"Taking over after Jens Stoltenberg's decade-long stewardship of NATO on October 1, 2024, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte knew that there would be no easing into his new position. Rutte had been a shoo-in for the job because European allies believed that if Donald Trump were reelected as US president just over a month later, he was the leader best suited to handle what would soon be an incredibly precarious relationship between NATO and the United States."
"In his first term, Trump had mused about withdrawing the United States from the alliance. NATO's first secretary general, Lord Hastings Ismay, coined three goals, the most important of which were to keep the Americans in and the Russians out. (The third goal, keeping "the Germans down," would ultimately reverse as Berlin was prodded to amp up its defense budget and military readiness.)"
Mark Rutte assumed NATO leadership on October 1, 2024 amid expectations he could manage a fragile transatlantic relationship if Donald Trump returned to the White House. Trump’s campaign included inviting Vladimir Putin to do "whatever the hell you want" with countries that missed defense spending pledges and earlier musings about withdrawing the United States from the alliance. NATO’s founding aim prioritized keeping Americans in and Russians out, while earlier objectives to 'keep the Germans down' reversed as Germany increased defense spending. Russian aircraft increasingly tested NATO borders, putting the alliance on high alert. After Trump’s reelection, Rutte moved to renew US commitment but faced criticism for a near-silent response when Trump vowed to acquire Greenland.
Read at www.dw.com
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