At a time when the NATO alliance faces its most daunting challenge since its creation 75 years ago, the appointment of former Dutch premier Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general should help to provide reassurance that the organisation is equipped for the challenges that lie ahead.
Apart from provoking the largest conflict Europe has faced since the end of the Second World War, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has provided NATO with arguably the most significant challenge it has faced since the end of the Cold War in the 1980s.
Prior to the Ukraine conflict, NATO’s main military focus had been on confronting militant Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda. NATO, for example, played a key role in supporting the decade-long US-led mission to Afghanistan following the overthrow of the Taliban regime in late 2001.
But as the alliance prepares to mark the 75th anniversary of its foundation at a lavish ceremony in Washington in July, the challenge presented by the Ukraine conflict has placed the alliance under enormous pressure in a conflict that will ultimately decide its worth.
Apart from providing Ukraine with military support, the alliance has had to undergo a radical transformation in its attitude towards Russia, significantly increasing its ability to defend NATO countries from any future act of Russian aggression. The Ukraine conflict has also led previously neutral countries such as Sweden and Finland to join the NATO alliance, thereby significantly increasing their ability to protect their northern flank from Russia.
Staunch Kremlin critic
Therefore, Rutte's emergence as the designated candidate to replace the outgoing Jens Stoltenberg in October comes at a vital moment in the alliance’s history—one that the former Dutch premier appears well-qualified to confront. Rutte’s appointment will undoubtedly be well-received in Kyiv, where he is highly regarded for his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and for leading international efforts to equip Ukrainian forces with US-made F-16 fighter jets.
The 57-year-old Rutte, who previously served 14 years as Dutch prime minister, has been one of the driving forces behind Europe’s military support for Ukraine and has argued strongly that it is vital for Russia to suffer defeat on the battlefield in Ukraine to safeguard Europe’s future security.
Rutte’s personal antipathy towards the Kremlin is said to stem from his conviction that Russia was responsible for the downing of an airliner over Ukraine in 2014, in which 196 of the 298 victims were Dutch. This has led him to argue that NATO must expand its military ability to counter Moscow while warning other European Union leaders not to be naive about Putin's Russia, he says.
"He won’t stop at Ukraine if we don’t stop him now,” Rutte told the United Nations seven months after Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. “This war is bigger than Ukraine itself. It’s about upholding the international rule of law."
Rutte’s uncompromising attitude towards Russia certainly helped him to secure the nomination to replace Stoltenberg, as did his prominent role in co-leading an international coalition to deliver F-16 fighters to Ukraine and train Ukrainian pilots. Under his leadership, the Netherlands has increased defence spending to more than the 2% threshold of GDP required of NATO members, providing F-16 fighter jets, artillery, drones and ammunition to Kyiv and investing heavily in its own military. In his last months in office, he also signed a 10-year security pact with Ukraine.
Rutte regards himself as a strong backer of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he has developed a close relationship in recent years.
"It was clear even then: this is a man with a mission,” Rutte recently recalled of his first meeting with the Ukrainian premier five years ago. “I am convinced that Ukraine's success largely depends on the mentality he conveyed from the very beginning."
He is less complimentary about Putin, who he claims is not as strong as he seems. "Don't mentally overestimate Putin,” Rutte warned the Dutch parliament in April. “I've talked to the man a lot. He's not a strong man; he's not a strong guy."
Other contenders
While Rutte’s track record of supporting Ukraine and opposing Russia undoubtedly contributed significantly to his campaign to replace Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, he has had to contend with serious competition from other leading European politicians.
