Lithuania's Grybauskaite doubts her chances of becoming next NATO secgen

VILNIUS – Ex-Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite doubts her chances of becoming NATO's new secretary general once Jens Stoltenberg's term of office ends.

In her interview with The New York Times on Thursday, the former president said NATO's top diplomatic post usually goes to someone who receives unanimous support from all 30 member countries, adding that she would not get it because of her attitude towards Russia.

"Some countries will think that my strong position toward Russia is an obstacle," Grybauskaite said.

She also noted that NATO countries should immediately provide Ukraine with more military equipment, and she also did not rule out the idea of deploying allied troops in the country.

"The response needs to be adequate to the attack", Grybauskaite said.

In July, 2021, Politico, an influential political publication, reported that the former Lithuanian president was one of the three most realistic candidates to become the new NATO secretary general.

Stoltenberg's term expired earlier this year, but NATO leaders agreed in March to extend it for another year in the wake of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.