Another politician wants to become head of NATO

The 58-year-old Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins said that he is ready to replace Jens Stoltenberg as NATO Secretary General. This is reported by Bloomberg.

If Latvia decides to nominate its candidate for the post of secretary general, I am ready to join the competition," Kariņš said in a statement.

Speaking about the advantage of his candidacy, the Latvian representative emphasises that if elected, he will "contribute to the work of the Alliance thanks to his leadership experience as prime minister, a clear understanding of the threat from Russia, a firm position on Ukraine and a proven track record of building international consensus".

Kariņš is known to have resigned as prime minister in August when his party was trying to form a new government. He had served as Latvia's prime minister since 23 January 2019.

Jens Stoltenberg has led NATO for eight years, starting in 2014. He was due to step down at the end of September 2022, but due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, his mandate was extended for another year. In February, he said he would not extend his contract any further. After leaving his post, Stoltenberg plans to head the Central Bank of Norway.

We would like to point out that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced their readiness to head NATO.