Next head of NATO
I thought it was between Wallace and the Estonian PM and the Danish one too, they are in the running as favourites.
However the Estonian one doubts she will get the job as she is from an eastern NATO country.
https://news.err.ee/1608993470/kalla...-eastern-flank
However the Estonian one doubts she will get the job as she is from an eastern NATO country.
https://news.err.ee/1608993470/kalla...-eastern-flank
Wiggy joining Prince Harry counting penguins at the South Georgia post office on their days off.
https://www.newstalk.com/news/the-wo...uiting-1330259
https://www.newstalk.com/news/the-wo...uiting-1330259
Wiggy joining Prince Harry counting penguins at the South Georgia post office on their days off.
https://www.newstalk.com/news/the-wo...uiting-1330259
https://www.newstalk.com/news/the-wo...uiting-1330259
The following 2 users liked this post by Fortissimo:
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,001
Received 2,893 Likes
on
1,238 Posts
Wiggy joining Prince Harry counting penguins at the South Georgia post office on their days off.
https://www.newstalk.com/news/the-wo...uiting-1330259
https://www.newstalk.com/news/the-wo...uiting-1330259
will he take the ice Queen with him?
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
The Times tipping Danish PM…
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d...nato-vctkvltwm
Support grows for Danish PM to lead Nato
The prime minister of Denmark was gathering momentum to become the next head of Nato ahead of her meeting with President Biden at the White House yesterday.
Several European countries are understood to see Mette Frederiksen, 45, as the strongest contender to replace Jens Stoltenberg when he steps down as secretary-general of the alliance in October, although she denies she is interested in the job.
Western diplomatic sources said Frederiksen was regarded as a good communicator who could keep the peace between allies pushing for a tougher approach to Russia and those favouring restraint. A number of member states are also believed to be keen to see Nato led by a woman for the first time in its nearly 75-year history.…
Official sources say the allies hope to agree on Stoltenberg’s successor over the coming weeks and ideally by the Nato summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, next month.…
Frederiksen, a Social Democrat who came to power in 2019 and heads a broad-based coalition with the centre right, has taken several steps over the past year that would improve her chances of getting the job.
A year ago she won a referendum on ending Denmark’s traditional exemption from the European Union’s collective defence policies.
Since then she has accelerated plans to raise Denmark’s military budget and placed her country at the centre of an international coalition training Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly F-16 combat jets.
Yesterday Frederiksen said she had discussed defence and security along with other topics during a two-hour meeting with Biden in the Oval Office. However she played down speculation that she had sought the president’s approval for a future Nato role….
Sources from several countries say Wallace has been waging an assiduous charm offensive in the hope of becoming secretary-general of Nato. He is well liked by many European allies but few officials believe he will succeed.
Kallas is also understood to have support but there are concerns that she is too hawkish for the taste of some of the more circumspect members of the alliance.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d...nato-vctkvltwm
Support grows for Danish PM to lead Nato
The prime minister of Denmark was gathering momentum to become the next head of Nato ahead of her meeting with President Biden at the White House yesterday.
Several European countries are understood to see Mette Frederiksen, 45, as the strongest contender to replace Jens Stoltenberg when he steps down as secretary-general of the alliance in October, although she denies she is interested in the job.
Western diplomatic sources said Frederiksen was regarded as a good communicator who could keep the peace between allies pushing for a tougher approach to Russia and those favouring restraint. A number of member states are also believed to be keen to see Nato led by a woman for the first time in its nearly 75-year history.…
Official sources say the allies hope to agree on Stoltenberg’s successor over the coming weeks and ideally by the Nato summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, next month.…
Frederiksen, a Social Democrat who came to power in 2019 and heads a broad-based coalition with the centre right, has taken several steps over the past year that would improve her chances of getting the job.
A year ago she won a referendum on ending Denmark’s traditional exemption from the European Union’s collective defence policies.
Since then she has accelerated plans to raise Denmark’s military budget and placed her country at the centre of an international coalition training Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly F-16 combat jets.
Yesterday Frederiksen said she had discussed defence and security along with other topics during a two-hour meeting with Biden in the Oval Office. However she played down speculation that she had sought the president’s approval for a future Nato role….
Sources from several countries say Wallace has been waging an assiduous charm offensive in the hope of becoming secretary-general of Nato. He is well liked by many European allies but few officials believe he will succeed.
Kallas is also understood to have support but there are concerns that she is too hawkish for the taste of some of the more circumspect members of the alliance.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
White in Washington, Sunak also made the case to Biden for UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace to succeed outgoing Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who is set to end his term leading the 31-member alliance in September.
Stoltenberg is slated to meet with Biden in Washington on Monday, and leaders from the alliance are set to gather in Lithuania on 11-12 July for their annual summit.
Asked if it was time for aUK leader for Nato, Biden said “it may be” but “that remains to be seen.”
“We’re going to have to get a consensus within Nato,” he said.
Stoltenberg is slated to meet with Biden in Washington on Monday, and leaders from the alliance are set to gather in Lithuania on 11-12 July for their annual summit.
Asked if it was time for aUK leader for Nato, Biden said “it may be” but “that remains to be seen.”
“We’re going to have to get a consensus within Nato,” he said.
Is Wallace trying to get a job before the next election sees him out? Or is it time for the regular change of UK defence Minister ??
Feel sorry for Wallace, Rishi might want him out of the way as apotential rival, being a Brit isnt a good situation in NATO - Yanks not keen on us, Eu not keen on us and general perception that members of this govenment are corrupt, dishonest and incompetent , nice legacy there Boris . I am not a Tory but Wallace seems a competent capcble man and I cans ee why people wouldnt want to lose him from UK gov , V few people in government have his atributes. Don't get the Morduant fan club , Liz Truss Mark 2
I very much doubt that Sunak is pushing Wallace in that direction. It appears to be his own ambition and choice.
