Defense: Wallace: NATO Secretary General “would be a fantastic job”

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace tosses his hat in the ring for a successor to outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “I’ve always said that this is a good job. It’s a job I would like,” Wallace told the German Press Agency in Berlin, where he met his counterpart Boris Pistorius.

Wallace: “Well, NATO Secretary General would be a fantastic job and NATO is extremely important for the safety of all of us. I would be happy to do my bit to ensure that you can lie safely in bed at night.”

However, he made it clear that his current job as Defense Secretary in the British government is also fulfilling. He feels like Pistorius, who also works in a time of reforms and investments. Wallace: “These departments have been saving for 30 years and now it’s the other way around.”

The most popular Tory cabinet member

The Conservative came to the post of defense secretary under Boris Johnson in 2019. Shortly before the Russian army invaded Ukraine in early 2022, he published a widely acclaimed essay in which he strongly warned of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions. Wallace has long been the most popular cabinet member among active members of the Tory party. He made an impression in the country with his calm and matter-of-fact manner during the chaotic evacuation of western troops from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021. For a short time he was already being traded as a potential successor to Johnson.

Stoltenberg’s term as NATO Secretary General was recently extended because of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, but it expires at the end of September. In February, he dismissed reports of a possible further extension of his term. The Norwegian has headed the alliance since the end of 2014.

Ursula von der Leyen is also a candidate

The British newspaper “The Sun” had reported that the former German defense minister and current EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was a candidate. Von der Leyen had rejected reports about her allegedly planned move to the top of the western defense alliance.

The member states of the coalition usually agree behind the scenes on who will lead the organization. An American is usually the military commander-in-chief, while the Secretary General comes from the ranks of the other, mostly European, member states.

Wallace was convinced that Turkey’s persistent resistance to Sweden joining the alliance could be overcome. He had repeatedly spoken to Turkey. “Sweden has done a lot and has responded to many Turkish concerns, sometimes beyond,” said Wallace. “It changed the previous legislation that was considered tolerance for terrorism in Turkey. That’s Turkey’s view. I’m not saying I see it that way, but there was that concern there.” Sweden has done a lot and the country’s accession is a win for NATO. Wallace: “And I’m very confident that we can talk to Turkey and resolve concerns and bring in the Swedes.”

Great Britain and fighter jets for Ukraine

His country’s initiative for an alliance to train and later also supply Western combat aircraft to Ukraine is a signal both to the country under attack and to the aggressor Russia. “The proposal is first to say to the Ukrainians that if we’re going to train pilots and work with other nations for Ukraine’s long-term future, we’re happy to do that,” Wallace said. He referred to other ongoing training programs for Ukrainians.

The Ukrainians have made it clear that they do not want Eurofighters, which the British version calls Typhoon. The first choice of the Ukrainians is the US model F-16. Neither Britain nor Germany would have these planes. However, both were among the states that create the conditions for military aid to Ukraine and make things possible. “So it’s like saying we’re open to that and we can make it happen,” Wallace said. “This is not a request. It is intended to express that there are no fundamental reservations about it.”

An alliance for combat aircraft also illustrates long-term commitment. “These fighter jets are not a solution for tomorrow or the day after. They are highly complex systems that crews must be trained on. They must first learn to fight,” Wallace said. It is important that Russia understands that the international community is “stronger than ever”. Wallace: “In Russia they expected that we wouldn’t stick together. The opposite is the case. We first debated anti-tank weapons and now we’re sitting here talking about F-16s.”