U.S. President Joe Biden, 80, rejected 63-year-old U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace to replace 64-year-old former Norwegian Prime Minister NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltengerg. Stoltenberg who’s been head of NATO for the past nine years, was slated to run the Norwegian central bank at the end of 2022. Stoltenberg finds himself caught in a political vise between the U.S., U.K. and European Union to find a suitable replacement at a time of great challenge for NATO given the ever-dangerous Ukraine War. Biden has complicated the picture, refusing any peace overtures made by several countries, including France, supplying Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons to fight the Russian Federation. Brussels fears that Biden’s proxy war could drag the EU into WW III on the European Continent, largely because Biden refuses to end his proxy war against the Kremlin.
When it comes to the Ukraine War, Biden and 45-year-old Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky insist that the war protects European democracy, making zero sense since Ukraine is a bankrupt, war-torn country, relying heavily on U.S. government largess to pay its civil servants, including Zelensky’s salary, and the war against the Kremlin. Brussels, heavily influenced by Germany and France, don’t see a way out of an increasingly dangerous war, with the U.K. no longer part of the U.K. Letting Ben Wallace take over NATO would by an affront to Brussels, largely because U.K. exited the EU Jan. 31, 2020. Policy differences on immigration ultimately drove the June 23, 2016 Brexit vote to leave the EU. So when it comes to picking the next NATO leader the EU, under Berlin and Paris influence, want not part of British control. U.K. officials felt betrayed by Washington over rejecting Wallace.
EU officials would have accepted 45-year-old Socialist Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, apparently failing her interview with Biden. Whatever the reason, Fredericksen was not viewed as ready to run the $1.5 trillion euro budget, with most of NATO’’s 31 countries spending under the targeted two percent of GDP for its budget. When former President Donald Trump was in office, he implored NATO countries to spend their two percent of GDP, prompting the U.S. and foreign press to accuse him of opposing NATO. When the press wants to demonize some for pure politics, they do it without any repercussions. Opposition now to U.K.’s Wallace goes back to No. 10 Downing Street rejecting the EU. Current U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, 43, and 59-year-old former Prime Boris Johnson, both support Ben Wallace as NATO’s replacement for Stoltenberg.
White House officials gave no reason for why Biden opposed Wallace as NATO Secretary-General, asking Stoltenberg to stay on another year until a consensus candidate can be picked. U.K. officials point fingers at Biden but the real reason Brussels opposed Wallace has to do with the U.K. no longer part of the EU. France and Germany objected to the U.K. controlling NATO in large part because Britain has a more hostile attitude toward Russia and could get the European Continent into an expanded war. Unlike Stoltenberg, Wallace would most like support and push for Ukraine’s membership. If Ukraine joins NATO, 31 NATO states would trigger Article 5, going to Ukraine’s defense, starting WW III. So, apart from the U.K.’s exist from the EU, France and Germany oppose Wallace as NATO Secretary-General because he’s more likely to start WW III with Russia.
Wallace had 100% backing from the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all because they fear 70-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky has told the U.S. and EU without Ukraine winning the Ukraine War, the Baltic States are vulnerable to a Russian takeover. “Theire view is that, if it’s a European, it has to be some in the EU so it doesn’t fall foul of the Brexit arguments and EU’s growing role in security,” said an unnamed source, saying the EU wants to control the next NATO chief. When it comes to Biden’s view, he doesn’t want to alienate France and Germany at a time when he needs their support in hi ongoing dispute with Beijing. Biden told China Sept. 23, 2022 that he would commit troops to defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion. Biden wants as much EU support as he can get for the Ukraine War but, more importantly, a crisis with China.
Ben Wallance was the U.K.’s favorite pick to succeed Stoltenberg, running afoul with Brussels. As far as Brussels is concerned, they want no part of U.K. control over NATO, largely because Britain is not part of the European Continent and would be removed from any expanded conflagration with the Russian Federation. When it comes to Ukraine’s request for fast-track NATO membership, Brussels seeks Wallace backing Zelensky’s request. French President Emmanuel Macron, 45, and 65-year-old German Chancellor Olaf Scholz want to end the Ukraine War at the earliest possible time. If Wallace were NATO Secretary-General he’d be more sympathetic to Biden and Zelensky’s goal to defeating the Russian Federation. Macron and Scholz disagree with Biden and Zelensky’s aim of degrading the Russian military by continuing the proxy war indefinitely until Russia loses.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
