section_path: NATO Secretary General (2014–2024)/2023
section_name: 2023
paragraph_text: 2023
  
  Following the 2023 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.
  
  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 newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported member states wanted him to stay on while the Russo-Ukrainian War continues. On 13 February, Stoltenberg said that Russian President Vladimir 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." 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 continue providing military aid to Ukraine.
  
  On 14 June, Stoltenberg expressed support for Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia to recapture the occupied territories of Ukraine and called on Western countries to send more weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces.
  
  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.
  
  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."
  
  In October 2023, Stoltenberg condemned Hamas ' actions during the Gaza war and expressed his support to Israel and its right to self-defense. Stoltenberg warned Iran and Hezbollah not to get involved in Israel's war with Hamas.