Last year, Mark Rutte attended the Davos gathering as Dutch prime minister while angling for his current job as secretary general of NATO, praising Trump for pushing Europeans to step up defense spending. That view — somewhat controversial then — is now widely accepted.

NATO is not involved in decisions taken by member states, such as the United States, over hiring in the armed forces based around diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) criteria, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Davos on Thursday.

Before the Davos crowd, President Trump signaled a shift in tone, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine and placing the onus on Russia to come to the table.

Nato-Generalsekretär Mark Rutte äußerte seine Unterstützung für die Druckkampagne von US-Präsident Donald Trump gegen Russland. Diese zielt darauf ab, die Krieg in der Ukraine rasch zu beenden.

U.S. President Trump is to speak to an international audience for the first time after returning into the White House with a speech and Q&A by video conference to the World Economic Forum’s annual event in Davos on Thursday.

Leading business and political figures attending the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, have discussed and debated topics such as technology, tariffs, climate change, Ukraine, Gaza and the global economy this week.

Welcome to CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news, views and action on day 3 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated at Davos that decisions on diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in armed forces hiring are up to individual member states, not NATO. This follows the firing of U.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrives at the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.

Leading business and political figures attending the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, have discussed and debated topics such as technology, tariffs, climate change, Ukraine, Gaza and the global economy this week.

US urged to maintain support for Ukraine as Europe prepares to take on the financial burden. Read more about the call for increased defense spending and assistance.