NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg snagged a one-year term extension as head of the 31-member bloc while it grapples with the raging war in Ukraine.
Stoltenberg has been at the helm of the world’s most powerful military alliance since 2014. The extension from NATO marks the fourth one he’s received.
His tenure was most recently extended in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this year, a NATO spokesperson said Stoltenberg was not interested in a fourth one.
But NATO members appear to be at loggerheads with his potential successor.
Prospective contenders to replace him such as British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen appear to have flamed out and lack adequate support.
The White House has reportedly moved to scuttle Wallace’s bid to become the NATO chief, much to the dismay of British tabloids, who felt snubbed.
President Biden is championing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to succeed Stoltenberg, the Telegraph reported.
Thus far, Leyen appears to be the frontrunner in the arduous quest to find a successor to Stoltenberg, who was previously the prime minister of Norway.
Biden commended Stoltenberg following his extension.
“With his steady leadership, experience, and judgement, secretary general Stoltenberg has brought our alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II,” Biden said in a statement. “Today, our alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been.”
Other world leaders issued congratulatory statements as well, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whose nation is not part of NATO, but aligns with the alliance.
“I congratulated him on the decision of the Allies to extend his mandate as Secretary General for another year. I am hopeful that our cooperation will remain fruitful in the future,” Zelensky tweeted.
With the extension, Stoltenberg’s term will continue to reign as the NATO chief until at least Oct. 1, 2024.
His prolonged tenure ensures continuity as NATO stares down the largest hot war on its doorstep since World War II.
But it also highlights the lack of consensus within the alliance over who should succeed him.
Stoltenberg voiced gratitude for the extension and hailed the powerful bloc.
“The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever,” he said.
NATO is slated to convene a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania next week.
Leyen, a center-right politician from Germany, is the first female leader of the European Commission.
Should she lay claim to the Secretary-General post, she would become the first female head of NATO.
However, Leyen previously expressed disinterest in the distinguished role.
“I am most certainly not available for that,” she told a German broadcaster. “I think NATO is great, and if it didn’t exist it would have to be created. I very, very much enjoyed working in NATO as defense minister, but I’m most certainly not available for that job. My place is in Europe.”
