Stoltenberg Leaves NATO Role With Warning About ‘Reckless Russian Rhetoric’

Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte takes over as alliance secretary general.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, (L), and his successor, Mark Rutte (R) meet in The Hague, The Netherlands, on June 27, 2023. Peter Dejong/AP

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stepped down from the role and handed it over to former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

In a final interview, Stoltenberg, 65, said members of the NATO alliance should not be deterred from giving more military aid to Ukraine by the “reckless Russian nuclear rhetoric” coming from Russian President Vladimir Putin.