Any evidence for your "Yanks not keen, EU not keen" diatribe?
Any evidence for your "Yanks not keen, EU not keen" diatribe?
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
See the link I provided at #29.
There are also suggestions elsewhere that the EU nations think the post should be EU linked and will vote accordingly.
There are also suggestions elsewhere that the EU nations think the post should be EU linked and will vote accordingly.
...Don't get the Morduant fan club , Liz Truss Mark 2
IG
Wallace not putting his name forward - as per Sky news
Letters to the DT editor :-
SIR – It appears Joe Biden has scuppered Ben Wallace’s chances of becoming secretary-general of Nato.
Britain needs to learn that this is not the behaviour of a friend.
John Jukes
Pembroke
SIR – France and Germany are reportedly lobbying for the next Nato secretary-general to come from an EU state, despite their failures to pay the full Nato membership fee. Indeed, the EU’s response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has been pathetic.
It is also worth remembering that Emmanuel Macron, the French president, once described Nato as “brain dead”. Meanwhile, there are questions over Joe Biden’s powers of judgment.
Ben Wallace remains the best candidate.
Archie Douglas
Whitton, Middlesex
SIR – The so-called special relationship between Britain and the United States has for many years been an illusion.
The US will do whatever it perceives to be best for the US, and is not worried if it upsets Britain in the process. Rishi Sunak went over recently and basically came back with nothing.
As a nation we would do better looking elsewhere to develop our trading and defence relationships, especially as the threat from China grows.
Stan Kirby
East Malling, Kent
SIR – I am not surprised by the reluctance to make a British citizen secretary-general of Nato, given the size of our country’s Armed Forces.
Maurice Burbidge
Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex
SIR – By any historical measure the Army is too small. However, just what size Army we need is dependent on what it is for. Is it an expeditionary force, a garrison or all things to all people?
The question facing this Government is the one that has faced all governments (and been evaded by them) since 1982: can we afford an independent air force? The RAF’s front-line fighter (the Typhoon) is effectively confined to Europe because, unlike the French Rafale, it is not carrier-capable. This means that our power-projection assets (the aircraft carriers Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth) are not as effective as they could be.
The Falklands War demonstrated that seaborne air power is essential and that, for a maritime power such as Britain, a land-based air force imposes severe limitations on our ability to defend our vital maritime and overseas interests.
The current functions of the RAF could be shared by the Navy and the Army, providing a huge saving in organisational and procurement costs. At the very least the RAF should never again be permitted to procure front-line aircraft that cannot operate from a carrier.
John Neimer
Stoborough, Dorset
Britain needs to learn that this is not the behaviour of a friend.
John Jukes
Pembroke
SIR – France and Germany are reportedly lobbying for the next Nato secretary-general to come from an EU state, despite their failures to pay the full Nato membership fee. Indeed, the EU’s response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has been pathetic.
It is also worth remembering that Emmanuel Macron, the French president, once described Nato as “brain dead”. Meanwhile, there are questions over Joe Biden’s powers of judgment.
Ben Wallace remains the best candidate.
Archie Douglas
Whitton, Middlesex
SIR – The so-called special relationship between Britain and the United States has for many years been an illusion.
The US will do whatever it perceives to be best for the US, and is not worried if it upsets Britain in the process. Rishi Sunak went over recently and basically came back with nothing.
As a nation we would do better looking elsewhere to develop our trading and defence relationships, especially as the threat from China grows.
Stan Kirby
East Malling, Kent
SIR – I am not surprised by the reluctance to make a British citizen secretary-general of Nato, given the size of our country’s Armed Forces.
Maurice Burbidge
Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex
SIR – By any historical measure the Army is too small. However, just what size Army we need is dependent on what it is for. Is it an expeditionary force, a garrison or all things to all people?
The question facing this Government is the one that has faced all governments (and been evaded by them) since 1982: can we afford an independent air force? The RAF’s front-line fighter (the Typhoon) is effectively confined to Europe because, unlike the French Rafale, it is not carrier-capable. This means that our power-projection assets (the aircraft carriers Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth) are not as effective as they could be.
The Falklands War demonstrated that seaborne air power is essential and that, for a maritime power such as Britain, a land-based air force imposes severe limitations on our ability to defend our vital maritime and overseas interests.
The current functions of the RAF could be shared by the Navy and the Army, providing a huge saving in organisational and procurement costs. At the very least the RAF should never again be permitted to procure front-line aircraft that cannot operate from a carrier.
John Neimer
Stoborough, Dorset
I don't get the impression that Ben Wallace has much time for US industry and that won't have done much to endear him to those with influence in Washington. [Not saying whether he's right or wrong to have taken that approach, it's just an observation].
Economist as an interview with Wallace this week
He reckons the US wants to keep the current man in place for another year
Also he says "not everything needs to come from the USA"
He reckons the US wants to keep the current man in place for another year
Also he says "not everything needs to come from the USA"
"The current functions of the RAF could be shared by the Navy and the Army, providing a huge saving in organisational and procurement costs. At the very least the RAF should never again be permitted to procure front-line aircraft that cannot operate from a carrier."
there go the A400's I guess....................
there go the A400's I guess....................
"The current functions of the RAF could be shared by the Navy and the Army, providing a huge saving in organisational and procurement costs. At the very least the RAF should never again be permitted to procure front-line aircraft that cannot operate from a carrier."
there go the A400's I guess....................
there go the A400's I guess....................