Ben Wallace says he's not aspiring to top NATO job

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says he would like to be the next Secretary General of NATO, but that won't happen. Photo: SIMON WOHLFAHRT/AFP

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace does not expect to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General, The Economist reports amid allegations that the US wants the current leader to stay.

«That's not happen,” Mr. Wallace, who previously said he would like the job, told the magazine in an interview.

“Maybe they need a prime minister,” he added.

Mr Stoltenberg is due to step down in September after nine years as secretary general of the military alliance, but the bloc has struggled to decide on a replacement ahead of a mid-July summit in Lithuania.

Reportedly, Joe Biden. asked Mr. Stoltenberg to stay until next spring when the couple met at the White House earlier this month. Understandably, Mr. Biden advocated stability in light of the conflict in Ukraine.

Last week, NATO defense ministers met at its headquarters in Brussels. Front row (left to right): Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense, and Ben Wallace. Photo: SIMON WOHLFAHRT/AFP

Mr Wallace called NATO's role «great job» and has received Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's support to continue that role.

The Economist article also cites sources close to Wallace, who say the process remains open. The deputy's spokesman declined to comment on the Reuters news agency.

Mr. Stoltenberg's successor «will have to please both Macron and Biden,» Mr. Wallace told The Economist, adding that «NATO's mission should not crawl into the Pacific.»

The Defense Secretary pointed out, that he would like to take over from Mr. Stoltenberg during a visit to Berlin for talks on Ukraine with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius in May.

«This is the job I would like»

Mr. Wallace is reported to have told the German news agency dpa, “I have always said that it would be a good job. This is the job I would like. But I also like the work I'm doing now. I mean being the British government's defense secretary in times of reform and investment, like Boris Pistorius.»

He added that the secretary general of the transatlantic alliance «is a fantastic job and NATO is an incredibly important part of all our guarantees ”, but it is “not for me to decide.”

NATO member states usually decide who should be secretary general behind closed doors.

Earlier this month, The Telegraph reported that Emmanuel Macron tried to prevent Ben Wallace from becoming the next Secretary General of NATO because the UK had left the European Union.

A source told The Telegraph: “He is not from an EU member state. Many countries, mainly France, are pushing for the next general secretary to be from an EU country.”

Other leaders in the race include Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, and Mette Frederickse, Prime Minister of Denmark. However, earlier this month, Ms. Frederiks said she was not a candidate for the position.