Large NATO countries ask Stoltenberg to continue as head – VG

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VG has had this information confirmed centrally in the defense alliance.

The United States and Germany will be among the countries that have asked Stoltenberg to make themselves available to continue beyond October 1 this year.

Even after Stoltenberg in December confirmed that he had applied for the position of Norwegian central bank governor, top leaders in NATO countries have asked Stoltenberg directly if he was willing to continue after October 1, VG is informed.

See the logic

– I see the logic in that, to ask Stoltenberg to stand for a short period. Maybe it’s a good idea for NATO right now, says NUPI researcher Karsten Friis to VG.

He leads NUPI’s research group on security and defense, and follows NATO closely.

– It is always a problem to agree on a new Secretary General, for 30 member countries, and it may be something you do not want to spend political energy on internally right now. Then it may be easier to buy some time and ask Stoltenberg to continue for a while longer, Friis adds.

The last signal Stoltenberg himself has given publicly about his near future came in December:

“I was contacted by the Ministry of Finance in November with a request if I would consider applying for the position. I have now done that, and this is a job I am very motivated for “, said Stoltenberg in a written statement on 14 December last year, at the same time as the Ministry of Finance published the list of applicants for the top position in Norges Bank.

At the same time, he emphasized:

“I have made it clear to the Ministry of Finance that if I get the position, it will not be possible for me to join until my period in NATO expires on 1 October 2022.”

The demands of Russia

The same week that Stoltenberg confirmed that he was an applicant, Russia sent two draft agreements to NATO and Russia, respectively with demands for a new security system in Europe.

Dagens Næringsliv’s commentator Sverre Strandhagen wrote in a comment on 14 January that as large member states see it, it is not fitting that Stoltenberg leaves NATO this autumn:

“Since last summer, important allies such as the United States, Britain, Germany and Canada have in turn tried to get Stoltenberg to continue, as far as DN is aware,” wrote the DN commentator.

Central sources have told VG that a few months ago Stoltenberg firmly refused to consider extending his time in Brussels. He should then have been aware that the end date of October 1, 2022 was at hand.

Two extensions

Stoltenberg joined NATO on 1 October 2014, and was then elected for four years. In 2017, he and the member states agreed that he should stand until 2020. In the spring of 2019, the Allies asked for another extension, until October 1, 2022.

In recent times, with a strong negative spiral in relations between NATO countries and Russia, the requests for a third extension have come up again.

This has happened at the same time as the Ministry of Finance and eventually the government back home in Norway are considering the applications for the top position at Norges Bank.

Few candidates

The list of possible candidates to succeed Stoltenberg in NATO is not very long. Any candidates are assumed to have a background at the highest level in politics, such as head of government or president in their home country, and extensive international experience as well.

VG is aware that the United Kingdom has lifted its two previous prime ministers, David Cameron and Theresa May. But the appetite for a British secretary general has been very measured in the EU, after Brexit.

Another very likely candidate has been Mark Rutte. But as recently as January 10 this year, Rutte regained confidence as prime minister of the Netherlands.

Coordinate the response to Russia

Karsten Friis says that Stoltenberg now has a key role in the attempts by the West to get Russia to choose negotiations instead of military confrontation, while Russia has deployed 100,000 soldiers near the border with Ukraine.

They have chaired the meeting of the NATO Russia Council last week.

This week, Stoltenberg has on behalf of the United States and 29 other NATO countries invited Russia to new talks in a series of three meetings. Over the weekend, NATO will provide Russia with a written response to Russia’s demands for a new security system in Europe.

– The Secretary – General’s most important task now is to coordinate work internally with NATO’s response to Russia, and to ensure that NATO speaks with one voice externally. I think they are working hard in NATO now, in consultation with the United States, to keep the dialogue going with Russia, says Karsten Friis.

PS: Those who expected the government to appoint a new central bank governor in the Prime Minister this Friday, waited in vain. After weeks of sharp debate about Stoltenberg’s candidacy, it is still unclear who the government will appoint to this position.

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