Stoltenberg started his career in government as astate secretary in theMinistry of the Environment in 1990 and was elected to theStorting in 1993. He was theMinister of Industry and Energy from 1993 to 1996 andMinister of Finance from 1996 to 1997. He was prime minister from 2000 to 2001, leader of the Labour Party from 2002 to 2014, and was prime minister for a second time from 2005 to 2013. The following year, he was named as the 13th secretary general ofNATO, and his term was subsequently extended four times by the NATO heads of state and government.
Stoltenberg has been described as a cautious politician, belonging to the right wing of social democracy. When he became prime minister in 2000, he was portrayed as the "NorwegianTony Blair", and his policies were inspired by Blair'sNew Labour agenda. As the second longest-serving high-ranking official in NATO history, Stoltenberg worked to expand the alliance into Eastern Europe and to strengthen the alliance's military capabilities in response to theRusso-Ukrainian War, and his tenure coincided with the largest increase in NATO defense spending since theCold War.
Stoltenberg was born 16 March 1959 inOslo, into the NorwegianStoltenberg family, the family name derived fromStoltenberg in Schleswig-Holstein where a German ancestor once lived. Jens's father,Thorvald Stoltenberg (1931–2018), was a Labour party politician and diplomat who was an ambassador, defence minister and foreign minister. His mother,Karin Stoltenberg (née Heiberg; 1931–2012), was a geneticist who was thestate secretary in multiple governments during the 1980s.[1]Marianne Heiberg, married to former foreign ministerJohan Jørgen Holst, was his maternal aunt. Jens lived inSFR Yugoslavia from 1961 to 1964 while his father worked at the Norwegian embassy.[2][3]
Stoltenberg attended primary school atOslo Waldorf School, and upper secondary school atOslo Cathedral School. He served his mandatory military service with the Army's Infantry Training Centre atEvjemoen inAust-Agder. After leaving the army, Stoltenberg enrolled at theUniversity of Oslo, graduating in 1987 with thecand.oecon. degree in economics. The title of his thesis wasMakroøkonomisk planlegging under usikkerhet. En empirisk analyse ("Macroeconomic planning under uncertainty. Anempirical analysis").[4]
Stoltenberg's first steps into politics came in his early teens, when he was influenced by his sisterCamilla, who at the time was a member of the thenMarxist–Leninist groupRed Youth. Opposition to theVietnam War was his triggering motivation. Following heavybombing raids against the North Vietnamese port city ofHai Phong at the end of the Vietnam War, he participated inprotest rallies targeting theUnited States Embassy in Oslo. On at least one occasion embassy windows were broken by stone-throwing protesters. Several of Stoltenberg's friends were arrested by the police after these events.[5]
From 1979 to 1981, Stoltenberg was a journalist forArbeiderbladet. From 1985 to 1989, he was the leader of theWorkers' Youth League. From 1989 to 1990, he worked as an executive officer forStatistics Norway, Norway's central institution for producing official statistics. He also worked part-time as an hourly paid instructor at the University of Oslo during this period. Between 1990 and 1992, he was leader of theOslo chapter of the Labour Party.[citation needed]
Up to 1990, he had regular contacts with a Soviet diplomat. He ended this relationship after being informed by theNorwegian Police Security Service that his contact was aKGB agent, warning him against further contact. The code name given to Stoltenberg by the KGB was "Steklov".[6][7][8]
In 1996,Thorbjørn Jagland became prime minister, and Stoltenberg becameMinister of Finance.[citation needed] On 29 September 1997, Jagland resigned because ofan ultimatum he had issued stating that the cabinet would resign if the party received less than 36.9% of the popular vote.[9] Labour only received 35.0%; true to his promise, Jagland resigned as a consequence of its36.9 ultimatum, and power was transferred to thefirst cabinet of Kjell Magne Bondevik.[10][11] After Jagland's resignation and while in parliamentary opposition, Stoltenberg served on the standing committee on Oil and Energy Affairs in theStorting. He became the parliamentary leader and prime minister candidate for the Labour Party in February 2000.
In 2000, thefirst cabinet of Bondevik resigned following an unsuccessfulmotion of confidence.[12] Stoltenberg's first cabinet governed Norway from 17 March 2000 to 19 October 2001.[12] Stoltenberg was thedeputy leader of the Labour Party while Jagland was theparty leader. Instead Jagland was given the post asForeign Minister. Stoltenberg's first tenure as Prime Minister (2000–2001) was controversial within his own party, being responsible for reforms and modernisation of thewelfare state that included partly privatising several key state-owned services and corporations.[13] In theparliamentary election of 10 September 2001, the party suffered one of its worst results ever, winning only 24% of the vote.
