The UK’s defence secretary has revealed he is out of the race to become the next head of NATO, saying the United States wants the incumbent to stay in post until next year.
Ben Wallace, supported by the prime minister, had been gathering the backing of various European allies to replace Jens Stoltenberg as secretary general this autumn.
But the view of the US, the most powerful member of the alliance, is key in what is a secretive and unchoreographed process to align all 31 allies behind a single candidate.
Rishi Sunak is thought to have lobbied on behalf of his defence secretary during a meeting with Joe Biden in Washington earlier this month.
However, he failed to win over the US commander-in-chief over.
“It’s not going to happen,” Mr Wallace told The Economist magazine in an interview published on Wednesday.
“Maybe they want a prime minister,” he suggested.
Sky News understands the defence secretary discovered his NATO hopes had been dashed last week.
“Biden just didn’t want to support the UK,” a defence source claimed.
Stoltenberg could stay on as head
NATO allies have been privately discussing for more than 12 months – without reaching an agreement – who will take over from Mr Stoltenberg, whose mandate has already been extended three times.
The former Norwegian prime minister has served as secretary general for almost nine years.
He has repeatedly said he is not seeking to extend his tenure – however that does not mean he would not agree to a request from allies to stay on.
‘Bonus points’ if new boss is female
Another frontrunner is Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, though he is thought to have turned the job down.
There is also Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, in the mix even though the previous secretary general was also a Dane.
Diplomatic sources said allies had been hoping to find a candidate who had been a head of state or government, with “bonus points” if they were female – the post of secretary general has never been held by a woman.
A number of sources claimed Brexit also meant certain European countries would prefer a candidate from a European Union nation rather than the UK.
By delaying the decision over the new secretary general post into 2024, it will fall into the mix with a number of big EU jobs that are also coming up.