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NATO’s new leader, Mark Rutte took over the leadership of the military alliance from outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg at a ceremony in Brussels on Tuesday, October 1.
This comes as the military alliance confronts an ongoing Ukraine-Russia war that could take a new turn if Donald Trump wins the presidency.
In his acceptance speech, Rutte downplayed fears over the impact of a potential Donald Trump victory in upcoming US president election and pledged to keep backing Ukraine.
The two men greeted each other warmly outside the alliance’s Brussels headquarters, before laying a wreath to fallen military personnel, surrounded by the flags of the 32 member countries.
“Mark has the perfect background to become a great secretary general,” Stoltenberg said as he ended a decade in office.
“He has served as prime minister for 14 years and led four different coalition governments, so therefore he knows how to make compromises, create consensus, and these are skills which are very much valued here at NATO,” Stoltenberg said.
Rutte said that he “cannot wait to get to work.” He said his priorities would be NATO’s support for Ukraine, with the war now in its third year, increasing defense spending and strengthening partnerships that the alliance has established with other countries around the world, notably in Asia and the Middle East.
Rutte also underlined the importance of keeping the trans-Atlantic bond between the United States, Canada and Europe strong, and expressed confidence that he can work well with Donald or Kamala Harris.
Smaller members of the NATO alliance fear that the U.S. under Trump would renege on NATO’s security pledge that all countries must to come to the rescue of any ally of attacked, the foundation stone the alliance is built on.
Rutte said: “I know both candidates very well.” He praised Trump for pushing NATO allies to spend more and for toughening their approach toward China. He also hailed the “fantastic record” of Vice President Kamala Harris and described her as “a highly respected leader.”
“I will be able to work with both. Whatever is the outcome of the election,” Rutte said.
Stoltenberg, NATO’s 13th secretary-general, took over in 2014, the year that “little green men” from Russia infiltrated Ukraine. Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula, sparking a defense spending buildup at the world’s biggest security alliance that gathered pace over his term.
His tenure was surpassed only by Dutch diplomat Joseph Luns, who spent 12 years in charge of NATO.
Trump has been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine, and he suggested last week that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should have made concessions to Russian leader Vladimir Putin before he launched his invasion in 2022.