The 2001 election met with instability for the Labour Party. The Norwegian newspaperDagbladet stated: "We are heading for a political earthquake when the votes are counted tonight, if we believe the opinion polls."[14] In an interview withThe Associated Press Jagland stated "It is unstable and unpredictable."[14] After the election in 2001, Stoltenberg and his cabinet were forced to resign, with the Labour Party suffering from its worst election campaign results since 1924.[15] With the 98% votes taken, the Labour Party only garnered 24%, falling from 35%.[15] Jagland, the Labour Party leader, commented on the results saying, "We will have to make a decision about whether to continue in government after we know the full results".[15] After the election Stoltenberg said, "What is clear is that this was a very bad election."[15]
Some analysts[citation needed] have pointed out that one of the causes for their loss was that with only one year in power until the next election, more time was spent initiating or trying to start reforms than telling the people why they had to be done. Such reforms included selling down in state-owned companies, re-organisation of health care and public hospitals and changes in sick pay. The changes made from the 2001 election to the 2005 election were described by Norwegian newspaperVG as an "extreme makeover".[16]
The bad election result in 2001 was quickly followed by a leadership battle between Jagland and Stoltenberg. Both Jagland, as leader, and Stoltenberg, as deputy leader, said they were open to be challenged for their positions at the party's congress in November 2002. Stoltenberg refused to say whether he would challenge Jagland for the leadership position, which was seen by political commentators as a sign that he probably would seek the leadership position.[17] In the beginning of February 2002, Jagland, who had been briefly hospitalized in January, and had a subsequent sick leave,[18] said that he would not seek reelection as leader.[19] In November 2002, Stoltenberg was unanimously elected new leader at the party's congress.[20]
Stoltenberg's second cabinet governed Norway from 17 October 2005 to 16 October 2013. The2005 parliamentary election saw a vast improvement for Labour, and the party gained a majority in parliament together with the other "Red-Green" parties, theSocialist Left Party and theCentre Party. This paved the way for a historic first in Norway, with Labour joining in a coalition government, theRed-Green Coalition, after acoalition deal with Stoltenberg was struck. Since the government's formation, key political issues such asNorwegian military participation in thewar in Afghanistan, petroleum activities in theBarents Sea,LGBT rights, immigration and the quality of standard education were greatly debated by the public. FollowingStoltenberg's re-election in 2009, he worked on the Norwegian response to theongoing global recession and championed forenvironmentalist policies through private and corporate taxation.[21]
Stoltenberg with Russian presidentDimitry Medvedev, 27 April 2010
Amarine border dispute with Russia in the Barents Sea since 1978 was settled when Stoltenberg andPresident of RussiaDimitry Medvedev signed an agreement on 27 April 2010 in Oslo.[22][23] The agreement is a compromise, which divides a disputed area of around 175,000 km2 (68,000 sq mi) into two approximately equally sized parts.[24] However, the agreement still needs ratification by theState Duma and theParliament of Norway in order to be implemented. Whereas Norway had previously insisted on a border in accordance with theequidistance principle, which is recognized in international law, specifically theUnited Nations Convention on Law of the Sea Article 15 and theConvention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone Article 6, Russia invoked aStalin-era decree of theSoviet Union from 1926, which was not recognised by any other country. The new agreement replaced a controversial[25] temporary agreement negotiated byJens Evensen andArne Treholt, who was later revealed to be a Soviet spy and who aided the Soviet Union in the negotiations.[26] Most of the disputed area was within what would normally be considered Norwegian according to the relevant international treaties.
As Prime Minister, Stoltenberg worked for a constructiverelationship with Russia through dialogue and cooperation underpinned by NATO's deterrence and defence capabilities. During his tenure, he also emphasised the need to focus on security challenges close to Allied territory.[27]
Stoltenberg speaks at a service commemorating the one year anniversary of the 2011 attacks.
On 22 July 2011, a far-right extremist committedtwo attacks: a bomb went off inOslo outside the government building which houses the prime minister's office, killing eight people while wounding others.[28] About an hour later, he shot and killed 69 people atUtøya, an island forty-five minutes away where the ruling Labour Party was holding its annual youth camp. The PM was due for a visit at the youth camp the next day, and was in his residence preparing his speech at the time of the Oslo explosion.[29]
On Sunday 24 July, Stoltenberg spoke at the church service in theOslo Cathedral. He named two of the victims at Utøya, Monica Bøsei, who was the camp's leader, and Tore Eikeland, who was the leader of the youth chapter in Hordaland. He again vowed to work for more democracy, openness, and humanity, but without naïveté.[30]He also said that "No one has said it better than the AUF girl who was interviewed by CNN:If one man can show so much hate, think how much love we could show, standing together."[31][32]TheAUF girl mentioned isStine Renate Håheim interviewed by CNN'sRichard Quest on 23 July 2011.[33] Håheim again quoted her friend Helle Gannestad, who had tweeted this from home, watching events unfold on TV.[34]
On 24 August 2012, 33-year-old NorwegianAnders Behring Breivik was foundguilty by theOslo District Court of having perpetrated by himself bothterrorist attacks, the bombing of the prime minister's office and the shooting spree onUtøya island, and was convicted tocontainment, a special form ofprison sentence that can be extended indefinitely—with a time frame of 21 years and a minimum time of 10 years, which, in all, is the maximum penalty in Norway.[35]
On 3 September 2012, Norwegian dailyKlassekampen wrote that theGjørv Report on the terrorist attack "is the hardest verdict against a Norwegian cabinet since the Fact-Finding Commission of 1945 ensured thatJohan Nygaardsvold's political career was abruptly halted."[36] Stoltenberg said after the report was published that he had "ultimate responsibility for the preparedness in our country, a responsibility I take seriously," but said he would not resign.[37]
When he became prime minister in 2000, he was portrayed as the "NorwegianTony Blair", and his policies were inspired by Blair'sNew Labour agenda. Stoltenberg said he was both inspired by and wanted to learn from Blair's policies.[40][41] After election defeat in 2001, he reoriented towards a more traditional line of close cooperation with trade unions.[13][42]
In security policy, Stoltenberg favours increased military spending and dialogue.[43]
While Stoltenberg was prime minister, Norway's defence spending increased steadily, with the result that Norway today is one of the NATO allies with the highest per capita defence expenditure.[44] Stoltenberg has also been instrumental in modernising the Norwegian armed forces, and in contributing forces to various NATO operations.[45]
Stoltenberg is a supporter of enhanced trans-Atlantic cooperation ties. He has also always been a supporter of Norwegian membership in theEuropean Union.[46]
Stoltenberg has criticized Israel overalleged violations of international law in the Palestinian Territories as well as in international waters, such as the2010 Gaza flotilla raid.[47] In 2006, Stoltenberg stated that "Norway condemns Israel's actions against Palestinians. Such collective punishment is totally unacceptable."[48] Stoltenberg praised doctorsMads Gilbert andErik Fosse for their humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip during theGaza War, stating that "all of Norway" was behind them.[49]
Stoltenberg took an international role during the financial crisis by promoting international financial cooperation. This was among other arenas done through theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) and a meeting in Chile 27–29 March 2009 where social democratic leaders from around the world met at a Progressive Governance Conference, just prior to the first G20 summit on the financial crisis. PresidentBill Clinton was among the delegates and panel that would chart a way out of the financial crisis, which included the hostMichelle Bachelet, Britain's prime ministerGordon Brown, Brazil's PresidentLula da Silva and Stoltenberg. A special emergency meeting of the European Social Democratic Forum (PES) was gathered in Oslo in May 2011, on an initiative from Stoltenberg and the think tank Policy Network.
