NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is likely to remain in his position for one more year, four NATO diplomats have told EURACTIV, as the alliance seeks stability and unity while trying to maintain support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.

“Stoltenberg, who has been at NATO’s helm since October 2014, was expected to step down this autumn but will instead stay on an extra year, the NATO diplomats said.

He is likely to see his mandate extended in the coming days, ant the earliest on Wednesday (28 June), with a formal announcement expected before the summit, EURACTIV understands.

Stoltenberg’s term has already been prolonged twice – once for a second full mandate and a second time in March 2022, just after Russia invaded Ukraine.

None of the latest names circulated as potential successors – such as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, or Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez – seem to have so far managed to gain overwhelming support among the 31 NATO members.

As the new NATO boss has to be agreed by consensus after an opaque and complicated selection process, no nomination takes place without prior political agreement among NATO members, especially from the Quartet of the biggest allies – France, Germany, the UK, and the US.

Wallace was the first to rule himself out of the race, suggesting Washington would want Stoltenberg to stay on, the Economist reported earlier this month.

NATO diplomats inside the alliance point to Stoltenberg’s proven ability to handle the military alliance through the crises.

“It is not safe to change the captain during a storm”, one senior NATO official told EURACTIV when asked about the upcoming decision.

The extension gives the Western military alliance more time to focus on its short-to-long-term support to Ukraine, instead of having to dive into a personality debate, the NATO diplomats said”, - writes URACTIV.