Hungary and Slovakia expressed help for the candidacy of the outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to interchange NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
“Hungary is ready to support PM Rutte’s bid for NATO secretary general,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban mentioned on X.
NATO makes choices by consensus, so any candidate wants the help of all 32 allies. Only Romania, whose President Klaus Iohannis can also be vying for the job, continues to be against Rutte’s candidacy.
Hungary’s backing follows a gathering Prime Minister Viktor Orban had with NATO’s present Secretary-General Stoltenberg final week, the place the 2 sides agreed that Hungary wouldn’t block NATO choices on offering help for Ukraine however has agreed that it will not be concerned.
“PM Mark Rutte confirmed that he fully supports this deal and will continue to do so, should he become the next Secretary General of NATO,” Orban wrote on the X social media platform.
NATO’s subsequent chief will face the problem of sustaining allies’ help for Ukraine’s combat towards Russia’s invasion whereas guarding towards any escalation that would draw the navy alliance straight right into a struggle with Moscow.
Orban had earlier opposed Rutte’s candidacy as a result of he had expressed “problematic” opinions that included the concept Hungary ought to depart the European Union.
Hungary has been at odds with different NATO nations over Orban’s continued cultivation of shut ties with Russia and refusal to ship arms to Ukraine, with Budapest’s international minister final month labeling plans to assist the war-torn nation a “crazy mission.”
Türkiye and Slovakia have additionally modified course on Rutte’s bid, with Türkiye saying it will help him in late April and Slovakia saying its help earlier on Tuesday.
Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, had burdened the necessity for the subsequent NATO chief to assist take care of the safety of Slovak airspace, its President Peter Pellegrini mentioned, after the earlier Slovak authorities donated an S-300 system to Ukraine, and allies pulled out Patriot batteries that had been briefly positioned there.
Source: www.dailysabah.com