Ursula von der Leyen says she is not interested in leading NATO

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has said that she is not interested in leading NATO after Jens Stoltenberg's resignation as secretary general.

This was reported by AP.

According to the agency, von der Leyen's name is increasingly heard among officials and experts discussing the candidacy of Stoltenberg's successor.

However, the President of the European Commission has categorically rejected the possibility of her transition to work in NATO.

"I am definitely not ready for this. I think NATO is great, and if it didn't exist, it would have to be created. I really, really enjoyed working for NATO as a defense minister (of Germany - ed.), but I'm definitely not ready for this job. My place is in Europe," she said.

In addition, von der Leyen refused to answer the question of whether she plans to run for a second term as head of the European Commission after the European Parliament elections.

She said she plans to make a decision in the second half of the year.

As it is known, the current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who has been in office since October 1, 2014, was supposed to resign last year and planned to head the central bank in his native Norway, but due to Russia's attack on Ukraine, it was decided to extend his term until September 30, 2023.

Author - Olena Madiak, 06/06/2023