Former Dutch Prime Minister takes over as NATO chief

At a ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Rutte will take over as secretary general from Jens Stoltenberg of Norway.

NATO officials and diplomats expect Rutte to maintain Stoltenberg's priorities at the 32-member alliance – rallying support for Ukraine, pushing NATO countries to spend more on defense, and keeping the US engaged in European security, Reuters reported.

While Western leaders claim NATO is a defensive alliance, Moscow has long said that it is a threat to Russia's security.

One of Rutte's key tasks will be to persuade NATO members to come up with the extra troops, weapons, and spending to fully realize the new defense plans, diplomats and analysts say.

The United States is NATO's predominant power, but the alliance makes decisions by consensus so a big part of the secretary general's job is forging compromises among the allies.

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