NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed on Tuesday that the alliance countries have decided to extend his term for another year, until October 2024.
“I am honored that NATO allies have decided to extend my term as secretary general until Oct. 1, 2024,” Stoltenberg tweeted.
The Associated Press reported last week that NATO nations had given a tentative agreement to extend Stoltenberg’s term for another year.
Earlier it became known that none of Stoltenberg’s possible successors as head of the alliance, such as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, had gained overwhelming support among the North Atlantic Alliance’s 31 member states. At the same time, Stoltenberg assured in June that he was not seeking an extension of his term in office.
Stoltenberg has been secretary general of the alliance since 2014. His term has already been extended twice. Again it expired in 2022, but because of the Ukrainian crisis he kept the post until the end of September 2023.
There is no official election of the NATO Secretary General; the Alliance appoints him based on the consensus of all member countries of the alliance.
Canada will actively support Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO to join the Alliance as soon as additional circumstances allow, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
“Ukraine must have a choice about how to defend itself and protect its people. And that’s why Canada will support Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO in every way possible as part of the work of the North Atlantic Alliance to support Ukraine’s accession as soon as additional circumstances permit,” Trudeau said in his remarks during a plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Saturday.
We coordinate all measures related to the strengthening of the Ukrainian Defense Forces with our NATO partners, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday.
According to the Polish state news agency PAP, the prime minister and the head of the Defense Ministry were asked at a press conference whether, following the example of the Polish government’s pressure on the international arena to hand over tanks to Ukraine, similar actions would be taken regarding F-16 aircraft and long-range weapons.
“All actions aimed at strengthening the Defense Forces of Ukraine, we agree with our partners in NATO, including the transfer of Patriot to Ukraine, as well as the organization of a strong tank force in the form of Leopard and modern tanks. All this was pressure from our side, but also agreements with the United States,” Moravetsky replied.
The Prime Minister noted that, as a few months ago, in the context of MiGs, any other Air Force will be implemented and possibly redeployed in coordination with NATO countries.
“We will act in full coordination,” he stressed.
Stockholm is unwilling or unable to fulfill Turkey’s requirements, which it put forward as a condition for approving Sweden’s bid to join NATO, Scandinavian Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said.
“Turkey confirms that we have fulfilled the conditions we agreed to. But the Turks also want things that we cannot or do not want to give them,” the Swedish prime minister was quoted as saying by Western media on Sunday.
At the same time, Christersson expressed confidence that Turkey would agree to Sweden’s membership in the alliance.
The protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the North Atlantic Council were signed by NATO countries on July 5, 2022. These states will join NATO as soon as all members of the alliance ratify the accession protocols. Of the 30 NATO nations, Sweden and Finland’s membership in the alliance has not been ratified by Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey has blocked the accession process, demanding that the Nordic countries declare Kurdish organizations terrorist and extradite those accused of terrorism, as well as lift the ban on arms supplies to Ankara.
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen suggested in late December that his country would become a member of the alliance by the Vilnius NATO summit of July 11-12, 2023.
Poland is holding talks with NATO allies and is analyzing the possibility of resorting to Article 4 of the NATO consultation treaty, the Polish presidential office said, citing Polish National Security Directorate head Jacek Syvera.
“President Andrzej Duda just finished a conversation with (NATO Secretary General) Jens Stoltenberg. We are verifying the grounds for NATO Article 4. We are in contact with our allies and awaiting talks with the U.S. side,” the tweet read.
Earlier, Latvian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said of the possibility of invoking NATO Article 4.
“My first reaction would be that after the Russians hit the Polish territory, to engage Art. 4, also as an air defense of the Ukrainian sky,” he tweeted.
Article 4 of NATO states: “The Contracting Parties will always consult each other in the event that, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Contracting Parties is threatened.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had a conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in connection with massive rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities on the morning of October 10.
“Speaked to Foreign Minister Kuleba and condemned Russia’s horrendous and indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. NATO will continue to support the courageous Ukrainian people in fighting the Kremlin’s aggression for as long as it takes,” Stoltenberg tweeted.
civilian infrastructure, NATO, Russian attacks, SECRETARY GENERAL
