Small defense budget may sink UK's MoD's bid to head NATO - reports
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A small national defense budget for the UK would certainly do away with defense secretary Ben Wallace's hopes of succeeding Jens Stoltenberg as NATO secretary general next fall
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Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace climbs out of an Ajax armoured personnel carrier during a visit the Bovington Camp, a British Army military base where Ukrainian soldiers are training on Challenger 2 tanks, in Dorset, England, Wednesday Febr. 22, 2023 (Ben Birchall/Pool via AP)
A small national defense budget for the UK would certainly do away with defense secretary Ben Wallace's hopes of succeeding Jens Stoltenberg as NATO secretary general next fall, according to NATO officials quoted by the Telegraph.
"If he doesn't get a good increase, it is likely that the next secretary-general will come from elsewhere. Other countries are increasing their defense spending in a serious way," a source told the British Daily.
France, Germany, and Poland have already announced significant increases in their military spending. The UK has been modest with its military spending, weary of inflation.
According to the Telegraph, France wants the next NATO secretary general to be from an EU nation, like Poland.
The Lithuanian and Estonian prime ministers have also been proposed as potential candidates, however, many have expressed concerns over a Polish or Baltic NATO secretary general such that it would exacerbate the already hostile relations with Russia.
Read more: Election of new NATO Sec. Gen. 'least transparent' procedure: Reports
Back in February, it was reported that the selection method for a new NATO Secretary General is very ambiguous, with the bloc's top members wielding undue influence over the process.
Read more: Jens Stoltenberg has no plans to renew mandate as NATO chief
Stoltenberg's term as Secretary General was set to finish in October 2022, but it was extended for another year, until September 30, 2023, owing to the Ukraine crisis.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg nominated for Nobel peace prize
In an interview for the Norwegian news outlet Nettavisen published on February 2, far-right Norwegian MP Christian Tybring-Gjedde said he nominated Stoltenberg for the Nobel peace prize.
The staunchly Islamophobic lawmaker, who previously nominated former US President Donald Trump in 2020, said that Stoltenberg "managed to bring NATO together at a very important and demanding time, which is perhaps the biggest crisis since the Second World War."
He also praised Stoltenberg for his diplomatic approach in dealing with Turkey's objections with regard to Sweden and Finland's bid to obtain NATO membership.
Tybring-Gjedde added that he sees no issue in nominating the leader of a military alliance since the active pursuit of peace constitutes a notable criterion sought by the foundation.
The Norwegian politician added that not all recipients end up fulfilling the prize's criteria.
"You cannot get the peace prize just because you are a kind person," he said, adding that he pondered about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as being deserving of the prize, though he admitted that Zelensky was "indeed in the middle of a war."
The Nobel peace prize requires that the award goes to "the person who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses."