Both nationally and internationally, Stoltenberg emphasised the enormous costs the financial crisis had in the form of a high unemployment rate, and appealed for better international coordination, the balance between austerity and economic growth stimulus, active labor market measures for young people, and investments for increased innovation.[citation needed] Norway came out of the financial crisis with the lowest unemployment rate in Europe.[50]
Partnering with tropical countries to preserve more of their rainforest to bind carbon dioxide (CO2) in order to reducegreenhouse gas emissions was a policy of the Stoltenberg government. In 2007, the government received support from the opposition to a long-term agreement to finance forest conservation with 3 billion NOK annually.[51]
Stoltenberg through his governing advocated that international agreements with global taxes or quotas are the most effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At theUN Climate Change Conference 2009, a separate proposal on the preservation of rainforests with funding from rich countries, advanced by Stoltenberg and BrazilianPres.Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2009 obtained support from among others U.S. PresidentBarack Obama during COP15 in Copenhagen.[citation needed]
The summit in Copenhagen ended without a binding agreement, but before the subsequent COP16 inCancún, Stoltenberg succeeded then-British Prime MinisterGordon Brown in the leadership of the committee dealing with the financing of climate actions in developing countries, also consisting of Ethiopian Prime MinisterMeles Zenawi. Under a separate forest and climate conference in Oslo in May 2010, a proposal was presented to a number of countries, with final delivery of the report in autumn 2010.
Stoltenberg has been an advocate for having all the world's children vaccinated against infectious diseases. The first speech he gave in his second term as prime minister was during Norway's "Pharmaceutics days" in 2005 under the title "Vaccination against poverty". Stoltenberg was a board director of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) from 2002 to 2005[53] and was awarded the Children's Health Award in 2005.
An international initiative, with the UK, theGates Foundation and Norway in the lead, that GAVI received more than $3.7 billion until 2015 for their work against child mortality.[54] Stoltenberg was one of the key driving forces behind the initiative, and has stressed that this is an important contribution to save 9 million children from dying of the most common childhood illnesses.
In his New Year speech on 1 January 2013, Stoltenberg spoke about vaccination of the world's children as a personal matter of the heart. "Small jabs are giving millions of children the gift of life. Simple medicines can save their mothers. The fact that all these mothers' and children's lives can be saved is—as I see it—a miracle of our time," Stoltenberg said in his speech.[55]
In 2011, Stoltenberg received theUnited Nations Foundation's Champion of Global Change Award, chosen for his extraordinary effort toward meeting theMillennium Development Goals and bringing fresh ideas to global problems.[56] In 2019, his term as Secretary General ofNATO was extended for another two years.[57] Earlier the same year, Stoltenberg had allocated 150 millionNorwegian kroner of the foreign aid budget to the same foundation, which led to criticism.[58]
In 2013, Stoltenberg served as a UN special envoy onclimate change (global warming), and he chaired the UN High-Level Panel on System Wide Coherence and the High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing.
Stoltenberg with US Secretary of StateJohn Kerry in Brussels, December 2014
On 28 March 2014,NATO'sNorth Atlantic Council appointed Stoltenberg as designated successor ofAnders Fogh Rasmussen as the 13thSecretary General of NATO and Chairman of the council, effective from 1 October 2014.[59] The appointment had been widely expected in the media for some time, and commentators pointed out that the alliance's policies toward Russia will be the most important issue faced by Stoltenberg.[60]Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, took the initiative to appoint Stoltenberg as secretary-general, securing the support first of the United States, then of the United Kingdom, and then of all other member states.[61][62] Norway was a founding member of NATO in 1949, and Stoltenberg is the first Norwegian to serve as secretary-general, although formerConservative Party Prime MinisterKåre Willoch was considered a strong candidate in 1988.[63]
In June 2015, Stoltenberg said, "I believe we don't see any immediate threat against any NATO country from the east. Our goal is still cooperation with Russia… That serves NATO and it serves Russia."[64]
In September 2015, Czech Deputy Prime MinisterAndrej Babiš criticized NATO's lack of response to theEuropean migrant crisis. After talks with Stoltenberg on migrant crisis issue Babiš said: "NATO is not interested in refugees, thoughTurkey, a NATO member, is their entrance gate to Europe and smugglers operate on Turkish territory".[65]
In June 2016, Stoltenberg said it was essential to step up cooperation with Israel, since Israel had been an active alliance partner for 20 years.[70] In June 2018, Stoltenberg toldDer Spiegel that NATO would not help Israel in the case of an attack by theIslamic Republic of Iran.[71]
In 2016, Stoltenberg stated that the NATO strongly supported "the UN-led political process to find a solution" to thedispute over the northern part ofCyprus, which has been under illegal occupation since theTurkish invasion of 1974.[72]
Thepresidency of Donald Trump was a major challenge to NATO during Stoltenberg's time as secretary general. Trump threatened to withdraw from NATO and undermine the alliance. A 2021 study argued that Stoltenberg played a key role in preventing Trump from undermining NATO. Stoltenberg helped to change Trump's stance on burden-sharing, as well as maintain a robust deterrence policy toward Russia.[73]
Stoltenberg visits NATO units in Tapa, Estonia in 2017.
