The UK Secretary of Defense, Ben Wallace, who was vying for the position of NATO Secretary-General, announced in an interview with The Economist that he has withdrawn from the race for this position due to the United States’ insistence on extending the tenure of the current Secretary-General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg.
Commenting on the likelihood of heading NATO, Wallace said, “It won’t happen,” stating that his candidacy did not receive support from the United States.
The Economist writes: perhaps the White House favored the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, but he has already declined the position of NATO Secretary-General twice. Among the recent favorites, the media also mentioned the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen.
“The future successor of Stoltenberg will have to please both Macron and Biden. Whoever gets this job will have to deal with many unresolved issues within NATO,” said Wallace.
NOTE: Stoltenberg was supposed to end his tenure in 2022, but due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, his term was extended until September 30, 2023.
On February 12, 2023, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu stated that the Secretary-General does not seek an extension of his term and will conclude it as planned in the fall of 2023. On May 10, Stoltenberg himself confirmed this, and his position remains unchanged at present.