https://en.sputniknews.africa/20241001/stoltenberg-resigns-as-nato-secretary-general-but-no-major-changes-expected-1068495181.html
Stoltenberg Resigns as NATO Secretary General, But No Major Changes Expected
Stoltenberg Resigns as NATO Secretary General, But No Major Changes Expected
Sputnik Africa
BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - Norwegian politician Jens Stoltenberg leaves the post of NATO Secretary General on Tuesday, and former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte... 01.10.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-10-01T10:02+0200
2024-10-01T10:02+0200
2024-10-01T10:03+0200
mark rutte
maria zakharova
dmitry peskov
moscow
ukraine
russia
north atlantic treaty organization (nato)
russian foreign ministry
kremlin
international
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According to leaks in the Western media, the main task of the new NATO Secretary General will be to ensure the continuity of the alliance's policy in the near future amid a difficult geopolitical situation. Given this, no "upheavals" are expected at the bloc's headquarters in connection with the arrival of the new leader. The handover ceremony will begin on Tuesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels at 9 am local time (07:00 GMT) and will end at 11:30 am (09:30 GMT) with Rutte's first press conference as the alliance's new Secretary General, who is receiving from Stoltenberg a very onerous legacy rather than a tempting position. Stoltenberg's ten years of leadership will be remembered for the sharp deterioration of the West's relations with Russia, the transformation of rhetoric from faith in dialogue with Moscow to calls for strikes on Russian territory with Western weapons, the collapse of the international security and arms control system, the failure of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, and the formation of the image of China as a new "enemy of the West." Failing to Follow His Father's Order: 'Talk to Everyone to Understand Each Other Better'Stoltenberg, who took over as NATO Secretary General in 2014, has long positioned himself as a supporter of dialogue with Moscow. He has repeatedly stated that "it is possible to cooperate" with Russia and cited personal positive examples from his time in the Norwegian government. Until recently, in the biography section of the Secretary General on the NATO website, one could even read: "He believes in credible deterrence and defense while maintaining dialogue with Russia." And in his autobiography, Stoltenberg recalled that since childhood he had heard his father's order about the need to "talk to everyone to understand each other better." But the secretary general never fulfilled either his father's order or his own promises: having initiated what turned out to be the last meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in January 2022, Stoltenberg will cross out all his previous statements at the summer summit of 2022 in Madrid and call Russia the "main threat" to the bloc for the coming decade. Stoltenberg, who verbally called for not abandoning contacts with Moscow, will most actively support the largest strengthening of the bloc on the eastern flank near the border with Russia since the Cold War for the entire ten years, which will ultimately lead to the collapse of security throughout Europe. And it is Stoltenberg, who constantly emphasized the exclusively "defensive" nature of NATO in his speeches and insisted on its regional nature, who will become an active conductor of the aggressive expansion of the alliance (four countries will join the bloc in ten years of his leadership), will insist on the inclusion of Ukraine in NATO, an endless increase in defense spending, and military deliveries to Kiev. Under Stoltenberg, the alliance's new strategic concept for the period up to 2030 will for the first time mention China, whose "stated ambitions and coercive policies continue to challenge NATO's interests, security and values." Later, the secretary general will also repeatedly speak out against strengthening trade relations between the alliance countries and Beijing, intimidating allies with the "growing military power" of China, relations between Beijing and Moscow and increasing influence in Asia and the world. Spoke About Dialogue, But Led to ConfrontationMoscow has repeatedly noted that NATO was aimed at confrontation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the expansion of the bloc would not bring greater security to Europe. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow remained open to dialogue with NATO, but on an equal basis, while the West must abandon the course of militarizing the continent. At the same time, in recent years, Russia has repeatedly pointed out NATO's unprecedented activity near its western borders. A kind of culmination of this NATO policy was the refusal to discuss security guarantees with Russia in early 2022. In late 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft treaties between Russia, the United States and NATO on security guarantees. The documents, in particular, ruled out further expansion of the alliance to the east and Ukraine's entry into it, the deployment of additional troops and weapons outside the countries in which they were as of May 1997, and also provided for the renunciation of any NATO military activity in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. On January 26, the United States and NATO sent Moscow written responses to Russia's proposals on security guarantees. In particular, they stated that Washington and NATO were not ready to abandon NATO expansion, but at the same time did not want confrontation and agreed to discuss certain aspects of security with Moscow. On March 3, 2022, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia had not received security guarantees from the United States and NATO. Zakharova clarified that Russia had been refused on issues that were "not just key, but important, essential, vital, existential" for the country. In his latest speeches, Stoltenberg, who completely forgot about calls for dialogue, repeatedly stated the position that "meaningful dialogue with Russia" was impossible in modern conditions, and all future potential relations with Moscow should be built, in his opinion, exclusively "from a position of strength." Feared a Direct Conflict With Moscow, But