New NATO Secretary General Rutte: My first priority is Ukraine

12:30, 01.10.2024 1 min read

Mark Rutte, who has come into office of NATO Secretary General on Tuesday, said that Ukraine will be his top priority.

"You already mentioned the priority you have been working on. And these priorities we will take forward in the future – Ukraine. We have to make sure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent democratic nation," he said at the NATO Headquarters, addressing Jens Stoltenberg, who is leaving the position.

To a clarifying question about his priorities, the new Secretary General said that Ukraine is on the top of the list.

Rutte said that more effort should be applied to collective defense and deterrence, more investment should be made, gap in opportunities should be closed, and all goals set by NATO should be achieved. He also noted that more should be done to make sure that partnerships that have been built for years are developing, particularly in the Middles East.