Ukraine's Foreign Minister Reacts to the Extension of Stolterberg's Mandate

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, called the decision to extend the mandate of the current NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for another year "excellent news".

Dmytro Kuleba welcomed the Alliance's decision. "Tough times demand strong leadership. Jens Stoltenberg has demonstrated just that. I look forward to furthering our cooperation," Kuleba stated on his Twitter.

Excellent news on the extension of @JensStoltenberg's mandate as NATO Secretary General. Tough times demand strong leadership. Jens Stoltenberg has demonstrated just that. I look forward to furthering our cooperation.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) July 4, 2023

On 4 July, NATO extended Stoltenberg's powers as Secretary General of the Alliance for another year, as the Allies failed to agree on a better candidate for a successor.

None of the potential candidates, such as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace or Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, could not get the support of 31 NATO member states.

Former prime minister of Norway, Stoltenberg, aged 64, was due to complete his term as NATO secretary general at the end of September 2023 and did not want a mandate extension.