In August 2017 the last NATO Certification Exercise of the four multinational battlegroups in the Baltic partners was conducted. Canada leads the battlegroup in Latvia. Germany leads the battlegroup in Lithuania. The United Kingdom leads the battlegroup in Estonia. The United States leads the battlegroup in Poland.[74] This "NATO Enhanced Forward Presence" was the result of the2016 Warsaw summit and much prior planning by Stoltenberg.[75][76]
In September 2017, Stoltenberg warned that Russia has used big military exercises, includingZapad 2017 exercise in Russia'sKaliningrad Oblast andBelarus, "as a disguise or a precursor for aggressive military actions against their neighbours."[77]
In January 2018, in response to theTurkish invasion of northern Syria aimed at ousting U.S.-backedSyrian Kurds from the enclave ofAfrin, Stoltenberg said that Turkey is "the NATO Ally which has suffered most from terrorist attacks over many years and Turkey, as all of the countries, have the right to self defence, but it is important that this is done in a proportionate and measured way."[78]
In February 2018, Stoltenberg stated: "We don't see any threat [from Russia] against any NATO ally and therefore, I'm always careful speculating too much about hypothetical situations."[79] Stoltenberg welcomed the2018 Russia–United States Summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Helsinki, Finland.[80] He said NATO is not trying to isolate Russia.[81]
At the July2018 Brussels Summit, the Alliance reconfirmed its commitment to preserving the credibility, coherence and resilience of the deterrence and defense posture, including by increasing its responsiveness, heightening readiness and improving reinforcement. In practical terms, NATO adopted political decisions with regard to: having, by 2020, 30 battalions, 30 air squadrons and 30 naval combat vessels ready to use within 30 days.[82]
Stoltenberg at a NATO Plenary Session with US PresidentDonald Trump and UK Prime MinisterBoris Johnson in December 2019
In March 2019, Stoltenberg stated that "Georgia will become a member of NATO".[83]
In April 2019, Stoltenberg warned in a joint session of theU.S. Congress of the threat posed by Russia.[84][85] In May 2019, Stoltenberg hailedTurkey's contribution to NATO. He said: "Turkey joined the Alliance in 1952, and it continues to be a highly valued member of our family of nations. As secretary-general, I greatly appreciate all that Turkey does for our Alliance."[86]
In August 2019, Stoltenberg warned that NATO needs to "address the rise of China", by closely cooperating with Australia, New Zealand, Japan andSouth Korea.[87] In June 2020, Stoltenberg urged like-minded nations to stand up to China's "bullying and coercion".[88]
Stoltenberg "strongly condemned" the2019 Abqaiq–Khurais attack on keySaudi Arabia's oil facilities and accusedIran of "supporting different terrorist groups and being responsible for destabilising the whole region."[89]
In December 2019, Stoltenberg told journalists in Brussels that "Since 2016, Canada and European allies have added $130 billion more to thedefense budgets, and this number will increase to 400 billion U.S. dollars by 2024. This is unprecedented. This is making NATO stronger."[91][92]
Stoltenberg visits a Dutch airbase hosting NATO deterrence exercise in October 2020.
The U.S. military's2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike, which killed the high-level Iranian GeneralQasem Soleimani, brought strong reactions from around the world. Stoltenberg said, following a meeting on 6January, "all members of the Atlantic alliance stood behind the United States in the Middle East" and that "Iran must refrain from further violence and provocations."[93]
On 14 February Stoltenberg opened theMunich Security Conference. Amongst the topics he chose to address wereDonald Trump's call for the European allies to contribute more funds to the common military good, the situation in Afghanistan which he promised not to leave, and the desire of Russia to reimagine the world in terms of the spheres of influence of the post-war years of the 20th century. In a thinly veiled reference to Chinese leadership in the5G telecoms sector, he said that "Keeping our societies open, free and resilient must be part of our response... We should not be tempted to trade short term economic benefits for longer-term challenges to our security."[94] Earlier in the day, Stoltenberg had dealt with the partnership issue, and listed New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine and Georgia as such, saying "We support them, but they also support us. Many partners contribute to NATO missions and operations, for instance in Afghanistan or Iraq."[95]
There is a long-standingdispute between Turkey and Greece in theAegean Sea. The disagreement flared in August.[96][97] The same month Stoltenberg said that "Both Greece and Turkey are two valued allies and both contribute to our shared security. There are some disagreements and I welcome that there are bilateral contacts trying to address these differences," adding that NATO is not a part of these bilateral talks.[98]
In October 2020, Stoltenberg called for an immediate end to thefighting over the breakawayNagorno-Karabakh region, an enclave that belongs toAzerbaijan under international law but is populated and governed by ethnic Armenians.[99]
On 13 April Stoltenberg called on Russia to halt its buildup of forces near the border with Ukraine.[101] Russian Defense MinisterSergey Shoygu said that Russia has deployed troops to its western borders for "combat training exercises" in response to NATO "military activities that threaten Russia".[101][102]Defender-Europe 21, one of the largestNATO-led military exercises in Europe in decades, began in mid-March 2021 and lasted until June 2021. It included "nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas" inEstonia,Bulgaria,Romania and other countries.[102][103]
