NATO chief appears likely to stay on as allies struggle to find a replacement for him

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg seems increasingly likely to have his term at the helm of the world’s biggest security organization extended yet again, as members struggle to agree on another candidate to replace him.

Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has been NATO’s top civilian official since 2014. His term was due to expire last year but was extended for a second time to keep a steady hand at the helm after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are due to choose a successor when they meet for a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. No candidate has been proposed publicly, and leaders usually decide by consensus on who should be appointed.

Stoltenberg held talks with Biden in Washington on Tuesday. According to a U.S. official familiar with the leaders’ conversations, Biden made clear that he thinks highly of some the possible candidates whose names have been privately floated to succeed him.

The official said, however, Biden conveyed to the NATO secretary-general that it’s “becoming increasingly evident that there’s not going to be consensus” among NATO allies on picking a new leader, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

Biden made it clear to Stoltenberg that he would welcome him sticking around longer — particularly with no end in sight to the war in Ukraine and challenges to get Sweden approved as a member of the 31-nation alliance.

“The president thinks Stoltenberg has done a remarkable job over the past year and a half leading the alliance during Russia’s invasion,” the official said. “He’s also quite comfortable with Stoltenberg hanging on. He thinks he’s been a very effective leader.”

The official stopped short of saying that Biden asked Stoltenberg outright to stay on as NATO chief.

Asked repeatedly Friday about his future at the helm, Stoltenberg said: “I have nothing more to say about this. I have stated again and again that I don’t seek an extension. I have no other plans than to end my work here, when my tenure ends this fall.”

The U.S. official also said that Biden had spoken highly of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. NATO is keen to name a woman to the top post, and Denmark’s prime minister was thought to be a favorite after a meeting with Biden earlier this month.

But in a televised interview on Thursday, Frederiksen said: “No, I am not on my way to NATO.” She did say that she would back Stoltenberg if he was willing to extend his mandate.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also made clear that he would back an extension for Stoltenberg if that became necessary.

“If we don’t agree on a candidate for successor, NATO won’t be able to go without a secretary-general, and of course I am for an extension — particularly as I appreciate our cooperation,” he told reporters.

Norwegian media said Friday that Biden has encouraged Stoltenberg to stay on.

Norwegian public broadcaster NRK said it “had learned” that Biden’s message to Stoltenberg “was not to be misunderstood: Jens Stoltenberg must remain as Secretary General of NATO for a while longer.”

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has also ruled out her candidacy. Other possible names that were floated are Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.