Mark Rutte set to be Nato chief as rival drops out

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is poised to become the next NATO secretary general after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew his candidacy last week. Rutte and Iohannis had been competing to succeed Jens Stoltenberg, whose term ends in October.

Although Rutte is the sole candidate now, he still requires official confirmation by NATO member states. As secretary general, Rutte, 57, will oversee NATO’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and maintain the US’s commitment to the alliance, especially if Donald Trump is re-elected as president.

Mr Rutte has been credited with dealing positively with Mr Trump in the past. He told a security conference in February that Europe should work “with whoever is on the dance floor”, according to AFP.

via BBC