3 days Ago By RT
Acting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been officially appointed as the next NATO secretary general, replacing the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, the US-led military bloc has announced. Rutte will take up the post on October 1. The decision to appoint the 57-year-old veteran politician, the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history, known for his staunch support of Ukraine and consensus-building skills, was made on Wednesday by NATO’s main political decision-making body.
Writing on X (formerly known as Twitter) Rutte said that the appointment was “a tremendous honor” for him, adding that “the Alliance is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective security” while praising Stoltenberg for “outstanding leadership for the past 10 years.” Rutte selection came after months of wrangling for the post, with candidates including, former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. Rutte’s appointment was all but set in stone after Iohannis became the last serious rival to drop out of the race last week, while Hungary and Slovakia indicated they would back the Dutch politician.
Estonia's Kallas has been widely tipped to replace Josep Borrell as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Hungary agreed to support Rutte after it was allowed to opt out of the bloc’s efforts to support Kiev, while Slovakia backed his candidacy in exchange for assurances that NATO would defend its airspace. The .
