Mark Rutte lined up to be Nato secretary general after Orbán deal

Netherlands PM will replace Jens Stoltenberg after making promise not to deploy Hungarian forces in Ukraine

Mark Rutte, the outgoing Dutch prime minister, is expected to become the next head of Nato after winning over Hungary's prime minister with a promise not to deploy Budapest's forces or spend its money supporting Ukraine.

Viktor Orban, the leader in Nato seen as closest to Russia, announced he had dropped his objections after discussions with Rutte, prompting the current secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, to declare that the selection process would end very soon".