Skip to content
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a press meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on April 17, 2024. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was officially appointed to be the next NATO Secretary General on June 26.

Rutte will succeed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg when his ten-year term ends in October.

"It is a tremendous honor to be appointed Secretary General of NATO," Rutte wrote on X.

"Leading this organization is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I'm grateful to all the allies for placing their trust in me."

Rutte's bid for the position was finalized after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew from the race earlier in June and backed Rutte.

Romania was the last of the 32 NATO allies to support Rutte's candidacy after Hungary and Slovakia endorsed Rutte on June 18.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he endorsed Rutte after the Dutch prime minister pledged he would support Budapest in opting out of NATO initiatives to support Ukraine.

In a post on X, Stoltenberg said," I warmly welcome" Rutte's selection as his successor. He characterized the Dutch prime minister as a "true transatlanticist, a strong leader and a consensus-builder. I wish him every success as we continue to strengthen NATO."

"I know I am leaving NATO in good hands," Stoltenberg added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said, "I know Mark Rutte as a principled and strong leader, who has demonstrated his decisiveness and vision on many occasions over the past years."

Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak congratulated Rutte on being appointed to his new position, saying that his "leadership and dedication to democratic principles are crucial for our shared future."

Rutte also received congratulations from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"Your leadership and experience will be crucial for the alliance during these challenging times," said von der Leyen.

How Mark Rutte became NATO Secretary General and what it means for Ukraine
“There was a joke I heard the other day,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told the audience of the Politico Defense Summit in November 2023, as the mandate of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenburg entered its final 12 months. “The next Secretary General should be from a new member state…

News Feed

1:15 PM  (Updated: )

Zelensky plans to meet Trump at NATO summit in The Hague.

Upon arrival in The Hague on June 24, Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, said he held a "substantive" discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the upcoming Zelensky-Trump meeting.
1:29 PM

Zelensky arrives at NATO summit in The Hague as Netherlands pledges new aid.

Welcoming Zelensky at the Catshuis official residence, Schoof presented a new military aid package for Ukraine, including 100 drone radar systems, front-line vehicles for evacuating the wounded, and 80 million euros (over $90 million) for the drone initiative. The Netherlands will also start producing drones for Ukraine, according to Ukrainian specifications.
7:55 AM

Russian strikes kill 4, injure 5 in Kherson Oblast.

Russian drone and artillery strikes on Kherson Oblast killed four people and injured five others between June 23-24, local officials said. Twenty-nine settlements, including the city of Kherson, were hit.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.