Support from major NATO powers makes Rutte the favorite to succeed current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in October.
The United States, Britain, France and Germany have backed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to become NATO's next secretary general, at a crucial time for the alliance as Russia's war against Ukraine continues.
NATO's major powers on Thursday backed Rutte to succeed current President Jens Stoltenberg when he leaves office in October, putting him in a strong position to win the leadership of the transatlantic alliance.
Stoltenberg's successor will take over at a crucial time, tasked with maintaining NATO members' support for Ukraine's costly defense while guarding against any escalation that would take the alliance directly into war with Moscow. .
“The United States has made it clear to our allies, our NATO allies, that we believe Mr. Rutte would be an excellent secretary general of NATO,” US National Security Council spokesperson told reporters Thursday, John Kirby.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said the U.K. “strongly backs” Rutte, adding that the U.K. wanted a candidate who would “keep NATO strong and deliver the NATO alliance's vision for 2030.”
The British Foreign Office also said Rutte was a highly respected figure across NATO, with serious defense and security credentials and would ensure it remained strong and prepared for any need to defend itself.
A senior French official told the Reuters news agency that President Emmanuel Macron had been one of the first to support Rutte in office. And the spokesman for the German government, Steffen Hebestreit. said in X that Rutte had the backing of Berlin, praising him as “an outstanding candidate.”
Diplomats have said Rutte is the only official candidate for the job in the behind-the-scenes race, although some said Romanian President Klaus Iohannis' name had also recently been mentioned in informal discussions. Other candidates could include Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins.
But with the support of Washington – the alliance's predominant power – and the three major European nations and 16 other NATO members, according to diplomats, Rutte is in a commanding position.
However, some analysts believe it could face opposition from Türkiye and Hungary.
'Interesting work
After ruling himself out for the NATO job in previous years, Rutte, 57, told Dutch media in October that leading the military alliance was a “very interesting” job and that he would be open to the prospect.
Rutte, the Netherlands' longest-serving leader, has had good relations with several British, EU and US leaders, including Donald Trump, during his time in office.
Trump, who will run for a second term as US president later this year, came under fire from Western officials earlier this month for questioning his commitment to defending NATO allies if he is re-elected.
Over the weekend, Rutte urged European leaders to “stop complaining and complaining” about Trump and focus on what they could do to bolster defense and help Ukraine.
Founded in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War, NATO is a political and military alliance of countries in North America and Europe.
NATO leaders are appointed by consensus, meaning that all members must consent to a final decision. The alliance currently has 31 members, and Sweden is set to join soon.
