NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called for China to be penalized for its support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, Stoltenberg said that China’s actions are fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, and that it wants to maintain good relations with the West.
Stoltenberg emphasized that NATO is a defensive alliance, while Russia is clearly the aggressor in Ukraine. He argued that a strong defensive posture is the best way to dissuade aggressive powers like Russia from contemplating further invasions, and suggested that China should factor a strong Western deterrence into its calculations.
He also criticized China for sharing high-end technologies with Russia, and noted that North Korea has delivered over one million artillery shells and Iran has delivered thousands of deadly drones to Russia. Stoltenberg said that stronger NATO unity is the best way to push back against this malign alliance.
During the question-and-answer session, Stoltenberg stressed that NATO’s security is global, not regional, and that the threats posed by Russia in Ukraine and China in the Asia-Pacific region are not separate. He said that if Russia prevails in Ukraine, it will send a message to China that it can achieve its goals through military force and violations of international law.
The Chinese government denounced Stoltenberg’s remarks, accusing him of shifting blame for the war in Ukraine and sowing discord.
