WASHINGTON/AMSTERDAM/BUDAPEST ¨C Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a staunch ally of Kyiv and a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO chief, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported Tuesday, after Hungary and Slovakia backed him.
Speaking at a news conference alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, Stoltenberg neither confirmed nor denied the media report.
¡°With the announcement of (Hungarian) Prime Minister (Viktor) Orban, I think it¡¯s obvious that we are very close to a conclusion ... to select the next secretary-general, and I think that¡¯s good news,¡± he told reporters, while praising Rutte.
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