New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says Ukraine’s path to NATO is irreversible

Mark Rutte, the new Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, promises to fulfill the Alliance’s commitments to Ukraine, particularly regarding the irreversibility of its path to NATO membership.

European Pravda reported on this.

Rutte listed three main priorities for his work in the future, noting that one of them would be to strengthen support for Ukraine and bring it closer to NATO membership.

“Because Europe cannot have lasting security without a strong, independent Ukraine. I know from personal experience, after the downing of flight MH17 in 2014, that the conflict in Ukraine is not limited to the front line. So we have to do our part,” Mark Rutte emphasized.

He said that NATO should fulfill the commitments given to Ukraine at the Washington summit in July this year.

“Command, financial promises, and Ukraine’s irreversible path to membership in the Alliance. We must maintain this support in the future, because Ukraine’s place is rightfully in NATO,” Rutte emphasized.

Mark Rutte

Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician, former Prime Minister of the country, who replaced Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General on October 1.

As Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Rutte actively supported Ukraine in the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.

During his tenure, Ukraine received F-16 fighter jets, ammunition, and other weapons from the Netherlands.

On January 27, 2023, Rutte received the state award “The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, First Class” for his significant personal contribution to strengthening interstate cooperation, supporting Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

Rutte announced his intention to run for the post of NATO Secretary General in October 2023. He was supported by the governments of the United States, Britain, Germany, and France.

He then managed to overcome the position of Turkey, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. His last opponent, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, withdrew from the race in June.