CPH:DOX 2025 – Facing War

Jens Stoltenberg had planned to step down after nine years in the powerful position of NATO Secretary General. The 65-year-old politician had packed his bags to go home to his wife in Norway, as he had promised her. But then Joe Biden called and asked him to stay another year. Because in a troubled world, an experienced leader is needed more than ever. With unprecedented access, we follow Jens Stoltenberg through his last year as Secretary General of NATO. And there’s plenty to keep him busy, as he has promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj that the alliance will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. But the fear of the war in Ukraine spreading to the rest of Europe is causing tensions to rise between the 32 allied countries. Stoltenberg will need all his diplomatic skills to keep the member states together. Fortunately, the Norwegian politician has mastered the difficult art of compromise and understands the importance of a well-timed pat on the back. And when it comes to making deals with the likes of Recep Erdoğan and Viktor Orbán, the little details that can make all the difference.