On 14 April 2021, Stoltenberg said the alliance has agreed to startwithdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by 1 May.[104] Soon after the withdrawal of NATO troops started, theTaliban launched anoffensive against the Afghan government, quickly advancing in front of a collapsingAfghan Armed Forces.[105] According to aU.S. intelligence report, the Afghan government would likely collapse within six months after NATO completes its withdrawal from the country.[106] On 7 June 2021, Stoltenberg said that "we have been able to build, train Afghan security forces so they are now responsible for security in their own country."[107] By 15 August 2021, Taliban militants controlled the vast majority of Afghanistan and had encircled the capital city ofKabul.[108][109] Stoltenberg said that "it was a surprise, the speed of the collapse and how quickly that happened."[110]
Stoltenberg attended the2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and specified that the fight against climate change also is something the military could participate in. He also expressed that militaries should work with operating both fossil and environmentally friendly ones.[111]
On 30 November Russian PresidentVladimir Putin stated that anexpansion of NATO's presence in Ukraine, especially the deployment of anylong-range missiles capable of striking Moscow ormissile defence systems similar to those in Romania and Poland, would be a "red line" issue for the Kremlin. Putin argued that these missile-defense systems may be converted into launchers of offensiveTomahawk long-range cruise missiles.[112][113][114] He said that "In a dialogue with the United States and its allies, we will insist on working out specific agreements that would exclude any further NATO moves eastward and the deployment of weapons systems that threaten us in close vicinity to Russian territory."[115] Stoltenberg replied that "It's only Ukraine and 30 NATO allies that decide when Ukraine is ready to join NATO. Russia has no veto, Russia has no say, and Russia has no right to establish a sphere of influence to try to control their neighbors."[116][117]
Western leadersmet in Brussels for a round of emergency summits of NATO, the European Council and the G7 to discuss theRusso-Ukrainian War, 23 March 2022.
On 14 January Stoltenberg condemned the2022 Ukraine cyberattack. He stated that NATOs day experts inBrussels has exchanged information with Ukraine, and that experts from the alliance would be assisting Ukrainian authorities with the matter. He added: "In the coming days, NATO and Ukraine will sign an agreement on enhanced cooperation on data security, including Ukraine's access to NATO's malware sharing platform".[118]
On 19 February at theMunich Security Conference Stoltenberg remarked that despite NATO's "strong diplomatic efforts to find a political solution [to the Russo-Ukrainian war]... we have seen no sign of withdrawal or de-escalation so far. On the contrary, Russia's build-up continues." He said "we have made written proposals to the Putin administration to reduce risks and increase transparency of military activities, address space and cyber threats, and engage on arms control, including on nuclear weapons and missiles... [Putin] is attempting to roll back history. And recreate [the] spheres of influence. [He] wants to limit NATO's right to collective defence... and demands that we should remove all our forces and infrastructure from the countries that joined NATO after the fall of the Berlin Wall... wants to deny sovereign countries the right to choose their own path. And their own security arrangements. For Ukraine – but also for other countries, such as Finland and Sweden. And for the first time, we now see Beijing joining Moscow in calling on NATO to stop admitting new members. It is an attempt to control the fate of free nations. To rewrite the international rulebook. And impose their own authoritarian models of governance."[119] On the dais with him wasUrsula von der Leyen. Together they proceeded to give an interview to the witness audience.
On 4 March 2022, Stoltenberg said NATO would not establish ano-fly zone over Ukraine. He said, "we are not part of this conflict, and we have a responsibility to ensure that it does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine, because that would be even more devastating and more dangerous."[121]
On 8 March 2022, Stoltenberg warned that if there is any Russia's attack "against any NATO country, NATO territory, that will trigger Article 5" of theNorth Atlantic Treaty.[122]
On 23 March 2022, Stoltenberg accused China of providingpolitical support to Russia, "including by spreading blatant lies and misinformation, and expressed concern that "China could provide material support for theRussian invasion".[123]
On 28 March the establishment of four more multinational battlegroups inBulgaria,Hungary,Romania andSlovakia was announced,[124][125] although the Slovak battlegroup had already been announced on 27 February.[126] This brings the total number of multinational battlegroups to eight, and Stoltenberg said ahead of an extraordinary NATO summit scheduled for March 24 in Brussels that "we will have eight multinational NATO battle groups all along the Eastern flank from the Baltic to the Black Sea".[127] TheBaltic Sea is guarded by theNATO Enhanced Forward Presence,[128] to which the four more would be added. A multinational brigade headquarters exists inCraiova, Romania and this seems to be the distribution point of the extra four battlegroups.[129] The summit statements by Biden and NATO were somewhat controversial.[130][131]
