NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte used a visit to Joint Force Command Brunssum to underline the Alliance’s posture on its northern and eastern frontiers and to praise the leadership of its new commander, General Ingo Gerhartz.
Rutte congratulated Gerhartz, who took command in June, describing him as “such an experienced General, and a fighter pilot” and highlighting the reforms he introduced as Chief of the German Air Force to raise operational readiness.
Those changes, Rutte said, had strengthened both Germany’s air force and its role inside NATO.
Speaking in Brunssum, he said the headquarters sits at a critical point for managing pressure from Moscow, noting that the command watches over regions “where Russia constantly tries to test our resolve and our responses”. He added that personnel there ensure NATO’s posture remains “strong and credible, no matter the threat or provocation.”
Rutte pointed to recent Alliance responses to Russian airspace violations and emphasised the role of NATO’s forward land forces on the eastern flank, calling them a “strong signal to any adversary” of the Alliance’s commitment to collective defence.
He also cited the recent high-intensity Exercise Bold Panzer in Estonia, saying the two-week drill was designed to reinforce readiness and demonstrate that “every inch of Allied territory is safe.”
Closing his remarks, Rutte thanked Gerhartz and the headquarters staff for their work and said he looked forward to further strengthening NATO’s deterrence posture.
