NATO's new Secretary General Mark Rutte becomes new anti-Russia face

Ambassadors of NATO member countries approved the current Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, as the new Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance. Rutte will officially take office as NATO Secretary General on October 1 this year.

Photo: flickr.com by FinnishGovernment, CC BY 2.0

According to Reuters, NATO allies chose Rutte for his "strong Atlanticist positions” and "a desire for full consensus on decisions” that affect all members of the alliance.

Before taking up the post of NATO Secretary General, Rutte will step down as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands in July and go on vacation for three months.

Who is Mark Rutte?

Mark Rutte has been serving as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands since October 14, 2010. This term in the office makes him one of the longest-serving European politicians. Until 2023, he was also the leader of the European right-wing liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.

Rutte avoids publicity. He is single, has no children; likes to play the piano and go to the opera. He carries a Nokia phone because "it's more convenient to send messages.” He also likes to ride a bicycle to go to work.

Mark Rutte was one of the few politicians who openly opposed former US President Donald Trump's measures to limit trade with the EU, while supporting the American leader's stance on increasing defense spending among European NATO members.

Under Rutte, the Netherlands exceeded NATO's required military spending threshold of two percent of the country's GDP. He also initiated the creation of an international coalition to transfer F-16 combat aircraft to Kyiv and train Ukrainian pilots. During his premiership, the Netherlands supplied Ukraine with artillery weapons, drones and ammunition.

Rutte is a supporter of NATO's policy to contain Russia. He is confident that NATO should strengthen the borders of the alliance "in the face of the Russian threat." He also believes that the alliance should continue providing military assistance to Ukraine.

"As head of NATO, he will play a key role in mobilizing weary allies to continue supporting war-torn Ukraine, while treading a fine line with Kyiv's aspirations for [NATO] membership,” French newspaper Le Monde wrote.

With Rutte in charge, the alliance will most likely continue the policy of escalation and growing defense spending. As a result, the conflict in Ukraine will aggravate even further, experts believe.

Russian Foreign Ministry official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Rutte "should only voice what they elaborate overseas within the Anglo-Saxon deep state.” According to her, Rutte is not a figure who makes policy and influences decisions.

Jens Stoltenberg, the sitting Secretary General of the alliance, was supposed to leave his post back in 2018, but NATO representatives extended his powers four times being unable to find a good replacement for him.

After stepping down as NATO Secretary General, Stoltenberg planned to return to his homeland in Norway. In February 2022, the government of Norway approved Stoltenberg as head of the Norwegian Central Bank for a period of six years. His powers on the new position will officially begin after his resignation from the post of NATO Secretary General.