Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Named NATO Chief
TimeJun 25
New NATO Chief Rutte Pledges Continued Support for Ukraine
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Above: Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte speaks during a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Oct. 1, 2024. Image copyright: Dursun Aydemir/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Facts
Following the 10-year term of Norway's Jens Stoltenberg, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte became NATO's 14th Secretary-General on Tuesday, pledging continued support for Ukraine against Russia and a potential "future NATO membership" for Ukraine.
Besides ensuring a "sovereign, independent, democratic" Ukraine, as well as defending "our people, our nations, and...our values," Rutte said he would work to grow NATO's relationships with the EU and other nations with shared values.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Mark Rutte couldn't have taken the helm at a more important time. While Kyiv needs NATO to provide more ammunition to stave off recent Russian gains, the entire 32-member bloc needs to invest more financially for its own security purposes. Hopefully Rutte, with his successful history of leading the Netherlands, security conferences, and negotiating with Donald Trump, will strengthen the West more than ever before.
Establishment-critical narrative
Mark Rutte represents everything that's wrong with the Western establishment. While the media portray him as a strong statesman willing to do what it takes to defend Ukraine, in reality, he has hawkish views and wants to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons deep inside Russia—a clear provocation aimed at widening the conflict. It's no wonder he mentioned the Malaysian airline flight, which is arguably another piece of propaganda aimed at demonizing Russia.
