Photo: MTI/EPA POOL/Olivier Matthys
Stoltenberg pointed out: “China refuses to condemn Russia’s aggression, echoes Russian propaganda, and supports the Russian economy, while they jointly increase their military activities in the Pacific region.”
“China and Russia are getting closer. Just a few weeks before the invasion of Ukraine, they signed a partnership agreement in which they clearly state that the Russian-Chinese partnership has no borders,” he pointed out.
In his opinion, this makes it necessary for the alliance to rethink its policy towards China, which includes cooperation with independent partners, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea.
The Secretary General also addressed Russia’s announcement that it will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. According to him, this shows that the agreement he signed with China a few days earlier, according to which the countries must not install nuclear weapons beyond their borders, was just an “empty promise”.
Summarizing the two-day meeting, the Secretary General said: the NATO member countries made new commitments regarding the continuous military support of the Ukrainian forces and agreed to develop a multi-year strategic assistance program for Ukraine. As he said, it is not yet known when the war will end, but preparations must be made to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from undermining European security even more.
“Therefore, we must enable Ukraine to defend itself once morest future aggression, which will also help the country on its way to Euro-Atlantic integration,” he emphasized.
According to Stoltenberg, the long-term assistance program includes strengthening the country’s defense capabilities and facilitating the transition from Soviet-made equipment to NATO-standard equipment. He emphasized: in order for Ukraine to become a full member of the alliance, it must be independent and democratic.
“If President Putin wins in Ukraine, it will send a dangerous message to the world’s authoritarian leaders that their goals can be achieved through brute force,” he warned.
He added that NATO will continue to support partner countries under Russian pressure, including Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
