London, 22 June 2023 (PA Media/dpa/MIA) - British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has ruled himself out of contention to succeed the secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.

Wallace told The Economist "it's not going to happen" and there are "a lot of unresolved issues in NATO".

He said the US wants Stoltenberg to stay in the role.

Earlier in the month, US President Joe Biden said he would support a NATO leader from the UK when he met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the White House.

He indicated that Wallace was a "very qualified individual" but it "remains to be seen" who will get the job.

Before his trip to the White House, Sunak said Wallace is widely respected across the world.

"Ben does a fantastic job. He is a great Defence Secretary," Sunak said at the start of June.

"Ben is widely respected among his colleagues around the world.

"We're one of the only countries that participates in every single NATO operation. We are widely perceived as a thought leader in NATO."