Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ex-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte formally took over as secretary general of NATO from Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg at an event.
New Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged to prioritise backing for Ukraine as he took over as leader of the NATO military alliance in a ceremony on Tuesday (1 October). The ex-Prime Minister of the Netherlands also expressed NATO’s need to plug capability gaps, as he took the reins as secretary general from Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg.
What are Mark Rutte’s priorities as NATO leader?
“It is a great honour to be here,” Rutte pointed to members of the alliance’s North Atlantic Council. I thank all of your nations for trusting me with the responsibility. The alliance must step up our support for Ukraine and bring it ever closer to NATO”, he said, after leaders of the defence pact expressed the country’s path to membership was “irreversible”.
“A strong transatlantic bond is the foundation of our alliance, and I can assure you I will do my utmost to ensure that it will stay rock solid,” Rutte informed reporters earlier Tuesday, pledging to perform together with whoever won the US elections in November. “NATO is now bigger, it is stronger, it is more united than ever,” Rutte expressed, telling his predecessor it was “a great honour to follow you as secretary general, to fill your big shoes.”
When questioned for his priorities, Rutte told journalists “Ukraine is at the top of the list: But also we need to do more in terms of our collective defence and deterrence.” He also stated he wanted to invest in NATO’s “unique and important partner,” the European Union, and governments around the world.
What legacy did Stoltenberg leave for Rutte to follow?
The EU’s bid to intensify its military role has provoked signs of duplication from Stoltenberg, leading to a relationship which some critics believe Rutte is well-placed to repair. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accommodated Rutte’s new mandate in a post on X. There are also jitters over the potentially existential importance of a second victory for Donald Trump in upcoming US elections, given his earlier hesitations over the alliance and support for Ukraine.
For his part, Stoltenberg expressed he was leaving NATO “with mixed feelings”, citing a peak in defence investment that has witnessed 23 allies meeting targets for military spending, and four new nations joining in the wake of Russian aggression. “It is a pleasure to welcome you, my good friend Mark,” Stoltenberg said: “Welcome to NATO.”
