On Tuesday (October 1), former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte assumed management of the North Atlantic Treaty Group (NATO) – the world’s strongest navy alliance – as its new Secretary Common.
In choosing the veteran Dutch statesman, a staunch ally of the US and stalwart backer of Ukraine, NATO’s 32 nations have picked a frontrunner anticipated to maintain pushing assist for Kyiv and efforts to bolster the alliance’s personal defences within the face of Russia.
In an unannounced go to to Kyiv on Thursday (October 3), Rutte reiterated the alliance’s continued assist to Ukraine and vowed “to make crystal clear” to all observers that NATO stands with the nation.
As NATO’s chief, Rutte should above all be certain that unity is maintained inside the navy alliance. In doing so, he’ll be capable to put his abilities as a strategic bridge-builder to good use.
The fact of the NATO job means Rutte will likely be heading a risk-averse civilian paperwork, with exhausting energy in the end residing with member international locations and above all the US.
Former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has known as Mark Rutte “an awesome successor”. Throughout his greater than ten years on the helm, the Norwegian was usually praised for his calm stewardship of the generally fractious alliance.
Push for Ukraine’s NATO membership
Since Russia’s tanks rolled into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the push for extra defence has turn out to be a serious preoccupation in Europe. Discussions on Ukraine’s membership to the navy alliance have since gained momentum.
On Tuesday, Rutte mentioned “Ukraine belongs in NATO” and harassed that “an unbiased and democratic Ukraine is important for peace and stability in Europe”. In Kyiv on Thursday, he added that “Ukraine is nearer to NATO than ever earlier than and can proceed on this path”.
“I do know from private expertise with the downing of flight MH17 how the battle in Ukraine isn’t contained to the entrance strains.”
Mark Rutte, Secretary Common of NATO
His 14-year tenure as prime minister of the Netherlands was marked by the capturing down of Malaysia Airways flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, with 196 Dutch among the many 298 killed.
In keeping with Rutte, NATO allies can not escape investing extra in NATO. “To really match our capabilities with our wants, we’d like considerably extra defence spending.” He additionally mentioned the price of supporting Ukraine is “far, far decrease than the fee we might face if we permit [Russian President] Putin to get his approach”.
Throughout former NATO chief Stoltenberg’s ten-year tenure, NATO welcomed 4 new allies: Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and Sweden. Each Nordic international locations deserted years of neutrality after the all-out Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Balancing act with the EU
One in every of Rutte’s priorities is to “deepen our partnerships with like-minded nations close to and much that share our values”. He cited cooperation with international locations in East Asia and Oceania and with the European Union as examples.
In keeping with Rutte, there’s potential to spice up NATO-EU cooperation in lots of areas from supporting Ukraine to countering hybrid threats. “The European Union is NATO’s distinctive and important companion,” he mentioned at his first press convention as Secretary Common on Tuesday.
On account of navy threats, cyber assaults and financial challenges, the EU has for the primary time appointed a European Commissioner for Defence. Former Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius has been designated for the submit.
“I welcome…the EU’s efforts to defence. I believe there’s a clear recognition, each on the facet of NATO and of the European Union that we each worth a extra succesful European defence, after all being complementary to and interoperable with NATO,” Rutte mentioned.
Rutte participated at conferences of the EU heads of state and authorities within the European Council for the final 14 years in his function as Dutch prime minister. He believes the EU and NATO have the potential to get on the identical web page, however mentioned that he doesn’t wish to create a parallel construction or duplication of what NATO is already doing.
In June, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev underlined that guaranteeing a excessive degree of safety can solely be achieved by NATO and EU international locations becoming a member of forces. “The outbreak of recent navy conflicts in varied elements of the world and Russia’s full-scale struggle of attrition in opposition to Ukraine are presenting the defence trade and science with new and unfamiliar challenges,” he mentioned.
One hurdle for NATO-EU relations is the truth that NATO ally Türkiye doesn’t recognise the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state.
In 1974, Türkiye invaded the northern a part of Cyprus following a Greek-backed navy coup. The island has been divided since then. Türkiye is the one nation that recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as a de facto state – all different states contemplate the territory to be a part of the Republic of Cyprus.
Türkiye doesn’t settle for the presence of Cyprus in any contacts between NATO and the EU, primarily based on the so-called “Berlin Plus settlement” of 1999 that foresees the existence of safety safety guidelines within the trade of and entry to categorised NATO data.
No concern of Trump’s return to the White Home
Along with bolstering assist for Ukraine, the potential return of former US President Donald Trump to the White Home in November could be a serious check for Rutte. Previous statements from Trump have solid doubt on US collective defence commitments to the alliance.
On Tuesday, Rutte downplayed fears over the affect of a possible Trump victory within the November 5 US presidential elections and pledged to maintain backing Ukraine.
Referring to the 2 presidential candidates Kamala Harris (Democrats) and Donald Trump (Republicans), Rutte mentioned he revered each candidates very a lot and was satisfied they perceive what is critical for NATO. He additionally recalled that Trump was the one who pushed to speed up the alliance’s defence spending.
Trump reportedly mulled withdrawing the US from NATO throughout his first time period and threatened to not defend allies that don’t spend sufficient on defence. Incomes him the nickname “The Trump Whisperer”, Rutte is extensively credited with rescuing a 2018 NATO summit by speaking Trump round on defence spending.
In 2014, the NATO allies agreed to commit two p.c of their nationwide Gross Home Product (GDP) to defence spending. Nevertheless, a decade after NATO set this goal for its allies, solely 23 of them hit that bar this yr. The goal is seen as a strategy to hold Trump relaxed with NATO.
In keeping with NATO estimates for 2024, international locations like Poland (4.12 p.c), Estonia (3.43 p.c) and the US (3.38 p.c) are spending essentially the most in relation to their GDP. Others reminiscent of Spain (1.28 p.c), Slovenia and Luxembourg (each 1.29 p.c) fall under the two-percent goal.
With the menace from Russia anticipated to final for years – regardless of the final result in Ukraine – there’s a clear understanding that extra will likely be wanted. That might show a troublesome promote for Rutte, who solely noticed the Netherlands attain the two-percent purpose in his 14th, and last yr, in workplace. Nations like Portugal have sometimes said that this goal can solely be achieved in 2030, or 2029 at greatest.
At a farewell speech on the German Marshall Fund in Brussels in mid-September, former NATO chief Stoltenberg mentioned that Europe can not do with out the US, however neither can the US do with out Europe. “Europeans should perceive [that] with out NATO, there is no such thing as a safety in Europe. 80 p.c of NATO’s defence spending comes from non-EU allies.”
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen has estimated that the bloc might want to make investments 500 billion Euro total on defence over the subsequent decade, however the figures on the desk at an EU degree are far under that.
This text is revealed twice every week. The content material relies on information by companies collaborating within the enr.
