Rishi Sunak talked up the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as "widely respected" by global allies on Friday after the cabinet minister confirmed his interest in running for NATO chief.
The Prime Minister appeared to give his blessing, but also stressed that Mr Wallace is currently focused on his critical role in supporting Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion.
Speaking on the first day of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Mr Sunak told ITV: "I know he's widely respected by his peers for the role that he has played".