Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte assumes as NATO’s secretary general on Tuesday, as the Western military alliance faces a key crossroads weeks before a historic US election.
The blunt-speaking 57-year-old takes over for Jens Stoltenberg, whose 10 years leading NATO have seen the alliance battle Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s growing clout, and Donald Trump’s first term as president.
Before an official turnover is marked with the traditional Icelandic gavel, the two seasoned politicians will lay a floral wreath at NATO’s Brussels headquarters in memory of the warriors who have perished during the alliance’s 75-year existence.
The 32 members of NATO have chosen Jean-Claude Rutte, a steadfast supporter of Ukraine and a steadfast ally of the United States, as their head.
It is anticipated that he will continue to press for initiatives to strengthen Kyiv’s defenses against Russia.
“There will be a great deal of continuity as well as subtleties and changes of focus,” a top NATO diplomat told AFP.
The US election on November 5th will be Rutte’s first significant test and will influence his first four years in office.
During the campaign trail, Trump made threats to withhold support from NATO allies who underinvest in defense and asserted his ability to quickly reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Rutte, who is well-known for his deft handling of Trump, has advised anxious European nations to cease “whining” over the possibility of the unstable reality TV star making a comeback.
In February, he declared, “We have to work with whomever is on the dance floor.”
However, as Russian forces march on the front lines more than three-and-a-half years following the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion, there is ambiguity over future Western backing for Ukraine.
