Rutte to become head of Nato after lone rival drops out
Mark Rutte, the outgoing Dutch prime minister, has clinched the race to become the next head of Nato at a pivotal time for the alliance, after his sole challenger Klaus Iohannis, the Romanian president, pulled out.
The veteran politician, 57, is expected to be formally appointed by Nato’s 32 nations in the coming days and should take over from Jens Stoltenberg when the current secretary general’s term ends on Oct 1.
Mr Rutte will come in at a perilous moment for the Western allies as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on and Donald Trump battles to reclaim the presidency in the United States.
After staking his claim for the job last year following the collapse of his coalition, Mr Rutte, a staunch Ukraine backer, quickly won the support of heavyweights Britain, France, Germany and the US.
Related
Retailer urgently recalls nearly 40 tonnes of butter after label…
Over 35,000 kilos of butter has been recalled for containing a well-known ingredient which failed to be mentioned on its packaging. A whopping 35,924 kilos of
Starmer announces UK target for 81% carbon emissions cut by…
The prime minister said the new target was based on recommendations from the UK's independent climate change committee (CCC) aimed at limiting global warming to
