Posted 2/18/2024, 6:55:25 PM
Scholz Blocked Von der Leyen as NATO Chief Over Ukraine Stance Tension
- Olaf Scholz blocked Ursula von der Leyen's potential nomination as NATO chief due to her tough stance against Putin, which he saw as a "disadvantage"
- Tension between Scholz and von der Leyen increased recently over Germany's solo €7B pledge to Ukraine, separate from EU support
- Von der Leyen is considered a potential successor to outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
- Germany proposed allowing bilateral military aid to Ukraine to be discounted from countries' contributions to the EU's European Peace Facility
- Germany believes countries with larger defense industries like France and Spain should create new weapons rather than tap existing stocks the EPF would reimburse