Jens Stoltenberg has been reappointed as NATO Secretary-General for another year, days before a crucial summit in Vilnius on the topic of Ukraine.
"I am honoured by the decision of Nato allies to extend my term as secretary general until 1 October 2024," he tweeted. "Transatlantic ties between Europe and North America have guaranteed our freedom and security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever," he continued.
The extension, which had been expected for several weeks in the absence of a consensus on the name of a possible successor, was endorsed at a meeting of ambassadors from the 31 member countries at the organisation’s headquarters in Brussels.
Appointed on 1 October 2014 for a four-year term, the 64-year-old former Norwegian Prime Minister has served two full terms and had already been extended by one year in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.
Ceremony at NATO Headquarters marks one-year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Credit: NATO
The question of Ukraine’s NATO membership will be at the heart of the Vilnius summit on 11 and 12 July. While membership, while the Russian military offensive continues, is out of the question, Kyiv wants assurances for the future.
Sweden awaits NATO fate
"We need a very clear and intelligible signal at the Vilnius summit that Ukraine can become a full member of NATO after the war," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently hammered home.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken up security in Europe and reshuffled the cards, prompting Finland and Sweden to want to join NATO's protective umbrella. Article 5 of the NATO treaty stipulates that an attack on one member "shall be considered an attack on all members."
After three decades of military non-alignment, Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometre-long border with Russia, became NATO's 31st member country at the beginning of April. Sweden’s fate still faces objections from Turkey and Hungary.
