![]() The worry is that the EU is pursuing permanent structured cooperation, which is detracting from the integrity of Nato. Robert Courts, a member of the Commons defence committee, said the UK “should back another candidate” and warned that Mrs Von der Leyen would be a “politically divisive” choice at a time when Nato needs to maintain unity.ĭavid Jones, a former Cabinet minister, urged the Prime Minister to block the move, saying: “He should certainly not be too anxious to support. On Tuesday, Mr Sunak said Mr Wallace, who has since ruled himself out of the running to become the next Nato chief, “had been an outstanding candidate for the role”. The source said the move “ended any remaining hope” the Defence Secretary had of winning over Mr Biden. However, Washington was dismayed when Britain announced plans to train Ukrainian pilots, and form an international effort to arm them with US-made F-16 jets, without its backing. Mr Wallace led the way in the campaigns to arm Kyiv with modern battle tanks and long-range cruise missiles. Mr Biden later told a news conference that the UK had a “very qualified individual” for the job, but stopped short of offering his support. Senior Conservative MPs have urged Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, to back an alternative candidate amid fears over Mrs von der Leyen’s record as Germany’s defence minister.ĭuring a recent visit to the White House, Mr Sunak was said to have “lobbied hard” for Mr Wallace to become Nato’s next top official. Joe Biden made Ursula von der Leyen his pick for Nato secretary general after Britain announced plans to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s without his approval.īen Wallace, the Defence Secretary, had been a front-runner to succeed Jens Stoltenberg, the transatlantic alliance’s current chief.īut Mr Wallace failed to secure the backing of the White House amid tensions over Britain’s ambitious military support for Ukraine, The Telegraph understands.
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