O NATO announced this Wednesday the appointment of the outgoing Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mark Ruthas the new secretary general, at a critical moment due to the war Ukraine and the possible return of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States.
Ruth57 years old, will take office on October 1st, replacing the Norwegian Jens Stoltenbergand thus begin to lead the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at a particularly delicate moment.
READ TOO: The European Union opens accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova
“He North Atlantic Council decided to appoint the prime minister brand Ruth as the new secretary general of NATO“, announced the alliance after the ambassadors of member countries approved the appointment.
Almost immediately, Stoltenberg welcomed the appointment of Ruth with a congratulatory message on the X network. “He is a strong leader and a consensus builder. I wish you every success. I know I leave the NATO in good hands”, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, the president of European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, noted that the leadership and experience of Ruth “They will be crucial to the Alliance during these difficult times.” “I look forward to working with you to further strengthen the partnership EU-NATO”he added.
Ruth has had the support of key members of the NATOas United States and United Kingdom.
The race swung in his favor last week after the only remaining candidate, Romanian President Klaus Iohannisabandoned his aspirations and declared his support for Ruth.
Furthermore, the Dutch leader obtained the support of two countries openly hostile to his nomination Hungary It is Türkiye.
The experienced Dutch leader, who headed his country’s government for 14 years, is seen as a leader capable of managing the alliance in times of important challenges.
As he faces the specter of a possible return of the former US president donald trump The The White House after the November elections, Ruth He will also have to deal with the threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the eastern flank.
Precisely, the Kremlin estimated that the appointment of Ruth This won’t change anything.
“It is unlikely that this decision will change anything in the general line of NATO”, an alliance that is “hostile” towards RussiaKremlin spokesman told the press, Dmitry Peskov.
The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenskypraised instead Ruthwhich he described as “strong leader who respects principles.”
TO KNOW MORE: The ICC orders the arrest of Russian Chief of Staff and former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
A staunch ally of Ukraine
Firm ally of Ukraine, Ruth led an initiative to provide that country F-16 fighter jetsas a way to help him fight the Russian invasion.
As head of NATOwill play a key role in convincing alliance countries to continue supporting Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermakpointed out on network X that “leadership and dedication to democratic principles” of Ruth They are “crucial to our shared future.”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine revitalized a NATO who was struggling to find purpose after the end of Cold Warand pressured European nations to increase their defense spending.
Ruth Now you will have to make sure that the NATO is in a position to face the strategic threat that, according to the alliance, Russia will represent in the coming years.
However, your biggest challenge may be maintaining NATO Yes trump regains the presidency of U.S.
During his tenure as head of the US government, trump He was a strong critic of NATO and even considered withdrawing the US from the transatlantic alliance.
In his re-election campaign, trump returned to the fray and said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever you want” with NATO countries not spending enough on defense.
Ruth You must follow the steps of Stoltenbergthe former Norwegian Prime Minister who led the NATO during a critical decade for the alliance.
The imperturbable and sometimes robotic Stoltenberg received widespread praise for maintaining unity and strengthening the NATO during a tumultuous period.
Ruth He will be the fourth Dutchman to hold the position of Secretary General of the NATOafter Dirk Tikker (1957-1963), José Luns (1971-1984) and Jaap by Hoop Scheffer (2004-2009).
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
