Estonian PM Open to Being Next NATO Chief

Estonia's Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, has expressed her aspiration to become the next Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

She made this declaration during an interview with a journalist from "Politico" on the sidelines of the Politico Defense Summit.

In the conversation, Kallas remarked that the next NATO Secretary-General should ideally hail from a member state of the alliance, with a long-standing NATO membership, a commitment to spend 2% of the gross domestic product on defense, and preferably be a woman.

She believes that this is a logical choice and one that can be well-received.

When asked if she wants her candidacy to be considered, Kallas replied affirmatively, signaling her willingness to take on the role.

Regarding her stance on NATO's policy, Kallas urged NATO to be cautious and not fall into what she referred to as the "Russian trap."

She emphasized that her potential role as NATO Secretary-General would enable the Western alliance to effectively address challenges posed by Russia.

She also expressed skepticism about characterizing the Ukrainian conflict as being at an impasse, and she cautioned against making statements that could be interpreted as aligning with Russia's interests, stressing the importance of avoiding such pitfalls.