Dutch PM Rutte to become next NATO secretary-general

The outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will become the next NATO secretary general, the alliance said Wednesday.

His appointment comes after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis – his only rival for the position – announced last week that he had withdrawn from the running.

The term of current secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, runs out on October 1.

Rutte will inherit a NATO that is racing to bolster its own security while also supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The alliance is walking a tightrope of rearming and increasing military spending while avoiding provoking Moscow and escalating what is already the deadliest war on European soil in decades.

This is a developing story and will be updated.