Left Calling for WarAt the very beginning of Russia's special military operation, NATO Secretary General resolutely stated that the alliance's task, on the one hand, was to help Kiev, but on the other, not to become a party to the conflict and to avoid the conflict spreading to NATO member states. At the same time, Moscow has repeatedly stated that it considered arms supplies to Ukraine to be direct involvement of NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. According to him, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel. The categorical "NATO forces will never fight in Ukraine" was followed first by calls to supply increasingly long-range weapons and train Ukrainian military personnel, and then by the secret dispatch of NATO advisers and instructors, and the provision of satellite data to Kiev. In recent months, Stoltenberg, probably eager to be remembered by his allies as a particularly bold leader, has sharply toughened his rhetoric and called for Ukraine to be allowed to strike with Western weapons deep into Russian territory, despite any risks of direct confrontation. Stoltenberg also responded absolutely positively to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on the Kursk region using Western weapons, calling it all "legitimate self-defense." Exceeding Authority Representatives of the Russian leadership have pointed out that Stoltenberg often exceeded his authority and behaved unprofessionally. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Stoltenberg exceeded his authority when he stated that Ukraine allegedly had the right to attack military targets on Russian territory.Stoltenberg also called for not taking seriously the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin about the consequences of strikes on Russia with Western weapons, which, from the point of view of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, was an absolutely short-sighted and unprofessional step. The Russian side also pointed out the double standards that Stoltenberg demonstrated in his post. After the 2024 presidential elections in Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted the hypocrisy of his statements about the allegedly unfree voting. During his time as NATO Secretary General, Stoltenberg also justified the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on the Kursk region, presenting it as the exercise of Ukraine's right to self-defense, while he did not talk about the right of residents of Russian regions to defend themselves from attacks by the Kiev regime, Zakharova noted. Compromising and Cool-Blooded At the same time, Stoltenberg was valued in the alliance for his composure and ability to achieve a compromise among allies even in the most difficult times, including the Ukrainian conflict. The outgoing secretary general is credited with preserving the alliance during the presidency of Donald Trump, whom he allegedly persuaded not to leave NATO. In addition, it is believed that it was he who managed to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of fleeing Afghanistan in 2021 for the bloc's authority. According to media reports, after finishing his career in NATO, Stoltenberg may become the chairman of the Munich Security Conference in February 2025.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240626/rutte-says-it-is-tremendous-honor-to-be-appointed-secretary-general-of-nato-1067235058.html
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240711/nato-has-no-interest-to-find-negotiated-solution-in-ukraine-only-dragging-crisis-un-official-says-1067450681.html
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mark rutte, maria zakharova, dmitry peskov, moscow, ukraine, russia, north atlantic treaty organization (nato), russian foreign ministry, kremlin, international, ukraine crisis, politics, military, weapon deliveries, negotiations
According to leaks in the Western media, the main task of the new NATO Secretary General will be to ensure the continuity of the alliance's policy in the near future amid a difficult geopolitical situation. Given this, no "upheavals" are expected at the bloc's headquarters in connection with the arrival of the new leader.
The handover ceremony will begin on Tuesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels at 9 am local time (07:00 GMT) and will end at 11:30 am (09:30 GMT) with Rutte's first press conference as the alliance's new Secretary General, who is receiving from Stoltenberg a very onerous
legacy rather than a tempting position.
Stoltenberg's ten years of leadership will be remembered for the
sharp deterioration of the West's relations with Russia, the transformation of rhetoric from faith in dialogue with Moscow to calls for strikes on Russian territory with Western weapons, the collapse of the international security and arms control system, the failure of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, and the formation of the
image of China as a new "enemy of the West."
Failing to Follow His Father's Order: 'Talk to Everyone to Understand Each Other Better'
Stoltenberg, who took over as NATO Secretary General in 2014, has long positioned himself as a supporter of
dialogue with Moscow. He has repeatedly stated that "it is possible to cooperate" with Russia and cited personal positive examples from his time in the Norwegian government. Until recently, in the biography section of the Secretary General on the NATO website, one could even read: "He believes in credible deterrence and defense while maintaining dialogue with Russia." And in his autobiography, Stoltenberg recalled that since childhood he had heard his father's order about the need to "talk to everyone to understand each other better."
But the secretary general never fulfilled either his father's order or his own promises: having initiated what turned out to be the last meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in January 2022, Stoltenberg will cross out all his previous statements at the summer summit of 2022 in Madrid and call Russia the "main threat" to the bloc for the coming decade.
Stoltenberg, who verbally called for not abandoning contacts with Moscow, will most actively support the largest
strengthening of the bloc on the eastern flank near the border with Russia since the Cold War for the entire ten years, which will ultimately lead to the collapse of security throughout Europe.