Stoltenberg with Finnish ambassador to NATOKlaus Korhonen and Swedish ambassador to NATO Axel Wernhoff at the membership application submission ceremony in Brussels, 18 May 2022
In May 2022 Stoltenberg saidFinland and Sweden would be welcomed "with open arms" to NATO if they apply for membership to the alliance.[132] While most current NATO members responded positively to the applications, Turkish presidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced his opposition, accusing both Finland and Sweden of tolerating Kurdish militant groupsPKK and theYPG, whichTurkey classifies as terrorist organizations,[133] and followers ofFethullah Gülen, whom Turkey accuses of orchestrating a failed2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt.[134] Stoltenberg said that Turkey has "legitimate concerns" about Finland and Sweden joining the alliance.[135]
In June, Stoltenberg warned that the war in Ukraine could last for years, saying that "We must not let up in supporting Ukraine. Even if the costs are high, not only for military support, also because of risingenergy andfood prices."[136]
On 30 November at the Bucharest meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, were invited their counterparts fromMoldova,Bosnia andGeorgia, as well as Finland and Sweden. In his closing press conference Stoltenberg said that NATO expressed its solidarity with all three partners and also that "if there is one lesson learned from Ukraine it is that we need to support them now. The more support we are able to provide to these countries. The more support we are able to provide to these countries... under Russian pressure and influence in different ways... it is much better to support them now than when we have seen developments going in absolutely the wrong direction as we saw with the invasion of Ukraine earlier this year."[137]
In December, he said in an interview that "there is no doubt that a full-fledged"war between Russia and NATO is a "possibility".[138] Stoltenberg said that Putin is planning a long war in Ukraine and is ready to launch new offensives.[139]
Following the2023 Chinese balloon incident between 28 January and 4 February, Stoltenberg said the incident said the balloon "confirms a pattern of Chinese behavior where we see that China has invested heavily in new capabilities, including different types of surveillance and intelligence platforms", and that it presents security challenges for the members of NATO.[140]
On 12 February, a NATO spokesperson said Stoltenberg had no intention of seeking a fourth extension of his term as NATO secretary-general, after the German newspaperWelt am Sonntag reported member states wanted him to stay on while theRusso-Ukrainian War continues.[141][142]On 13 February, Stoltenberg said that Russian PresidentVladimir Putin is "sending thousands and thousands of more troops, accepting a very high rate of casualty, taking big losses, but putting pressure on the Ukrainians. What Russia lacks in quality, they try to compensate in quantity."[143] He said that President Putin and the decision makers in Moscow are the only ones responsible for the Russo-Ukrainian War and it is necessary for NATO member countries to continueproviding military aid to Ukraine.[144]
Stoltenberg and Israeli PresidentIsaac Herzog at NATO headquarters in Brussels
On 4 July, Stoltenberg was confirmed to receive a fourth extension of his mandate as NATO Secretary General to 1 October 2024, which would make his tenure as Secretary General at least a decade long.[146]
In September 2023, Stoltenberg warned that we "must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine", saying that "if President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist."[147]
In October 2023, Stoltenberg condemnedHamas' actions during theGaza war and expressed his support to Israel and its right to self-defense.[148] Stoltenberg warned Iran andHezbollah not to get involved in Israel's war with Hamas.[149]
Stoltenberg with US PresidentJoe Biden in June 2024
In February 2024, Stoltenberg warned that NATO member states have to prepare for aconfrontation with Russia "that could last decades". He said that the best defense tools against Russia are an increase inarms supplies to Ukraine and an increase in NATO's military capabilities.[150]
In February, Stoltenberg criticizedDonald Trump's statement that he would "encourage" Russia to attack NATO member countries that don't pay their "fair share" of defense funding,[151] stating that any attack on the military alliance would be met with a "united and forceful response".[152]
Stoltenberg at his lastNATO summit as Secretary-General in July 2024
In May, Stoltenberg called on NATO member states to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons tostrike targets inside Russia.[153] Responding to Stoltenberg's statement, Italian Defence MinisterGuido Crosetto stated that it is "wrong to increase tension" in an already "dramatic" situation and emphasised the need to "leave open the possibility of negotiating an immediate truce and initiating peace talks in the coming months."[154]
Asked about China'smilitary aid to Russia, Stoltenberg said that "Russia would not have been able to conduct the war of aggression against Ukraine without the support from China."[155] He warned that "China cannot have it both ways. They cannot continue to have normal trade relationships with countries in Europe and at the same time fuel the biggest war we have seen in Europe since the Second World War."[156]
"I know I am leaving NATO in good hands."
Jens Stoltenberg onMark Rutte being selected to succeed him as Secretary-General[157]
In an interview in September 2024, Stoltenberg was askedWhat could have been done differently, what should have been done, to prevent Russia from going to war against Ukraine?
