BRUSSELS – NATO members extended NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s stay for another year on Tuesday, after struggling to identify a replacement in the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The news comes just one week before a NATO leaders’ meeting in Lithuania, which will be dominated by the Western military alliance’s response to the war and Ukraine’s bid for membership.
“Honoured by NATO allies’ decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024,” Stoltenberg, 64, said in a statement. “In an increasingly dangerous world, our alliance is more important than ever.”
After failing to agree on an obvious alternative, NATO’s 31 member states decided to prolong the tenure of the former Norwegian prime minister, who has led the alliance since 2014.
Others considered prospective NATO secretary general candidates, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and British Defence Minister Ben Wallace, had lately fallen out of contention.
Frederiksen appeared to match the expectations of several European allies by being the European Union’s first female leader.
However, NATO states on the alliance’s eastern flank pushed for someone from their region to take the helm in order to demonstrate a stronger stance against Russia.
Wallace of the United Kingdom proposed himself, but several NATO countries wanted a previous head of state or government in charge, while France insisted on someone from an EU country.
Stoltenberg, whose term has already been extended for a year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has the solid support of the US and other major allies.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, hailed the new extension and praised Stoltenberg for demonstrating “strong leadership” in difficult times.
The NATO secretary general has received praise for his calm leadership of the alliance at a time when Europe is roiled by the largest military war since World War II, reinvigorating NATO.
This has entailed maintaining steadfast backing for Kyiv while also ensuring that the war does not escalate into a nuclear warfare between NATO and Russia.
Stoltenberg will walk a tight line again in Vilnius, attempting to bridge the gap between Ukraine’s desire to join NATO and the unwillingness of the leading power, the United States, to establish a clear schedule for that process.
Leaders will approve new defence plans and spending targets as the alliance faces its most significant reform in a century in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will also try to persuade Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to withdraw his opposition to Sweden’s membership ambition.
Stoltenberg had consistently stated that he was not actively attempting to extend his tenure as NATO Secretary-General.
He did, however, leave the door open for the allies to ask him to stay.
Stoltenberg will continue in charge until the 75th anniversary of NATO’s foundation in July 2024, according to the agreement.
Some nations were hesitant to grant him a one-year extension, fearing that choosing his successor would become entwined with the race for top EU roles following the European elections in June.