And it is Stoltenberg, who constantly emphasized the exclusively "defensive" nature of NATO in his speeches and insisted on its regional nature, who will become an active conductor of the aggressive expansion of the alliance (four countries will join the bloc in ten years of his leadership), will insist on the inclusion of Ukraine in NATO, an endless increase in defense spending, and military deliveries to Kiev.
Under Stoltenberg, the alliance's new strategic concept for the period up to 2030 will for the first time mention China, whose "stated ambitions and coercive policies continue to challenge NATO's interests, security and values." Later, the secretary general will also repeatedly speak out against strengthening trade relations between the alliance countries and Beijing, intimidating allies with the "growing military power" of China, relations between
Beijing and Moscow and increasing influence in Asia and the world.
Spoke About Dialogue, But Led to Confrontation
Moscow has repeatedly noted that NATO was aimed at confrontation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the expansion of the bloc would not bring greater security to Europe. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow remained open to dialogue with NATO, but on an equal basis, while the West must abandon the course of militarizing the continent. At the same time, in recent years, Russia has repeatedly pointed out NATO's unprecedented activity near its western borders.
A kind of culmination of this NATO policy was the refusal to discuss security guarantees with Russia in early 2022.
In late 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft treaties between Russia, the United States and NATO on security guarantees. The documents, in particular, ruled out further expansion of the alliance to the east and Ukraine's entry into it, the deployment of additional troops and weapons outside the countries in which they were as of May 1997, and also provided for the renunciation of any NATO military activity in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia and Central Asia.
On January 26, the United States and NATO sent Moscow written responses to
Russia's proposals on security guarantees. In particular, they stated that Washington and NATO were not ready to abandon NATO expansion, but at the same time did not want confrontation and agreed to discuss certain aspects of security with Moscow. On March 3, 2022, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia had not received security guarantees from the United States and NATO. Zakharova clarified that Russia had been refused on issues that were "not just key, but important, essential, vital, existential" for the country.
In his latest speeches, Stoltenberg, who completely forgot about calls for dialogue, repeatedly stated the position that "meaningful dialogue with Russia" was impossible in modern conditions, and all future potential relations with Moscow should be built, in his opinion, exclusively "from a position of strength."
Feared a Direct Conflict With Moscow, But Left Calling for War
At the very beginning of
Russia's special military operation, NATO Secretary General resolutely stated that the alliance's task, on the one hand, was to
help Kiev, but on the other, not to become a party to the conflict and to avoid the conflict spreading to NATO member states.
At the same time, Moscow has repeatedly stated that it considered arms supplies to Ukraine to be direct involvement of NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. According to him, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel.
The categorical "NATO forces will never fight in Ukraine" was followed first by calls to supply increasingly long-range weapons and train Ukrainian military personnel, and then by the secret dispatch of NATO advisers and
instructors, and the provision of satellite data to Kiev.
In recent months, Stoltenberg, probably eager to be remembered by his allies as a particularly bold leader, has sharply toughened his rhetoric and called for Ukraine to be allowed to strike with Western weapons deep into Russian territory, despite any risks of direct confrontation. Stoltenberg also responded absolutely positively to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on the Kursk region using Western weapons, calling it all "legitimate self-defense."
Representatives of the Russian leadership have pointed out that Stoltenberg often exceeded his authority and behaved unprofessionally. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Stoltenberg exceeded his authority when he stated that Ukraine allegedly had the right to attack military targets on Russian territory.
"I doubt that the secretary general can take on such responsibility, to speak on behalf of the bloc's members, when the topic for them was discussed within the framework of NATO," the minister said at the time.
Stoltenberg also called for not taking seriously the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin about the consequences of
strikes on Russia with Western weapons, which, from the point of view of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, was an absolutely short-sighted and unprofessional step.
The Russian side also pointed out the double standards that Stoltenberg demonstrated in his post. After the 2024 presidential elections in Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted the hypocrisy of his statements about the allegedly unfree voting.
"You can't expect anything else from the majority of today's so-called NATO 'leaders' — they do not notice and even justify the strikes of Ukrainian terrorists with Western weapons on peacefully voting Russian citizens and polling stations, but they are ready to judge the illegitimacy of elections in all parts of the world," she said on this matter.
During his time as NATO Secretary General, Stoltenberg also justified the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on the Kursk region, presenting it as the exercise of Ukraine's right to self-defense, while he did not talk about the right of residents of Russian regions to defend themselves from attacks by the Kiev regime, Zakharova noted.
Compromising and Cool-Blooded
At the same time, Stoltenberg was valued in the alliance for his composure and ability to achieve a compromise among allies even in the most difficult times, including the Ukrainian conflict.
The outgoing secretary general is credited with preserving the alliance during the presidency of Donald Trump, whom he allegedly persuaded not to leave NATO. In addition, it is believed that it was he who managed to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of fleeing Afghanistan in 2021 for the bloc's authority.
According to media reports, after finishing his career in NATO, Stoltenberg may become the chairman of the Munich Security Conference in February 2025.
