2023-06-28 06:04:56
One of the great promises of Brexit was to reach a free trade agreement with the United States. But the pact is conspicuous by its absence. What’s more, the special relationship between London and Washington is not going through its best moment after what has been considered a “great rudeness” by Joe Biden in blocking the candidacy of Ben Wallace, the current British Defense Minister, as Secretary General of NATO.
The British minister enjoyed great popularity thanks to his involvement in Britain’s high-profile role in strengthening the resolve of the Atlantic Alliance in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, he did not have the support of Germany and France, who are pushing hard for Jens Stoltenberg’s successor to come from an EU state. And it seems that Biden has been in favor of turning his back on London. According to “The Telegraph”, senior British officials felt “very disappointed” by the US decision, which they fear has sent the wrong message to the allies by snubbing a UK candidate, one of seven of the 31 members of the military bloc that spent 2% of GDP on Defense.
It is possible that the snub could now affect London’s support for Washington on other international issues, including Taiwan independence. According to the British newspaper, the White House initially favored Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, who is supported by France and Germany. But things soured after she failed to impress Biden during a visit to Washington. The North American president considers that the current situation does not allow time for rookies, so he pressures Stoltenberg to stay for another year.
Many allies want to appoint a woman to NATO’s top job for the first time and believe it should only go to a former head of government. Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s current prime minister, is a favorite for some, but she does not have the support of Paris and Berlin, who see her as too aggressive towards Russia.
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