Efforts to elect a new NATO chief and the war in Ukraine

2023-07-01 18:32:04, Kosova & Bota CNA

NATO will elect a new leader as current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's term ends later this year. However, as Voice of America London correspondent Henry Ridgwell reports, some member countries want Mr. Stoltenberg to stay longer in office to give stability to the Western alliance as Russia's war in Ukraine continues.

The former prime minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, has led NATO for nine years. His mandate has already been extended twice, most recently to 2022, following the start of Russian aggression in Ukraine.

During a meeting with the NATO Secretary General in Washington last month, US President Joe Biden hailed his leadership.

"Thanks to your no small contribution and your leadership, even beyond NATO, we secured the commitment of 40 countries to support the independence of Ukraine," said President Biden.

Mr Stoltenberg's term will end in September. Traditionally, the Secretary General of NATO is European. But NATO allies appear undecided on the candidate to succeed the current leader, 64-year-old Jens Stoltenberg.

“They will have to be able to respect the many different competing national interests of over 30 NATO member states. Candidates will also need to be able to secure support from the peoples of allied countries, especially those of new members ," says Joel Hickman from the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is seen as a favorite candidate for the post.

During a recent visit to Washington, she emphasized her country's support for Kiev.

"We will, of course, continue, from a Danish perspective, our very strong support for Ukraine," she said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace are also seen as serious contenders, although Mr Wallace has said he does not believe he is in the running for the post.

"It is important that the Secretary General of NATO be a firm and clear voice in support of Ukraine and can continue to maintain the alliance's solidarity for Ukraine. But candidates must also have credibility when it comes to the target of spending 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of NATO member countries in the field of defense," says Joel Hickman from the Center for European Policy Analysis .

NATO will hold its annual meeting on July 11. Some allies want Mr. Stoltenberg to continue for another term, although he has given no indication that he is willing to do so.

"At the moment I think there is a lot of uncertainty in Ukraine. There is also a lot of uncertainty about the politics of the United States and who we might have as president next year; we've obviously heard different positions from some of the Republican candidates. Given all this uncertainty, a large number of allies are looking for continued stability," says analyst Joel Hickman.

Analysts say the next NATO leader, whoever he is, will face numerous challenges including the threat of a full-scale land war in Europe, the dangers of nuclear proliferation, an increasingly persistent and new areas of competition in cyber and space technology./ VOA