Ukraine's victory to remain key priority for NATO – Mark Rutte

The new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, stated this on Tuesday during the ceremony of transferring leadership of the Alliance while addressing the press alongside former Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

“You’ve already mentioned the priorities you’ve been working on and these priorities we’ll take forward in the future. Ukraine. We have to make sure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent, democratic nation. Of course, our deterrence and defense. We have to spend more, we have to increase our collective defense, and you [Stoltenberg] have achieved so much to this end. And then of course, above all, building all those alliances all around the Globe – NATO’s partnerships, and they have to go wider, and deeper, given all the insecurities in the world,” Rutte said when asked about key priorities of the Alliance.

He noted that his predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, led the Alliance during times of great turbulence, and thanks to his efforts, NATO is now larger, stronger, and more united than ever.

“It is for me a great honor to follow you as Secretary General. We both believe that strong transatlantic bond is the foundation of our Alliance, and I assure you that I will do my utmost to assure that it will stay rock solid,” the new NATO leader said, addressing Stoltenberg.

When asked by journalists how the upcoming U.S. presidential elections might affect NATO and its support for Ukraine, Rutte remarked that he is well-acquainted with both candidates and hopes to establish constructive relations with the new administration, regardless of who leads it.

“I know both candidates very well. I worked for four years with Donald Trump. He was pushing us to spend more, and he achieved it – at the moment we are at a much higher spending level. He was also pushing us off China, and he was right. Of course, Kamala Harris has a fantastic record as Vice President, she is a highly respected figure. So, I hope, I will be able to work with both,” Rutte added.

As reported earlier, NATO emphasized that it will continue to provide strong support to Ukraine on its path to membership in the Alliance.

On October 1, the NATO headquarters in Brussels held a ceremony to transfer powers from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the new head of the Alliance, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.