Mark Rutte, the outgoing Prime Minister of the Netherlands and future Secretary General of NATO, called for continued support for Ukraine in his farewell speech to Dutch parliamentarians.
Rutte said the downing of passenger flight MH17 by a Russian missile over eastern Ukraine in the summer of 2014 made him realize how “crucial it is that our country is embedded in the EU and NATO.”
Most of the 298 people who died on board the plane, which flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, were Dutch citizens.
Rutte was officially appointed the next Secretary General of NATO a few days ago. The 57-year-old follows Jens Stoltenberga former Norwegian prime minister, in early October as leader of the defense alliance.
Rutte said that just a look at the world map makes it clear that ‘we are stronger together than alone’.
The ongoing war in Europe should motivate citizens in the Netherlands to continue supporting Ukraine in the future – “for peace there and security here,” he said.
Rutte is seen as a very experienced politician, especially in the field of foreign affairs.
The liberal-conservative politician led the government in the Netherlands for almost fourteen years, longer than anyone before him.
Rutte wished his successor Dick Schoof “good luck” on Sunday.
Schoof, former head of the Dutch intelligence and anti-terrorism services, is not affiliated with any party. He will be sworn in on Tuesday as head of a coalition government that will be the most far-right government in the country’s history.
The four-party coalition is largely controlled by right-wing populist Geert Wilders, who will not hold a post in the government himself.
