Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will be named the next secretary general of the North Atlantic alliance. The White House backed his ascension to become NATO’s top civilian official. Rutte will replace outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
In his bid for the job, Rutte has secured support from all 32 member states and is expected to officially take over at the NATO summit in Washington next month. He has served as the Dutch prime minister for 14 years, but reportedly plans to step down.
Hungary was the last holdout for Rutte. Prime Minister Victor Orban said Budapest threw its support behind him after he pledged that Hungary would not have to support the alliance’s proxy war in Ukraine.
“I am aware of the outcome of talks between Jens Stoltenberg and you regarding NATO’s support for Ukraine,” he posted on X. “It is my understanding that you stressed that no Hungarian personnel would take part in these activities and no Hungarian funds will be used to support them.”
Following the recent European elections, where Hungarians voted in huge numbers in favour of #peace, we reached an important agreement with #NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg . We agreed that no Hungarian personnel will take part in the activities of NATO in Ukraine and no… pic.twitter.com/Cliu4rZGCE
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) June 18, 2024
During a 2018 press conference, Rutte interrupted when then-President Donald Trump was speaking to disagree with him. Gordon Sondland, who served as Trump’s envoy to the European Union, told POLITICO that Rutte “has had a history with him of pushing back when he thinks Trump is wrong, and he does it right to his face.”
Sondland noted that Trump did not dislike Rutte despite their clashing views.
The swell in support for Rutte comes in part because Western leaders believe he will be able to push Trump towards continuing the proxy war in Ukraine. However, Brussels has failed to implement any concrete “Trump-proofing” policies.
Fabrice Pothier, who served as former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s policy chief, said she did not believe Rutte’s appointment would be enough to stop Trump from ending the war in Ukraine.
“I’m just skeptical that Trump-proofing NATO and Trump-proofing the transatlantic relationship will do the trick,” Pothier said. “Trump, and some people around him, won’t be tricked a second time.”
On the campaign trail, Trump has pledged to end the fighting in Ukraine, without presenting a concrete plan for doing so. When he ran for president in 2016, he discussed withdrawing from NATO and improving US-Russian ties, calling the bloc “obsolete.” However, during his term, the relationship between Washington and Moscow significantly deteriorated, and Trump began shipping weapons to Ukraine.
Rutte is replacing Jen Stoltenberg, who has been in the role for a decade. On Thursday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, the only challenger to Rutte, dropped out of contention. Two US officials said Washington was pleased Iohannis cleared the way for Rutte.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
And how could Mark Rutte, top Stoltenberg, as a U.S. Neocon shill? I can't get that image out of my head.
Well, like any self-respecting neocon he does have an almost surreal talent to feck things up completely, while never having, or feel the slightest need, to take any responsibility for it. He's a pathological liar, served by a supremely selective memory and superhuman capacity to concoct the most implausibly elaborate excuses to evade anything sticking. Their common eel-like properties and complete absence of a moral sense probably is why Trump can so easily relate to him.
Tweedle Dee takes post that Tweedle Dum had.
Tweedle Dumb.
Fixed.
NATO is the gift that keeps on giving… Ahem.
No-President Trump says hi from his prison cell in NYC…!
The former Gov of NY Andrew Cuomo said that trial should never have been conducted and Judge Judy agreed with him. Even they see the pathetic show trial was political persecution.
The guy could be a maniacal serial killer and the US would endorse him because he might be able to persuade Trump to keep the aid flowing. Priorities.
If Biden could $hit a person out of his A$$, he could $hit both Stoltenberg and Rutte on the same day.
Something Rutte an in Denmark?
LOL
He was OUR pick or he wouldn't get the job.
NATO is expensive road kill still sucking up money from America!
A simple search on the web reveals former Nazi's became Nato generals however in order to get the top job you have to gift at least 18 F16 to Ukraine.
Yet another WEF stooge gets a promotion just like Ardern.