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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: NATO NEXT LEADER
HEADLINE: NATO Struggles to Choose Leader as Allies Crave Stability Amid Ukraine War
TEASER: Incumbent Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has not indicated he will extend his term, due to expire this year
PUBLISHED AT: (6/29/23 & TIME)
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, Bowman
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Zoom, APTN, Reuters, AFP
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB _X_ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:57
VID APPROVED BY:
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[NATO is set to choose a new leader, as the term of current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is due to end later this year. Some members, however, want Stoltenberg to stay on to give the Western alliance stability amid Russia’s war on Ukraine. Henry Ridgwell reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
Jens Stoltenberg — a former prime minister of Norway — has led NATO for nine years. His tenure has already been extended twice, the latest in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Hosting the secretary-general in Washington last week, U.S. President Joe Biden hailed his leadership.
[[00:22 any possible way to turn the volume up on this SOT? It's lower than the narration]] ((President Joe Biden)
“In no small part to your leadership, we got — beyond NATO, we got another 30, well, a total of 40 nations that are committed to the independence of Ukraine.”
((NARRATOR))
Stoltenberg’s term is due to expire in September. Traditionally, the secretary-general is European. But NATO allies appear undecided over who should succeed the 64-year-old incumbent.
((Joel Hickman, Center for European Policy Analysis)) ((Zoom))
“They're going to have to be able to navigate lots of different competing national interests that you get in NATO, you get in an alliance of 30 plus countries. They’re also going to have to be able to garner support among populations within those allied nations, particularly with young people.”
((NARRATOR))
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is seen as a frontrunner.
((OPT OUT))
On a recent visit to Washington, she highlighted her country’s support for Kyiv.
((Mette Frederiksen, Danish Prime Minister (in English) ))
“We will, of course, continue, from a Danish perspective, our very strong, strong support to Ukraine.”
((NARRATOR))
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace are also seen as contenders – though Wallace has said he does not believe he’s in the frame.
((Joel Hickman, Center for European Policy Analysis)) ((cf. Zoom logo))
“It's important that the NATO secretary-general is both an established and clear voice on Ukraine and can continue to maintain alliance solidarity on Ukraine. But also that they have credibility when it comes to NATO's 2 percent [of GDP] spending target.”
((OPT IN))
((NARRATOR))
NATO is due to hold its annual summit on July 11. Some allies want Stoltenberg to extend his term once again – though he hasn’t indicated whether he is prepared to do so.
((Joel Hickman, Center for European Policy Analysis))((cf. Zoom logo))
“Right now I think there’s a lot of uncertainty in Ukraine. There’s also a lot of uncertainty in terms of U.S. politics and who we may have as a president next year - obviously we’ve heard different positions from some of the Republican candidates. And I think given all of that uncertainty, a large number of allies are looking for that stability.” [[2:28--Can we please remove "I'd be surprised if we have a new leader announced at that summit"--not in script.]]
((NARRATOR))
Analysts say whoever leads NATO will face numerous challenges: large-scale land warfare in Europe; the dangers of nuclear proliferation…
…an increasingly assertive China; and new theaters of competition in cyber and space technology.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London.))
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