Boris Johnson, who is now stepping down as British Prime Minister, may take over as NATO Secretary-General after current alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg leaves his seat next September, writes the Daily Telegraph.

According to the newspaper, senior Tories are backing Boris Johnson as the next NATO Secretary-General. Prior to Johnson, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, as well as former UK prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron, were considered for the role, the newspaper notes.

The Daily Telegraph stressed that the post of NATO Secretary-General had long been offered to a British representative because of the US distrust of European politicians who had repeatedly announced their plans to create a new European Union army.