China should pay for propping up Putin’s war – Nato chief
NATO’s chief has told the BBC that China should face repercussions for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine unless it changes its approach.
Jens Stoltenberg stated that Beijing was “trying to get it both ways” by aiding Russia’s war efforts while also attempting to maintain ties with European allies.
“This cannot work in the long run,” Mr. Stoltenberg told BBC News during a visit to Washington.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr. Stoltenberg also discussed nuclear weapons and defense spending.
His comments come as Russia shows no sign of ending its war against Ukraine.
A peace summit held in Switzerland over the weekend saw dozens of nations commit to supporting Kyiv. However, Russia dismissed it as a waste of time, insisting it would only agree to peace talks if Ukraine essentially surrendered.
When asked about NATO’s possible actions regarding China’s support for Russia, Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned an “ongoing conversation” about potential sanctions.
He noted that China was “sharing a lot of technologies, like micro-electronics, which are key for Russia to build missiles, weapons they use against Ukraine.”
He added that “at some stage, we should consider some kind of economic cost if China doesn’t change their behavior.”
Beijing is already under some sanctions for its support of Russia. Last month, the US announced restrictions targeting about 20 firms based in China and Hong Kong.
China has defended its business with Moscow, stating it is not selling lethal arms and “prudently handles the export of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations.”
Mr. Stoltenberg’s visit to Washington coincided with the Kremlin confirming that Vladimir Putin will travel to North Korea on Tuesday, following his visit to China last month.
Russia has become increasingly isolated on the global stage since it launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022. Mr. Putin has repeatedly claimed that the West’s balance of power is shifting and has worked to strengthen ties with like-minded leaders.
“Russia right now is aligning more and more with authoritarian leaders,” Mr Stoltenberg told the BBC, listing Iran, Beijing and North Korea.
He said that the North has sent artillery shells to Russia, and in return Russia had given advanced technology for North Korea’s missile and nuclear programmes.
“So North Korea is helping Russia to conduct a war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Speaking ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden, the Nato chief also announced that more than 20 nations are expected to meet a defence spending target of 2% this year – more than any other year since it was pledged in 2014.
“This is good for Europe and good for America, especially since much of this extra money is spent here in the United States,” he said.
Mr Stoltenberg also addressed comments that he made to the Telegraph on Sunday which indicated that Nato may be considering increasing the number of deployable warheads as a deterrent against growing threats from Russia and China.
The comments were criticised as “nothing but another escalation of tension” by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
But Mr Stoltenberg said they were a “general message” that Nato is a nuclear alliance, and that any attack on a Nato member will “trigger a response from the whole alliance”.
“The purpose of Nato is not to fight the war, the purpose of that is to prevent the war,” he said.
Speaking ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden, the Nato chief also announced that more than 20 nations are expected to meet a defence spending target of 2% this year – more than any other year since it was pledged in 2014.
“This is good for Europe and good for America, especially since much of this extra money is spent here in the United States,” he said.
Mr Stoltenberg also addressed comments that he made to the Telegraph on Sunday which indicated that Nato may be considering increasing the number of deployable warheads as a deterrent against growing threats from Russia and China.
The comments were criticised as “nothing but another escalation of tension” by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
But Mr Stoltenberg said they were a “general message” that Nato is a nuclear alliance, and that any attack on a Nato member will “trigger a response from the whole alliance”.
“The purpose of Nato is not to fight the war, the purpose of that is to prevent the war,” he said.
