NATO's new chief makes Ukraine support a top priority, says he'll work with any US president

Brussels — 

The caller caput of NATO vowed connected Tuesday to assistance enactment up Western enactment for war-ravaged Ukraine and expressed assurance that helium tin enactment with whoever is elected president of the United States, the alliance's astir almighty member, successful November.

"There tin beryllium nary lasting information successful Europe without a strong, autarkic Ukraine," caller NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said successful his archetypal code connected taking office, and helium affirmed a committedness made by the organization's leaders successful 2008 that "Ukraine's rightful spot is successful NATO."

Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces are making advances successful eastbound Ukraine. Ukraine's service has a shaky clasp connected portion of the Kursk portion successful Russia, which has provided a impermanent morale boost, but arsenic casualties equine it remains outmanned and outgunned.

"The outgo of supporting Ukraine is far, acold little than the outgo we would look if we let Putin to get his way," Rutte told reporters, a fewer hours aft his predecessor Jens Stoltenberg handed the reins to him, on with a Viking gavel with which to seat aboriginal meetings.

But Ukraine's NATO rank remains a distant prospect. Several subordinate countries, led by the U.S. and Germany, judge that Ukraine should not articulation portion it's warring a war. Rutte declined to speculate astir what indispensable hap earlier it tin basal among NATO's ranks.

Rutte did azygous retired China, and peculiarly Beijing's enactment for Putin. "China has go a decisive enabler of Russia's warfare successful Ukraine. China cannot proceed to substance the largest struggle successful Europe since the Second World War without this impacting its interests and reputation," helium said.

NATO's caller apical civilian authoritative besides underlined the value of keeping the trans-Atlantic enslaved betwixt the United States, Canada and Europe strong, with U.S. elections conscionable a period away.

Surveys suggest the predetermination volition beryllium a adjacent race. It could spot the instrumentality of Donald Trump, whose bluster during his past word of bureau astir debased defence spending among European allies and Canada undermined the spot of NATO subordinate countries.

It became an existential challenge, arsenic smaller members feared that the U.S. nether Trump would renege connected NATO's information pledge that each countries indispensable travel to the rescue of immoderate state successful trouble, the instauration chromatic the confederation is built on.

But Rutte said: "I cognize some candidates precise well." He praised Trump for pushing NATO allies to walk much and for toughening their attack toward China. He besides hailed the "fantastic record" of Vice President Kamala Harris and described her arsenic "a highly respected leader."

"I volition beryllium capable to enactment with both. Whatever is the result of the election," Rutte said. When pressed astir Trump's committedness to the different allies, helium deflected, saying lone that some candidates "understand that, successful the end, the trans-Atlantic narration is crucial, not conscionable for Europe."

Asked whether the Netherlands, which has lone conscionable reached NATO's spending of 2% of gross home merchandise connected its defence budget, has acceptable a bully illustration to different allies, Rutte shook his caput and said "No. We should person done this earlier."

Earlier, Stoltenberg had welcomed Rutte to NATO office successful Brussels for the alteration of leadership.

The 2 men, who archetypal sat unneurotic astatine NATO's array 14 years agone arsenic the leaders of Norway and the Netherlands, greeted each different warmly, earlier laying a wreath to fallen subject personnel, surrounded by the flags of the 32 subordinate countries.

"Mark has the cleanable inheritance to go a large caput general," a visibly affectional Stoltenberg said arsenic helium ended a decennary successful office.

"He has served arsenic premier curate for 14 years and led 4 antithetic conjugation governments, truthful so helium knows however to marque compromises, make consensus, and these are skills which are precise overmuch valued present astatine NATO," Stoltenberg said.

Rutte said that helium "cannot hold to get to work." Among his different priorities, helium said, are to summation defence spending and fortify partnerships that the confederation has established with different countries astir the world, notably successful Asia and the Middle East.

After hundreds of NATO staffers applauded the 2 men arsenic they moved wrong to the large hallway wherever North Atlantic Council meetings are held astatine the level of ambassadors, ministers oregon leaders, Stoltenberg helped his successor to get started by presenting him with a Viking gavel to usage erstwhile chairing meetings.

Stoltenberg, NATO's 13th secretary-general, took implicit successful 2014, the twelvemonth that "little greenish men" from Russia infiltrated Ukraine. Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula, sparking a defence spending buildup astatine the world's biggest information confederation that gathered gait implicit his term.

His tenure was surpassed lone by Dutch diplomat Joseph Luns, who spent 12 years successful complaint of NATO.

NATO secretaries-general tally the HQ, thrust the alliance's moving docket and talk connected behalf of the 32-nation enactment with 1 unifying voice. Continuity is usually the cardinal connection erstwhile they instrumentality up office.