NATO must ensure that Ukraine prevails in its war against Russia, the new head of the transatlantic military alliance said after he took charge.Mark Rutte branded Ukraine his “top priority” as he formally became NATO secretary-general at a ceremony in Brussels on Tuesday. The former Dutch prime minister took over the job from Jens Stoltenberg more than three months after the alliance’s 32 members appointed him.
Stating that he “cannot wait to get to work”, Rutte told journalists: “We have to make sure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent, democratic nation.”
He also noted that, amid the growing war between Israel and Hezbollah, monitoring the situation in Lebanon is also at the top of his list.
The new NATO chief also asserted that he is not worried about the upcoming presidential election in the United States as he could work with either candidate.
It has been suggested that the Republican candidate, former US President Donald Trump, could cut support to Ukraine or weaken security guarantees for some NATO members should he return to the White House after the November elections.
Rutte noted Trump’s continued push for NATO allies to spend more on defence, but said he was not worried as he had worked with the US presidential hopeful before.
“He was also pushing us on China, and I think he was right there,” he added.
The NATO chief also noted that ramping up Western defence industry production and deepening ties with partners in the Asia Pacific as important tasks.
“Mark has the perfect background to become a great sec …
