Rumors place Boris Johnson at the head of NATO

Conservative deputies support the candidacy of the UK Prime Minister to lead the Atlantic Alliance.

Several British Conservative MPs are pushing for the candidacy of Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as Secretary General of NATO. Tory MPs Mark Francois and Richard Drax are at the forefront of this initiative, reports The Daily Telegraph. Johnson is intended to replace former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who leaves office in September 2023.

Johnson's candidacy, notes the British media, also has the support of Ukrainian MPs such as Oleksi Goncharenko, who has joined the request of the British Conservatives. As The Daily Express reports, he strongly supports 'BoJo' having such a leading role in the future NATO in the midst of hostilities with Russia.

British Conservative MP Richard Drax, notes The Telegraph, stresses that Johnson's candidacy would likely be backed by the United States. The misgivings, however, come from Europe. It is difficult for the countries of the European Union to support the man who changed their political map by executing Brexit. The British tabloid points especially to France's veto.

Nor does Boris Johnson's relationship with former KGB spy Alexander Lebedev help. The Labor Party has called for an investigation into the meeting the two held just two days after attending the high-level NATO summit focused on the conflict with Russia.

The push for Johnson's candidacy coincides with the countdown to the politician stepping down as prime minister of the United Kingdom. His departure from Downing Street will be formalized next September.