The NATO military alliance has appointed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next secretary-general.

NATO ambassadors approved the move at a meeting in Brussels on June 26.

He takes over for Jens Stoltenberg at a critical time for European and global security as the war in Ukraine threatens stability.

Stoltenberg assumed office in October 2014 and had his mandate extended four times, mainly as the alliance looked for stability and continuity after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.