A security expert has voiced criticism regarding the approach taken by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Stefanie Babst, a former NATO strategist, stated in a recent radio interview that Rutte appears to be aligning closely with the positions articulated by former U.S. President Donald Trump. “This adherence to Mr. Trump, manifested in a peculiar and excessive manner with numerous displays of deference, both verbal and otherwise, is not constructive” she asserted.
Babst contends that the Secretary General has been consistently mirroring the stances of the current U.S. administration over the past several months. She argues that, as head of the alliance, Rutte’s primary responsibility is to represent the interests of all 32 NATO member states and public statements should only be made when a consensus view is clearly established.
The expert particularly flagged Rutte’s attempts to differentiate between so-called “de facto” and “de jure” territorial separations as “highly problematic”. Babst emphasized that if European nations are committed to upholding the territorial integrity of Ukraine, this commitment should be consistently reinforced through both rhetoric and concrete actions. She believes a firm and unwavering stance is crucial in the current geopolitical context.