Mark Rutte

Inaugural NATO Press Conference as Secretary General

delivered 1 October 2024, NATO HQ, Brussels, Belgium

Audio mp3 of Address       Audio AR-XE mp3 of Address

Good afternoon.

And I am glad to see all you here today.

Brussels has one of the largest international press corps in the world and I am looking forward to be working with you.

First, I want again to express my profound gratitude to Jens Stoltenberg for the tremendous job he has done in the past ten years. Few leaders of this Alliance faced a more challenging geopolitical environment. But Jens steered us through difficult times with a steady hand. He played a big part in making today’s NATO stronger than ever, and he leaves behind an enduring legacy.

I also want to thank the 32 Allies for their trust and confidence, for choosing me as his successor. I am deeply honored to serve as Secretary General of NATO -- the most successful political-military Alliance in history.

But NATO Allies face serious challenges. And we have work to do. At the Washington Summit, Allies set a clear course towards a safer world for the 1 billion people we serve. Now it is my job to ensure that we collectively implement these decisions and continue to adapt our Alliance to a more complex world. All 32 Allies have their unique role to play. And there is nothing we cannot achieve together.

I have three priorities:
[1] Ensure we have the capabilities to protect against any threat;
[2] Support Ukraine in fighting back against Russian aggression; and
[3] Addressing the growing global challenges to Euro-Atlantic security.

First, on our military capabilities.

NATO’s core mission is to ensure our collective deterrence and defense. Over the past decade, we have made tremendous progress in ensuring we have the forces and capabilities to deter and defend against any threat, from any direction.

But we must go further and faster to meet enormous challenge ahead.
We need more, better equipped forces; a more robust transatlantic defense industry; increased defense production capacity; greater investment in innovation; and Secure supply chains.

Allies are already stepping up, with plans to acquire thousands of air defense and artillery systems; many hundreds of modern aircraft, mostly 5th generation F-35s; as well as substantial high-end capabilities.

But to truly match our capabilities with our needs, we need significantly more defense spending. I will work with Allies to ensure that we invest enough, in the right areas, and that we shoulder the burden for our collective defense equitably. We must each pay our fair share.

My next priority is support for Ukraine.

I have traveled to Ukraine several times in recent years -- to Odessa, Kyiv, Bucha, Borodianka, and Kharkiv, close to the Russian border, where I witnessed first-hand the brutality of Russia’s war of aggression and the bravery of Ukraine’s people in their fight for freedom. Supporting Ukraine is the right thing to do. And it is also an investment in our own security, because an independent and democratic Ukraine is vital for peace and stability in Europe. And the cost of supporting Ukraine is far, far lower than the cost we would face if we allow Putin to get his way.

I know from personal experience, with the downing of Flight MH17, how the conflict in Ukraine is not contained to the frontlines. It was a tragedy that shook my country ten years ago, one that must never be repeated.

At the Washington Summit, Allies agreed a support package for Ukraine, including with a NATO command, a long-term financial pledge, and an irreversible path to membership. I will work with Allies to ensure that we fully implement our decisions and that we continue to bring Ukraine ever closer to NATO.

NATO’s focus must remain, obviously, on Euro-Atlantic security, keeping our one billion people safe. But the threats we face are increasingly global. Therefore, I will deepen our partnerships with like-minded nations, near and far, that share our values. The European Union is NATO’s unique and essential partner. There is potential to boost our cooperation in many areas, from supporting Ukraine to countering hybrid threats. We will also increase our engagement with partners across the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel regions to foster stability in our Southern neighborhood. We must do more to counter the threat of terrorism to our nations and our populations.

And, further afield, we will enhance cooperation with our Indo-Pacific partners. Through its support for Russia’s military industry, China has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine. China cannot continue to fuel the largest conflict in Europe since the second world war without this impacting its interests and reputation. Russia is also receiving support from North Korea and Iran that allows it to sustain its illegal war. Later this month, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea are participating in a NATO Defense Ministerial for the first time. I look forward to welcoming them and forging a shared approach to our shared challenges.

Finally, I want to thank all the men and women in uniform serving our Alliance. You put into practice the defense of our freedoms every day, often at great risk to yourselves. Thank you for your service.

I look forward to working with all of you, and I cannot wait to get started.

Original Text, Audio, Video Source: NATO.int

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