MOSCOW, 16 Nov. Some members of the North Atlantic Alliance do not want to appoint natives of the Soviet Union to the post of secretary general of the military bloc, so as not to irritate Russia, writes Financial Times columnist Valentina Pop.
According to the journalist, the Lithuanian leadership plans to nominate a prime minister country Ingridu Simonyte. However, some NATO states prevent the appointment of a person born in the USSR, because, in their opinion, this could be a provocative step against Russia.
«Lithuania has taken a tough diplomatic stance towards Russia for decades,» Pop said.
br>According to the author, former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and Pedro Sanchez, who heads the Spanish government, are also contending for the position of alliance general secretary.
The Russian leadership has repeatedly noted that the West is aiming on confrontation and expansion into the post-Soviet space through the inclusion of new countries in the North Atlantic Alliance and the destabilization of borders.