British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said he would not become NATO Secretary General, replacing Lance Stoltenberg, whose term of office is expiring in the near future.
Wallace said in an interview with The Economist that the United States’ desire to extend Stoltenberg’s term will stand in the way of his dream of becoming NATO Secretary General until at least next year.
Wallace suggested that Washington would like to see the prime minister as NATO Secretary General, and as a hint at the validity of what Wallace said, the newspaper repeatedly referred to Washington’s nomination of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to the post. Secretary General of NATO, with the latter claiming to have rejected the proposal each time.
In the same context, sources close to British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed that options in this regard are still open.
Wallace stressed that Stoltenberg’s next successor must work in a way that satisfies both French President Emmanuel Macron and American Joe Biden.
The spokesman concluded that NATO should not expand into the Pacific region, expressing support for France’s position against opening an alliance liaison office in Tokyo.
The Guardian newspaper previously reported that the United States was not satisfied with the candidacy of British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace for the post of NATO Secretary General, and added that his candidacy aroused many doubts among the Americans.
It is noteworthy that the term of office of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was supposed to end on October 1, 2022, but it was decided to extend it based on a decision taken by the leaders of NATO countries in March 2022, until September 30, 2023. .
Source: News