Dutch leader Mark Rutte has cleared a major hurdle to become NATO chief after Hungary's objection was lifted

BRUSSELS (AP) — Hungary lifted its veto on Mark Rutte becoming the next head of NATO after the outgoing Dutch prime minister gave written guarantees Tuesday that he would not force the country to take part in new plans for the military alliance. Support for Ukraine.

Root's assurances, in a letter to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, remove a major obstacle to his becoming the next NATO secretary general — the organization's top civilian official.

It could also allow NATO to have a major Show unity And show solidarity with war-torn Ukraine when US President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet in Washington July 9-11. The summit is to identify NATO 75th Anniversary.

At talks in Budapest last week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who is due to step down in October, struck a deal with Orbán to ensure Hungary would not block NATO plans for Ukraine.

Stoltenberg acknowledged that Hungary should not be obliged to provide personnel or funds for the joint effort, but Orbán wanted to hear it from Rutt as well.

NATO takes all of its decisions by consensus, giving any of its 32 member states an effective veto, including whether they participate in any joint efforts or operations.

Taking to social media, Orbán said it was important for Hungary to establish that “this deal can stand the test of time.” He posted Root's letter on June 18, a day after the two met on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels.

Rutte wrote that “in a possible future capacity as NATO Secretary General I will fully support this outcome of the discussions between Jens Stoltenberg and you.”

That was enough for Orbán. “Prime Minister Mark Root has confirmed that he fully supports this agreement and will continue to do so, should he become the next Secretary General of NATO. In light of his commitment, Hungary is ready to support PM Rutte's bid for the post of NATO Secretary General,” he posted on X.

Budapest also complained about uninformed comments Rutte made about the Hungarian government three years ago and demanded an apology.

Rutte wrote that he “notes” that his past comments “caused discontent in Hungary. My priority in a possible future capacity as NATO Secretary General will be to maintain unity and treat all allies with the same level of understanding and respect.”

NATO Secretary-Generals are responsible for chairing meetings and directing the sometimes delicate consultations between member nations to ensure that an organization operating on the basis of consensus can continue to function.

Most NATO allies, including major members like the US and Germany, are on the preferred candidate route. Earlier this year, Türkiye was vocal in its opposition to Rutte's bid lifted up He objected in April.

The last hurdle remains Candidacy Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who is nearing the end of his second five-year term as head of state, but officials and analysts believe that will not pose a major problem.

Stoltenberg has been seen as a steady hand at the helm of NATO for a decade, and his mandate has been extended several times. A successor to Biden and his NATO counterpart was announced when they met in Lithuania in July 2023, but no consensus was reached on a replacement.

“I mean honestly, you were great. I just hope you extend your term another 10 years,” Biden said Monday while meeting with the former Norwegian prime minister at the White House.