Today Secretary General Rutte met with President von der Leyen for the first time since Mr Rutte took office at the helm of NATO.
Their discussion focused on the importance of a close and strategic partnership between NATO and the European Union.
Both agreed that in an increasingly dangerous world, this partnership is vital in order to champion and safeguard peace, freedom and prosperity.
Russia's war of aggression on European soil is the single biggest threat to peace and security on the European continent.
Secretary General Rutte and President von der Leyen both emphasised that the deployment of North Korean soldiers in support of Russia's war of aggression represented a significant escalation of the war against Ukraine as well as a serious threat to European security and global peace.
They also discussed the growing assertiveness of authoritarian states on the world's stage. These states challenge our common interests, values and democratic principles, using multiple means - political, economic, technological and military.
To address these evolving threats and challenges, Secretary General Rutte and President von der Leyen have agreed today to set up a new high-level task force to strengthen the existing NATO-EU cooperation. Planning for the first meeting of the task force is expected to move forward in the coming weeks.
