- Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer send congratulations to Mark Rutte on his new role
- He will take charge of the defense alliance in October amid the war in Ukraine
- His appointment was sealed by NATO ambassadors during a meeting in Brussels.
Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been named the new Secretary General of NATO.
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Rutte, who will take charge of the defense alliance in October amid the war in Ukraine and a wider standoff between Nato and Russia.
Rutte will also have to deal with the possibility of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Trump has previously criticized NATO allies for not spending the required 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense.
Rutte replaces Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, who spent more than a decade at the helm.
Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been appointed new NATO Secretary General
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Mr Rutte, who will take charge of the defense alliance in October.
Depending on the outcome of the general election, either Sir Keir or Sunak is likely to meet other Nato leaders at a summit in Washington DC just days after the prime ministerial election.
In his Article
Sir Keir said: “As Prime Minister of the Netherlands for over a decade, Mark has shown that he has the knowledge, experience and strength to be an excellent Secretary General in these dangerous and uncertain times.”
The Conservatives have pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, while Labor has said it would make the same commitment when finances allow.
Rutte’s appointment was sealed by NATO ambassadors during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.