He answered that he regrets that NATO allies and NATO itself did not do more to strengthen Ukraine before Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. Potentially, the threshold for Russia to attack would have been higher if Ukraine had been militarily stronger. The USA, Canada and the UK trained Ukrainian soldiers in a training center in Ukraine, but NATO did not. NATO could have given much more training and equipment.[160]
On 18 June, it was announced Hungary and Slovakia had agreed to allow outgoing Dutch Prime MinisterMark Rutte to succeed Stoltenberg as Secretary General.[161] He was officially selected by theNorth Atlantic Council on 26 June, and succeeded Stoltenberg on 1 October.[162][163][164]
In December 2021, it was reported that he sought the governorship ofNorges Bank, Norway's central bank.[165]
It was speculated that Stoltenberg would be nominated as Governor of the Norges Bank, which sources toldDagens Næringsliv in November 2021, said he would accept if he was nominated for the position. Stoltenberg's press advisor, Sissel Kruse Larsen, told Dagens Næringsliv that it was still too early to say what Stoltenberg would do once he returns home to Norway.[166] Stoltenberg confirmed on 14 December that he had applied for the position, and specified that he had told theMinistry of Finance that he could not ascend to the position before his term as NATO Secretary-General had expired on 1 October 2022.[167]
His nomination was controversial prior to being officially announced, due to his links to theLabour Party, friendship with Prime MinisterJonas Gahr Støre and concerns for the independence of the central bank. His pre-nomination was opposed by all opposition parties, with support only coming from the government parties and theChristian Democratic Party.[168][169]
His appointment was officially announced on 4 February 2022.[170] However, after a NATO summit in March 2022 concerning theRussian invasion of Ukraine, Stoltenberg accepted a renewed term of one year to continue as NATO secretary-general and thereby resigned as incoming central bank governor. Acting GovernorIda Wolden Bache was instead given the term that Stoltenberg was meant to take on.[171][172]
On 8 October 2024, it was announced that Stoltenberg would be the next Chairman of theMunich Security Conference (MSC) and would assume his role in February 2025.[173]
On 8 November 2024 Stoltenberg was appointed Chairman of the Steering Committee of theBilderberg Group, an annual private conference attended by political leaders, business executives, academics, and media representatives. The group, known for its off-the-record discussions on global affairs, has been a gathering place for high-profile figures in government and finance. His appointment placed him in a leadership role within the organization's decision-making structure.[174]
In December 2024 Stoltenberg expressed support for the acceleratedaccession of Ukraine to NATO, saying, "Where there is a will, there is a way to find a solution. But you need a line which defines whereArticle 5 is invoked, and Ukraine has to control all the territory until that border."[175] He said that Ukraine could temporarily give up territories occupied by Russia in exchange forpeace.[176][177]
On 4 February 2025, following the collapse of the coalition between theCentre Party and theLabour Party, Stoltenberg succeededTrygve Slagsvold Vedum, the leader of the Centre Party, asNorway's Minister of Finance. Stoltenberg resigned from his position as chairman of the MSC, but he still plans to return to the MSC after his tenure as minister.[178][179] Much like his position in the MSC, Stoltenberg also stepped down as head of the steering committee to focus entirely on his responsibilities as finance minister.[180]
A week into his tenure, Stoltenberg was a part of the Norwegian delegation at the61st Munich Security Conference. He warned theUnited States against not allowing Ukraine to be a part of negotiations over a peace treaty with Russia over thewar in Ukraine.[181]
Stoltenberg launched an initiative to seek a compromise solution on tax settlement in March, which most of the opposition turned down with the exception of theGreens and theRed Party. Despite this setback, he expressed continued optimism about the proposal and cited the heightened global situation and the necessity to seek advise on how to change the tax system.[182]
During the summer of 2025, he came under fire for theGovernment Pension Fund of Norway investing in Israeli companies that contributed in thekilling of civilians in Gaza. Stoltenberg argued that the fund's own Council on Ethics should evaluate whether or not they should sell themselves out of such companies.[185][186] The fund eventually sold itself out of eleven companies out of sixty-one they had invested in, a move Stoltenberg supported.[187] Stoltenberg was asked on several occasions by theStanding Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs about his handling of the issue, but were unsatisfied with his responses. This came to a head following his response after the2025 parliamentary election, with members expressing that the committee should open a case against him, but this would ultimately be decided by the new members of the committee once parliament has been constituted for the next parliamentary term.[188][189][190]
He presented the government's budget for 2026 on 15 October. The budget notably detailed that young people would receive 500 million NOK in tax lottery, the price of electric vehicles would increase, Norway Price (Norgespris) would be retained and likewise the price for kindergarten slots, a lower tax on income and a change in the wealth tax. The proposed budget received criticism from both supporting and opposition parties, with the former highlighting lack of action for combatting inequality, green industry and environmental action and centralisation. The latter criticised it both for not prioritising crime and taxes and cutting in parental allowance.[191]
After several revelations determined that the government had misled voters during the 2025 election campaign and contradicted their own budget proposals, Stoltenberg was confronted with his lack of presence to tackle the issue after going on a book tour. He emphasised that the book tour had been scheduled long before the budget controversy had arisen and further expressed that it was unfortunate that issues his party had campaigned on had been removed from the budget and that it was important to rectify their mistakes.[192]
In August 2013, Stoltenberg said on his Facebook page that he had spent an afternoon workingincognito as a taxi driver in Oslo.[211] Stoltenberg said he had wanted to "hear from real Norwegian voters" and that "taxis were one of the few places where people shared their true views." He added that, before driving the taxi, he had not driven a car in eight years.[211] The event was videotaped in ahidden camera fashion, and released as a promotional video by the Labour party for the election campaign.[212] It was later confirmed that 5 of the 14 customers were paid and recruited by the production company that produced the event for the Labour Party;[213][214] however, none knew that they would meet Stoltenberg.[215][216]
As a youth, Stoltenberg participated in protest rallies against theU.S. war in Vietnam in the 1970s.[218] In 2011, Stoltenberg said:"We sang the chorus, 'Singing Norway, Norway out of Nato.' It was a hit."[218]
In 2001, Stoltenberg crashed his Labour Party (Ap) owned car into a parked car; he then left the premises without leaving a note with his name or number; the damages cost 8,000Norwegian kroner to repair.[219]
He has one living sister,Camilla, a medical researcher and administrator who is one year older than he; and one late sister,Nini, four years younger, who died in 2014. Nini was a recovering heroinaddict, and the Norwegian media have covered the family's efforts to cope with this challenge.[228]
He prefers to spend his summer vacations at his family's cottage on theHvaler Islands in theOslofjord.[229] An avid outdoorsman, he rides his bike often and during the winter season he is an active cross-country skier.[230] In December 2011, in order to mark 100 years sinceRoald Amundsen reached the south pole on skis, Stoltenberg journeyed toAntarctica.[231] Stoltenberg is also a keenvideo gamer specifically strategy genre games.[232]
Although being portrayed as anatheist for most of his adult life, and declining membership in the formerly officialChurch of Norway,[233] Stoltenberg has stated that he does not consider himself an atheist. He explained: "Although I am not a member of any denomination, I do believe that there is something greater than man. Some call it God, others call it something else. For me, it's about understanding that we humans are small in relation to nature, in relation to the powers that are bigger and stronger than man can ever comprehend. I find that in a church."[234]
^abKolstad, Tom (17 October 2011)."Stoltenberg-familien i åpenhjertig interview" [Stoltenberg family is having candid interview].Aftenposten.no (in Norwegian).Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved17 January 2013.
