Nato has appointed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next secretary general.

The outgoing leader of the Netherlands will take charge of the world’s biggest security organisation at a critical time for European security as war rages in Ukraine.

Mr Rutte’s appointment was sealed by Nato ambassadors during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

US President Joe Biden and his counterparts will formally welcome him to their table at a summit in Washington from July 9-11.

The Dutch premier will take over from the current secretary general, Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg, on October 1.

Mr Stoltenberg spent more than a decade at the helm. His mandate was repeatedly extended, in part to provide continuity after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.