Jens Stoltenberg is set to stay on as NATO’s chief for another year, four people familiar with the decision told POLITICO, Report informs.
A US official said the secretary general’s leadership extension is “a done deal.” Asked if that was the case, a senior diplomat from Western Europe said “yes,” adding it “will be formalized next week.” A senior diplomat from Eastern Europe and a senior NATO official also confirmed there is consensus within the alliance for an extension.
The move to retain Stoltenberg was widely rumored and expected ahead of a major NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania next month, billed as one of the most important alliance gatherings in years amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Allies wanted to make a decision on whether to keep the secretary general in place or find new leadership before the July 11-12 meeting, which comes as Ukraine’s counteroffensive stalls and after a rebellion last weekend by Russian Wagner Group mercenaries exposed the largest crack in Russian regime in two decades.