Russia – Ukraine: Why is NATO warning China about Russia?

NATO’s secretary general told the BBC that China will face consequences for its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine if it does not change its attitude.

Jens Stoltenberg said Beijing is “trying to do both”, that is, support Russia’s war effort and preserve its relations with members of the Atlantic Alliance.

“This cannot work in the long term,” Mr Stoltenberg told the BBC during a visit to Washington.

During a wide-ranging interview, the alliance leader also addressed the issue of nuclear weapons and defense spending.

His comments come at a time when Russia shows no signs of de-escalation in its war against Ukraine.

At a peace summit in Switzerland last weekend, dozens of countries pledged support for kyiv, but Russia called the move a waste of time and announced it would not would agree to peace talks only if Ukraine surrendered.

Asked what NATO members might do about China’s support for Russia, Stoltenberg said there was an “ongoing conversation” about possible sanctions.

He said China “shares many technologies,” such as microelectronics, “that are essential for Russia to build missiles and weapons that it uses against Ukraine.”

He added that “at some point we should consider some form of economic cost if China does not change its attitude.”

Beijing is already facing sanctions for its support of Russia: last month, the United States announced restrictions that would affect around twenty companies based in China and Hong Kong.

China has defended its trade relations with Moscow, saying it does not sell lethal weapons and “prudently manages the export of dual-use goods in accordance with laws and regulations.”

As Mr Stoltenberg traveled to Washington, the Kremlin confirmed that Vladimir Putin would visit North Korea on Tuesday.

This trip to Pyongyang follows his visit to China last month.

Russia has been increasingly isolated on the international stage since it launched a full-fledged war against Ukraine in February 2022.

Mr. Putin has repeatedly asserted that the West’s balance of power is shifting, and he has worked to strengthen ties with ideologically aligned leaders.

“Currently, Russia is increasingly aligning itself with authoritarian leaders,” Stoltenberg told the BBC, citing Iran, China and North Korea.

He explained that Kim Jong-un’s regime sent artillery shells to Russia, which in return provided advanced technologies for its nuclear and missile programs.

“North Korea is thus helping Russia wage an aggressive war against Ukraine,” he said.

Ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden, the NATO chief also announced that more than 20 countries are expected to hit the two percent defense spending target in 2024, more than any other year since the target was established. was set in 2014.

“It’s a good thing for Europe and for the United States, especially because a lot of this extra money is being spent here in the United States,” he said.

Mr Stoltenberg also commented on remarks he made to the Telegraph last Sunday, when he said NATO could consider increasing the number of deployable warheads as a deterrent to growing threats from Russia and from China.

The comments were criticized by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who called them a “further escalation of tension.”

But Mr Stoltenberg defended them, saying it was a “general message” that NATO is a nuclear alliance and that any attack on one of its members “will provoke a response from all of the alliance.”

“NATO’s goal is not to wage war, but to prevent it,” he said.