NATO set to officially appoint Rutte as new chief on Wednesday

• Ambassadors from all 32 member countries have greenlit his appointment.
• Rutte, backed by the US, will take over from current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on October 1.
• Rutte secured the leadership race after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis dropped out.

NATO will officially name outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the alliance’s next head on Wednesday. Diplomats said Tuesday that ambassadors from all 32 member countries had greenlit his appointment.

Several NATO state diplomats said Rutte, strongly backed by the leading power the United States, will take over from current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg when his term ends on October 1.

Rutte, 57, secured the race to lead the Western military alliance last week after his lone challenger, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, dropped out.

The seasoned Dutch leader, set to leave office in the Netherlands soon after nearly 14 years in charge, will assume the reins at a pivotal time.

The next NATO chief will need to address the ongoing fallout from Russia’s war on Ukraine and prepare for the potential return of Donald Trump to the US presidency after the November elections.

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