Joe Biden actively supports the candidacy of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the post of NATO Secretary General

U.S. President Joe Biden actively supports the candidacy of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the post of NATO Secretary General after the candidacy of British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was blocked. This was reported by The Telegraph, citing its own sources, according to UNN.

According to the newspaper, NATO leaders hoped to agree on a candidate to replace Jens Stoltenberg, who will serve as secretary general until the fall of 2024, at the annual summit in Vilnius next week. However, they failed to reach a consensus on a candidate.

A NATO source told The Telegraph that the US president had been trying to persuade Ms. von der Leyen, a former German defense minister, to succeed Stoltenberg amid concerns that a candidate might not emerge within the next 12 months.

Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen have established a "strong bond" in recent years, helping to strengthen transatlantic relations on China, Ukraine, and climate change.

Thanks to her fluency in French, she is likely to be able to count on the support of French President Emmanuel Macron, who opposed the candidacy of British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

At the same time, during private conversations with Biden, von der Leyen said she could not accept any position in NATO until at least next year, The Telegraph reports.

Thus, the question of Jens Stoltenberg's successor as NATO Secretary General remains open, and the solution to this issue will be further discussed at a high level between NATO leaders and their partners.