^V. N. (12 May 2012)."Stoltenberg: Beograd ostao u srcu" [Stoltenberg: Belgrade remained in my heart].Novosti.rs.Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved4 April 2014.
^Alf R. Jacobsen (6 July 2011)."Stortinget må granske" [Parliament must scrutinize].Dagbladet (in Norwegian).Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved27 March 2014.
^Mosveen, Eirik (11 August 2005)."Ekstrem forvandling" [Extreme makeover].Verdens Gang (in Norwegian).Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved12 March 2014.
^"Sykemeldt til 3.feb" [Sick leave on 3 February] (in Norwegian).NRK. 17 January 2002. Archived fromthe original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved28 March 2014.
^"Stoltenberg Aps nye leder" [Stoltenberg's Labor's new leader] (in Norwegian).NRK. 10 November 2002.Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved28 March 2014.
^"Gjennombrudd i Barentshavet" [Breakthrough in Barents Sea].Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). 28 April 2010. pp. 6–13. Archived fromthe original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved9 April 2014.
^Willoch, Kåre (2002).Myter og virkelighet: om begivenheter frem til våre dager med utgangspunkt i perioden 1965–1981 [Myths and reality: Events leading to the present day, starting from the period 1965–1981] (in Norwegian). Oslo: Cappelen.[page needed]
^Vale, Stein (2009).Teppefall i Treholtsaken (in Norwegian). Oslo: Cappelen Damm. pp. 34–36, 135.ISBN978-82-02-29988-0.
^"orway attacks rolling coverage: Sunday 24 July 2011".The Guardian. 24 July 2011.Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved24 July 2011.No one has said it better than the AUF girl who was interviewed by CNN:If one man can show so much hate, think how much love we could show, standing together.
^"Address by Prime Minister in Oslo Cathedral".Government.no. 24 July 2011. Archived fromthe original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved25 July 2011.No one has said it better than the Labour Youth League girl who was interviewed by CNN:If one man can create that much hate, you can only imagine how much love we as a togetherness can create.
^OverivrigArchived 26 September 2012 at theWayback Machine "22. juli-kommisjonens rapport er den mest knusende dom en norsk regjering har fått siden Undersøkelseskommisjonen i 1945 sørget for at Johan Nygaardsvolds politiske karriere fikk en brå slutt."
^Østby, Per (15 September 2010)."Refser de rødgrønne" [Rebuke the red-greens] (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norwegian Transport Workers' Union. Archived fromthe original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved31 March 2014.
^Farestvedt, Ingrid Bjørndal; Litland, Karoline Johannessen; Einarsdóttir, Silja Björklund; Rønning, Mats; Akkan, Ismail Burak; Kvalsvik, Per-Ivar; Nordby, Lars Thomas; Farnam, Benyamin; Hatvik, Regine Engelina (15 October 2025)."Dette foreslår Ap: – Vi er forberedt på krevende forhandlinger" (in Norwegian Bokmål).NRK. Retrieved17 October 2025.
^Hultgreen, Gunnar (8 December 2001)."Jens varslet ikke eieren" [Jens did not notify the owner].Dagbladet (in Norwegian).Archived from the original on 8 December 2001. Retrieved28 June 2025.
^Kaasa, Kjell M. (2 November 2002)."Ja, jeg har prøvd hasj!" [Yes, I have tried hashish!].Dagbladet (in Norwegian).Archived from the original on 2 November 2002. Retrieved28 June 2025.
^"Stoltenberg til Kina" [Stoltenberg to China].Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). 3 September 2012. Archived fromthe original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved17 January 2013.
^"Axel Stoltenberg, styremedlem" [Axel Stoltenberg, Board member].Ansa.no (in Norwegian). 18 October 2012. Archived fromthe original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved17 January 2013.
^Helljesen, Vilde (14 March 2009).""Hopalong Cassidy" fyller 50 år" ["Hopalong Cassidy" turns 50 years] (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway:NRK.Archived from the original on 18 May 2009. Retrieved23 July 2009.
^"Smerz (2)".Discogs.Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved9 October 2019.
^Tinlund, Tore (31 August 2009)."Her er Stoltenbergs ferieparadis" [Here is Stoltenberg's vacation paradise].Fredrikstads blad (in Norwegian). Archived fromthe original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved17 January 2013.
^Hellen, Bjørnar (13 February 2011)."Stoltenberg tester VM-løypene" [Stoltenberg tested World Cup trails] (in Norwegian). NRK.Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved17 January 2013.
^Kristiansen, Bjørn (13 December 2011)."Stoltenberg på Sørpolen" [Stoltenberg at the South Pole].Dagbladet (in Norwegian).Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved17 January 2012.
^Erik Fossen; Håvard Bjelland (31 December 2011)."Man må tro at det nytter" [One must believe that it is possible].Bt.no (in Norwegian). Archived fromthe original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved17 January 2013.
.jpg)
.jpeg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpeg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
%2c_Secretary_of_Defense_Ash_Carter%2c_German_Minister_of_Defense_Ursula_von_der_Leyen_and_NATO_Secretary_General_Jens_Stoltenberg_meet_151008-D-LN567-076.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_21.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpeg)
.jpg)
