, Hungary and Türkiye.
The experienced Dutch leader, who headed his country’s government for 14 years, is seen as a leader capable of managing the alliance in times of significant challenges.
As he faces the specter of a possible return of former US President Donald Trump to the White House after the November election, Rutte will also have to deal with the threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the eastern flank.
Precisely, the Kremlin estimated that Rutte’s appointment will not change anything.
“This decision is unlikely to change anything in the general line of NATO,” an alliance that is “hostile” toward Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told reporters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instead praised Rutte, calling him a “strong and principled leader.”
Jens Stoltenberg (left) and Mark Rutte.
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Ukraine and Donald Trump: Rutte’s challenges
Firm ally of Ukraine, Rutte has led an initiative to provide that country with F-16 fighter jets, as a way to help it combat the Russian invasion.
As head of NATO, he will play a key role in convincing alliance countries to continue supporting Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, noted on the X network that Rutte’s “leadership and dedication to democratic principles” are “crucial to our shared future.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinvigorated a NATO struggling to find purpose after the end of the Cold War, and pushed European nations to increase their defense spending.
Rutte will now have to ensure that NATO is in a position to face the strategic threat that, according to the alliance, Russia will represent in the coming years.
However, his biggest challenge could be keeping NATO together if Trump regains the US presidency.
Donald Trump.
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During his time at the head of the US government, Trump was a strong critic of NATO and even considered withdrawing the US from the transatlantic alliance.
In his re-election campaign, Trump returned to the fray and said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever it wants” with NATO countries that do not spend enough on defense.
Rutte must follow in the footsteps of Stoltenberg, the former Norwegian prime minister who led NATO during a critical decade for the alliance.
The unflappable and at times robotic Stoltenberg earned widespread praise for maintaining unity and strengthening NATO during a tumultuous period.
Rutte will be the fourth Dutchman to hold the position of Secretary General of NATO, after Dirk Tikker (1957-1963), Joseph Luns (1971-1984) and Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (2004-2009).
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