British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may become the next Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO). The Telegraph writes about this, citing several sources.
According to the newspaper, Johnson has long been considered for this post due to US distrust of EU officials who apply for this position.
The British Prime Minister was supported by several of his colleagues. For example, British MP Richard Drax, in a conversation with The Telegraph, said that "any outstanding Briton would be an excellent choice." He said he would support Johnson if he decides to run for the post of NATO Secretary General.
Another member of the British Parliament who supports Johnson is Marc Francois. “People will probably argue about Boris Johnson’s legacy for years, but one thing that is clearly undeniable is his absolute unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russian barbarism. If he were to apply for the post of NATO Secretary General, I suspect that he could rely on President Zelensky for a recommendation,” he told The Telegraph.
David Jones, former Brexit minister, stressed that it was at Johnson's suggestion that Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership.
However, there are those who doubt that Johnson can become the new Secretary General. British General Lord Richard Dannat said he could not support the prime minister because of his character: “Undoubtedly, he has done a lot of good, and our full support for Ukraine is fantastic. But I'm afraid that the problem is in personal things, lack of honesty, lack of trust. To be honest, we don't want to expose Boris Johnson on the international stage for more ridicule. He is a disgrace to the nation."
Also, several interlocutors of The Telegraph suggested that French President Emmanuel Macron would veto Johnson's election.
The current NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, was appointed to the post in 2014 for a five-year term. In 2019, his mandate was extended until October 2022. Due to Russia's war against Ukraine on March 24, Stoltenberg was kept as secretary until September 30, 2023.
On July 7, Johnson decided to step down as Prime Minister of Great Britain and leader of the Conservative Party. He stated that he would carry out his duties until a new person was appointed to the position, stressing that the selection process should begin now.