The United States, Britain, France and Germany on Thursday all backed outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the next secretary general of NATO, putting him in a strong position to get the post. Stoltenberg's successor when he steps down in October will take office at a crucial juncture, tasked with sustaining NATO members' support for Ukraine's costly defence against Russia's invasion while guarding against any escalation that would draw the alliance directly into a war with Moscow. (Reuters)