President Biden is welcoming outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to the White House for talks on Monday as the competition to find his successor to lead the military alliance heats up.
Stoltenberg, who has led NATO since 2014 and has had his tenure extended three times, said earlier this year he would move on when his current time expires at the end of September. The jockeying to replace him is intensifying as leaders of the 31-member military alliance are set to meet next month for their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Asked about the NATO job at a news conference with Sunak by his side, Biden called Wallace “very qualified” but noted that the conversation among NATO leaders to find a “consensus” pick to replace Stoltenberg was ongoing. Biden’s opinion carries enormous weight as the U.S. spends more than any other member in the alliance on defense.
A British government official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said ahead of Sunak’s visit that the British leader wants to be sure the next secretary general “carries on Stoltenberg’s good work of modernization but also understands the importance of defense spending at this critical time.”
Biden and Stoltenberg are also expected to discuss Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and efforts to persuade fellow NATO member Turkey to back off blocking Sweden from joining the military alliance.
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