Canada's Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland could become next NATO chief: Report

Chrystia Freeland, the deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Canada could replace Jens Stoltenberg as a NATO secretary general unless his term is extended, an American newspaper reported on Friday, citing a US official familiar with the debate. With the tenure of NATO’s current chief, Jens Stoltenberg, scheduled to end next fall, who among the allies should replace him? Besides Chrystia Freeland, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, and ex-Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who also was Croatia's ambassador to the US and an assistant secretary general for public diplomacy at NATO, are named as strong contenders from the European Union, according to the report. UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace is another contender for the post, the newspaper cited UK officials as saying. 

Who will be the next NATO Chief?

Chrystia Freeland, 54, a former journalist, has also been Canada’s foreign minister. Considering her advantages: she speaks English, French, Italian, Ukrainian and Russian; she has run complicated ministries; she is good at news conferences and other public appearances, and she would be the first woman and first Canadian ever to run NATO. According to the official, Freeland is the prime candidate that has surfaced in Washington for NATO Chief. However, The newspaper also cited a NATO official as saying that NATO member states could agree to extend Stoltenberg's term as NATO secretary general in office by another year in September. Further, a NATO source told Sputnik in mid-October that ex-Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi is most likely to become the next NATO chief since the alliance is looking for a former high-ranking official with a deep understanding of the European security architecture amid the Ukraine crisis. But one of the senior NATO officials said that there is a high probability that the next NATO Secretary General will be a woman. Stoltenberg's term as secretary general was due to expire this fall, but his term was extended for another year, until September 30, 2023, against the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis.