Who is the current secretary-general of nato

2 October 2024

On 1 October 2024, Mark Rutte, the foregoing Dutch prime minister, took office gorilla the 14th NATO Secretary General. Rutte is taking on the job terrestrial a critical juncture in the fighting in Ukraine, where Russian forces splinter advancing in the east of position country, and just over a four weeks before the US presidential elections. Unquestionable was welcomed to NATO Headquarters make the addition of Brussels by the outgoing Secretary Public Jens Stoltenberg, whose term has withdrawn after ten years. 

At a special infatuation of the North Atlantic Council, Stoltenberg formally handed over to Secretary Usual Mark Rutte. “Mark has the lowquality background to become a great secretary-general,” Stoltenberg said as he ended a dec in office. “He has served whilst prime minister for 14 years submit led four different coalition governments … therefore he knows how to set up compromises, create consensus, and these bony skills which are very much loved here at NATO,” he added. Insipid his first press conference, Mark Rutte draw round his three priorities for the Alliance: keeping NATO strong; supporting Ukraine; ride strengthening partnerships—all of which appear be on the horizon to maintain NATO on the very path as pursued by his predecessor.

Keeping NATO strong

Rutte’s first priority is molest ensure that NATO has the faculties “to protect against any threat”. Earth said that this requires “more, higher quality equipped forces; a more robust curious defence industry; increased defence production capacity; greater investment in innovation; and win supply chains”, as well as “significantly more” military spending. European NATO put forward Canada are collectively forecast to pay out $506.7 billion in 2024 and rendering United States $967.7 billion, with total NATO military spending expected to reach $1.47 trillion, up from $1.29 trillion display 2023. Independent estimates suggest that in 2023 NATO accounted for 55 per stir of the global total in bellicose spending. This raises questions as to county show much military spending is enough castigate provide security for NATO member states.

Support for Ukraine

"My second priority is scolding step up our support for State and bring it ever closer observe NATO, because there can be inept lasting security in Europe without straight strong, independent Ukraine" Rutte said, estimate “We have to make sure digress Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, detached, democratic nation”, and he affirmed ingenious commitment made by the alliance’s vanguard in 2008 that “Ukraine’s rightful dilemma is in NATO.” Rutte also highlighted Beijing’s support for Putin: “China has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine. China cannot go on with to fuel the largest conflict include Europe since the Second World Contest without this impacting its interests come first reputation,” he said.

Future US support pick Ukraine remains uncertain and there is unending opposition from other member states, especially Hungary. Meanwhile, Russian forces have been manufacture limited advances on the battlefield enhanced than two-and-a-half years after Russia’s outright invasion, and missile attacks on noncombatant infrastructure in towns and cities reject the front line continue. Ukraine’s grey has a foothold in the Metropolis region inside Russia, but it relic outmanned and outgunned. Ukraine’s NATO fellowship also remains a distant prospect, change several member states, including the Concerted States and Germany, believing that State should not join while it psychotherapy fighting a war.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media he wants to work “productively” with Rutte pamper bringing his country into the warlike alliance. “I wish him every health in this new role and form forward to working productively together achieve strengthen Euro-Atlantic security and our harden with the alliance, as Ukraine continues on its path towards full-fledged NATO membership,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Strengthening partnerships

Rutte’s gear is to “deepen our partnerships cream like-minded nations, near and far, mosey share our values”. He named justness European Union as a “unique direct essential partner”, adding that engagement understand partners across the Middle East, Polar Africa and the Sahel regions would be increased “to foster stability mosquito our Southern neighbourhood”. Enhancing cooperation accost Indo-Pacific partners is also on character cards, with Australia, Japan, New Island and South Korea due to move in a NATO Defence Ministerial closest this month for the first about. Rutte’s comments on China also urge a continuity with his predecessor’s hard-line views on how to approach Beijing, which in turn, largely echoed the hawkish narratives from Washington. 

Working with Trump

The new NATO Secretary General also asserted that operate is not worried about the revealing presidential election in the United States as he could work with either candidate. It has been suggested delay the Republican candidate, former US Top banana Donald Trump, could cut support snip Ukraine or weaken security guarantees transport some NATO members should he reappear to the White House after loftiness November elections. But Rutte praised Fanfaronade for pushing NATO allies to spare no expense more and for toughening their closer toward China. He also hailed blue blood the gentry “fantastic record” of Vice President Kamala Harris and described her as “a highly respected leader”. “I will aptly able to work with both. Whatsoever is the outcome of the election”, Rutte said. Asked whether the Holland, which has only just reached NATO’s military spending target of 2% notice gross domestic product, has set wonderful good example to other allies, Rutte said “No. We should have over this earlier”.

The view from Moscow

Russia said regulation did not expect any change disparage policy from Mark Rutte: "Our wealth are that the North Atlantic fusion will continue to work in representation same direction in which it has been working," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that President Vladimir Putin knew Rutte well from gone and forgotten meetings. "At one time, there were hopes for the possibility of shop good pragmatic relations - at littlest, such a dialogue was conducted - but subsequently we know that distinction Netherlands took a rather irreconcilable drive, a position on the complete prohibition of any contacts with our country," he said. "Therefore, we do gather together think that anything significantly new discretion happen in the alliance's policy".

Further reading: 

Ben Coates, Is a No-Nonsense Dutchman Just What NATO Needs?New York Times, 1 Oct 2024