New NATO chief Rutte 'not worried' about US election

Incoming NATO chief Mark Rutte said he could work with whoever wins the upcoming US presidential election, adding he was "not worried" about the vote's potential impact on the alliance's stability.

Mr Rutte, a stalwart backer of Ukraine, noted he has worked before with former US president Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, who has voiced scepticism over funding for Kyiv.

"I'm not worried. I know both candidates very well. I worked for four years with Donald Trump," said Mr Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, shortly before he becomes the next NATO secretary general.

On the campaign trail, Mr Trump has threatened not to protect NATO members who do not spend enough on defence and promised he can cut a quick deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Mr Rutte, who is widely credited with rescuing a 2018 NATO summit by talking Mr Trump round on defence spending, also praised Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, for having a "fantastic record".

"She's a highly respected leader," he said.

Ahead of a handover ceremony in Brussels, departing NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance was in "safe hands" with Rutte.

"He knows how to make compromises, create consensus, and these are skills which are very much valued here at NATO," Mr Stoltenberg said.

"NATO will be in safe hands."

NATO officials and diplomats expect Mr Rutte to maintain Mr Stoltenberg's priorities - rallying support for Ukraine, pushing NATO countries to spend more on defence and keeping the US engaged in European security.

Mr Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, stepped down as boss of the 32-member alliance after a turbulent decade marked above all by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden and Finland abandoned long traditions of non-alignment to join NATO's ranks and benefit from its collective defence clause, under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.

The war also prompted NATO to send thousands more troops to its eastern flank and to radically revamp its defence plans to take the possibility of an attack from Moscow more seriously than at any point since the end of the Cold War.

While Western leaders stress NATO is a defensive alliance, Moscow has long portrayed it as a threat to Russia's security.

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

"We need to do more in terms of our collective defence and deterrence. We have to invest more and close the capability gaps and try to achieve all the targets NATO has set here," he said.