NATO divisions cast into stark relief

NATO member countries are expected to inaugurate a new leader at the organization’s July 11-12 summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, to succeed its current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term has already been extended twice since it expired last year.

But a third extension seems unavoidable as the 31 members of the military alliance are apparently unable to agree on who should succeed him. Despite his repeated claim that he would not pursue another extension, the incumbent NATO chief has also left the option open.

A former prime minister of Norway, Stoltenberg has been instrumental in maneuvering a unified, forceful NATO approach to the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. His continued presence at the NATO helm would therefore be conducive to both policy continuity and the transatlantic alliance’s image of unity, as he has been a faithful repeater of Washington’s line.

However, Stoltenberg won’t stay forever, and NATO cannot get around the internal divisions undermining its functionality.

The failure to build a consensus on his successor is the tip of that huge iceberg pestering NATO. Media in the United Kingdom have reported French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to prevent Ben Wallace, the UK defense minister, from getting Stoltenberg’s job, on the grounds that someone from an EU member, which the UK no longer is, should assume the role. Although this might just be the UK media’s typical anti-EU stance. There are reports elsewhere that some countries are cool to the idea of a third NATO chief in a row from a Nordic country, though Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whom many favor as a possible candidate, has ruled it out.

When it comes to membership expansion, that Turkiye has so far refused to ratify Sweden’s admission after finally giving the green light to Finland is another sign of discord among NATO members. Turkiye has accused Sweden of harboring “terrorists” from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

Even on imperative security concerns, which have been significantly amplified by the conflict in Ukraine, NATO members are at odds, with some calling for European autonomy in security affairs.

In a follow-up to his recent appeal for the EU to not act as a pawn of the United States, President Macron on Monday urged European countries to seek more independence on airspace defense and reduce their reliance on the United States. His government believes the German-led European air defense integration program is overly dependent on US and Israeli technologies.

And, in spite of the general consensus on a greater NATO presence in the “Indo-Pacific”, it may be even more difficult for its members to agree on exactly how far NATO should go in expanding its reach into the region. This will be another important subject of discussion at its July summit.

Editorial, China Daily