With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and uncertainty over the Kremlin’s actions, Rutte will need to use all the coalition-building skills acquired during his tenure as prime minister in the Netherlands.
Reuters reports this.
According to the agency, Rutte’s success will depend on his ability to establish mutual understanding among NATO’s 32 member countries. After all, their task is to ensure the protection of almost a billion people, which requires not only military force, but also political unity.
Key challenges Rutte will face could include Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency and demands from Eastern European allies for greater protection from Russia. Ukraine, which is not a member of the bloc, also hopes for greater military assistance.
Rutte is expected to maintain the main directions of his predecessor’s work, including support for kyiv, increasing military spending among NATO countries and US involvement in European security issues.
Former Dutch Defense Minister Kaisi Ollongren noted that Rutte is an experienced politician and administrator, which will be a great asset in his new role. According to her, her ability to reach agreements and communicate effectively will be very useful.
As for Rutte’s leadership style, he can be quite active and hands-on, which differs somewhat from the traditional NATO management style. Ollongren stressed that he always prefers to act quickly and combines courtesy with determination.
However, Rutte could be forced to reconsider his views on budget spending. NATO estimates that 23 of 32 countries should reach the target of 2% of GDP for defense this year. And many NATO members believe these expenditures should be increased to at least 2.5% in order to provide the weapons needed to rebuild the bloc.
In October 2023, Rutte visited Tel Aviv to express his support for the people of Israel following the Hamas surprise attack.
Let us remember that “Cursor” wrote that in In Los Angeles, a series of gatherings and commemorative events are planned over a 24-hour period leading up to October 7.
