On Tuesday, October 1st, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte took office as the 14th Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), tasked with maintaining the unity of the Western military alliance at a crucial moment in the Ukraine conflict and with the upcoming US presidential election.
At the handover ceremony held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Rutte succeeded Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg as the new NATO Secretary-General.
NATO, on its social media platform X, stated, “On this historic day, we bid farewell to outgoing NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg and welcome the new Secretary-General Mark Rutte.”
Rutte, who served as the Dutch Prime Minister for 14 years before stepping down this year, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine. He has urged Europeans not to “complain endlessly” about former US President and Republican candidate Trump, but instead to continue strengthening the defense of the European continent.
In February of this year, Trump hinted at a rally that if elected, he would not intervene to defend NATO member countries that did not meet defense spending targets and promised to swiftly reach an agreement with Russia to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
On the day before stepping down, Stoltenberg also called on European governments to “do everything possible” to convince Trump to continue supporting Ukraine after winning the November election. He also mentioned that during Trump’s presidency, he provided the Ukrainian army with FGM-148 anti-tank missiles (Javelin) to fend off Russian invasion.
He appealed to member countries skeptical of Trump, saying, “Do not be afraid to work with Trump… It is very important to engage with the US to ensure continued support for Ukraine.”
Stoltenberg led the organization through turbulent times over the past decade, with the most significant event being the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
NATO officials and diplomats hope that Rutte can continue Stoltenberg’s priorities within the alliance of 32 member countries – supporting Ukraine, urging NATO countries to increase defense spending, and ensuring US involvement in European security affairs.
The Ukraine conflict has thrust NATO back into the center of international affairs. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland relinquished their long-standing non-aligned tradition and joined the ranks of NATO members. The treaty stipulates that an attack on any member should be considered an attack on everyone.
This war has prompted NATO to deploy thousands of troops to the eastern front and thoroughly revise its defense plans to address the possibility of attacks from Moscow with a more serious attitude than at any time since the end of the Cold War.
NATO was established in 1949 to deter and defend against any Soviet aggression towards Western Europe. While Western leaders emphasize NATO as a defensive alliance, Moscow has long viewed it as a threat to Russian security.
Diplomats and analysts say one of Rutte’s main tasks is to convince NATO member countries to provide additional troops, weapons, and expenditure to fully implement the new defense plans.
The United States is the main force in NATO, and decisions are made through consensus, so the Secretary-General’s role is largely about reaching compromises among allies. He will need to utilize all diplomatic skills to manage the alliance during challenging times.
(Reference: Reuters)