Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew this Thursday (20) from the dispute for leadership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), paving the way for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to become the next secretary general of the military alliance.
All other NATO members had previously backed Rutte, a staunch ally of Ukraine and an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to take over from Jens Stoltenberg, who will step down this year after a decade at the helm of the alliance.
With the war in Ukraine at NATO’s doorstep and European countries worried about Donald Trump’s possible return to the White House, alliance members concluded that Rutte is the best person for the job.
In announcing Iohannis’ decision, Romania’s Supreme Defense Council said it will donate one of its two operational Patriot systems to Ukraine, responding to Kiev’s appeals to its allies for more air defense assistance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Romania’s decision “will strengthen our air shield and help us better protect our people and critical infrastructure against Russian aerial terror.”
The Council, which is chaired by Iohannis, said the president had informed NATO last week of his decision to withdraw from the race and that Romania will now support Rutte’s candidacy.
With all 32 NATO members now backing the Dutchman, the alliance’s diplomats said they expect the North Atlantic Council, which governs the alliance, to formally select him for the role in the coming days.
Rutte will face the challenge of maintaining allies’ support for Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion while at the same time guarding against any escalation that could lead NATO directly into war with Moscow.
Former Norwegian Prime Minister Stoltenberg’s term at the helm of NATO will end on October 1. He took office in 2014, just months after Russia annexed Crimea.
Four countries have joined NATO since Stoltenberg took office: Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and Sweden.
Source: CNN Brasil
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