Nato picks Rutte, Putin critic and ‘Trump whisperer’, to replace Stoltenberg as next boss
- Nato selected Dutch PM Mark Rutte as its next boss, as the war in Ukraine rages, and uncertainty hangs over the US’ future to the alliance
Nato on Wednesday selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next boss, as the war in Ukraine rages on its doorstep and uncertainty hangs over the United States’ future attitude to the transatlantic alliance.
Rutte’s appointment became a formality after his only rival for the post, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, announced last week that he had quit the race, having failed to gain traction.
He will take over on October 1 from Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, who is stepping down after a decade in the post.
Rutte is a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a staunch ally of Ukraine who honed his skills as a political deal maker during nearly 14 years as Dutch prime minister.
Rutte, 57, has been one of the driving forces behind Europe’s military support for Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, and says defeat on the battlefield for Moscow is vital to secure peace in Europe.
His view is heavily influenced by the downing of an airliner over Ukraine in 2014, which the Netherlands blames on Russia, and in which 196 of the 298 victims were Dutch. Nato must be powerful to counter Moscow, and other European Union leaders must not be naive about Putin’s Russia, he says.
