MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte taking over for Jens Stoltenberg as NATO’s next secretary general will do nothing to change the alliance’s policy, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Our expectation is that the North Atlantic Alliance will stand pat in its policies," Peskov told reporters.

The Russian presidential spokesman said Moscow knows Rutte well as Putin has spent "hours" at the negotiating table with the former Dutch premier trying to build a good and pragmatic relationship. "But later, as we know, the Netherlands took quite an uncompromising stance against <…> our country, so we doubt there will be any major change in the alliance’s policy course," he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Rutte became NATO’s 14th secretary general, taking over for Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg who had spent an unprecedented 10 years at the helm of the North Atlantic Alliance. Rutte has pledged to prioritize moves to strengthen NATO and provide more support to Ukraine.