What's happened
Mark Rutte officially took over as NATO Secretary General from Jens Stoltenberg on October 1, 2024. He emphasized Ukraine's sovereignty as a top priority and expressed confidence in working with either U.S. presidential candidate amid concerns over future support for Ukraine.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Al Jazeera, Rutte stated that Ukraine is his 'top priority' and expressed confidence in working with either U.S. presidential candidate, highlighting his past experience with Trump. The Independent noted Rutte's emphasis on the importance of supporting Ukraine to prevent greater costs in the future. Meanwhile, Politico reported on Stoltenberg's final remarks urging European allies to engage with the U.S. to ensure continued support for Ukraine, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding future U.S. policy. The Guardian pointed out that NATO has significantly increased its military readiness since Stoltenberg's tenure, but challenges remain in meeting Ukraine's urgent needs for military aid.
How we got here
Rutte's appointment follows a decade of leadership by Stoltenberg, during which NATO expanded its focus on collective defense, particularly in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The upcoming U.S. presidential election adds uncertainty to NATO's future support for Ukraine.
More on these topics
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Jens Stoltenberg is a Norwegian politician who has been serving as the 13th secretary general of NATO since 2014. A member of the Labour Party, he was Prime Minister of Norway from 2000 to 2001 and from 2005 to 2013.
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
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Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician serving as Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 2010 and Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy since 2006.
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 North American and European countries.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.
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Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician, actor and comedian who is the 6th and current president of Ukraine, serving since May 2019.
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Kamala Devi Harris is an American attorney and politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from California since 2017.