Will be able to cope with Trump: the Prime Minister of the Netherlands may be assigned to the post of NATO Secretary General

Rutte may become the new Secretary General of NATO/Collage 24 Channel

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is considering a possible new candidate for the post of NATO Secretary General. Countries supporting Rutte believe he can handle Donald Trump if he wins the US presidential election.

Bloomberg Journalists, with reference to informed sources, they claim that NATO member countries are working to ensure that the decision on Rutte’s appointment is made before the summer of 2024.

Dutch Prime Minister could become NATO's next Secretary General

In the materials, the authors emphasized the urgency expressed by Rutte's supporters in NATO, calling for the completion of the process of agreeing on his position as Secretary General of the Alliance by the beginning of the summer.

While there is the possibility of extending the deadline, most Alliance members expect a final decision to be made ahead of the July 2024 NATO Leaders' Summit in Washington.

It is critical that this the decision was unanimously approved by all 31 member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is noteworthy that Rutte has become the favorite to replace Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term expires in October, Bloomberg writes.

However, journalists noted that Rutte is still awaiting support from some Eastern European countries , which could potentially affect the final result.

The publication noted that the role of the NATO Secretary General will be especially important because the war between Russia and Ukraine may drag on. The NATO leader will therefore need to strike a balance between avoiding any direct consequences or wider escalation between the Alliance and Russia, while also encouraging allies to continue their military and financial support for Ukraine.

Rutte will be able to cope with Trump if he becomes the head of the United States

In another material, Bloomberg journalists wrote that Mark Rutte’s candidacy received significant support from many NATO member countries. This is primarily due to his ability to effectively deal with former US President Donald Trump if he wins the new election.

The US has twice proposed Rutte this role, a source told Bloomberg. He refused the last time because he did not think that his cabinet in the Netherlands would fall apart as quickly as it did. – the authors wrote.

Bloomberg also emphasized that, despite widespread support from major NATO countries, in particular France and Germany, the ambassadors of the Alliance member countries have not yet approved Rutte's candidacy for the post of NATO Secretary General. After all, some countries from the eastern flank are stalling, seeking greater representation of the region in leadership positions in the organization.

“Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins expressed interest in this post last year, but countries have not formally nominated them,” the story said.

NATO allies are actively working toward completion this spring to ensure a smooth transition of leadership of the Secretary General's chair, thus ahead of any potential post-election bids for the European Union. Current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is due to end his term in October 2024.