NATO's new chief Mark Rutte on Tuesday (Oct 1) voiced his strong support for Ukraine and pledged to ensure NATO's core mission and values will not be changed after taking over the alliance from Jens Stoltenberg.
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00:00Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, on Tuesday, took over his duty as the new NATO
00:07Secretary-General, voicing his strong support for Ukraine.
00:12The 57-year-old replaces Jens Stoltenberg, who ran the alliance for a decade.
00:18Rutte outlined three priorities under his leadership, saying that the first priority
00:23is to keep NATO strong and ensure its allies' defensive capabilities effective against all
00:29threats.
00:30My second priority is to step up our support for Ukraine and bring it ever closer to NATO.
00:38Because there can be no lasting security in Europe without a strong, independent Ukraine.
00:46I know from personal experience with the downing of Flight MH17 in 2014, how conflict in Ukraine
00:55is not contained to the front lines.
00:59So we must do our part.
01:01Rutte said his third priority is to strengthen NATO partnerships with the EU and countries
01:07around the world that share common interests and values.
01:11He also said they will ensure their core mission and values will not be changed.
01:16And I believe now the right wording is that I have to say, this meeting now stands adjourned.
01:25In June, NATO said Rutte was formally confirmed as its Secretary General and that he was the
01:38sole candidate after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew from the race.
01:44Rutte was the longest-serving Prime Minister of the Netherlands, serving from 2010 to 2014.
01:52He relinquished his post as the leader of People's Party for Freedom and Democracy,
01:57which he held from May 2006 until August 2023.