NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said China must face consequences for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine unless it changes its ways.
Jens Stoltenberg said Beijing is “trying to have it both ways” by supporting Russia’s military efforts as well as trying to maintain relations with European allies.
“It can’t work in the long run”, Stoltenberg told BBC News during a visit to Washington.
In a wide-ranging interview with journalists, Stoltenberg also touched on nuclear weapons and defense spending.
His comments came as Russia shows no sign of easing its war against Ukraine.
At a peace summit in Switzerland over the weekend, dozens of countries pledged to support Kyiv, but Russia called it a waste of time and said it would only agree to peace talks if Ukraine effectively surrendered.
When Stoltenberg asked what NATO members could do to support Russia, Chinese leaders said “the conversation is ongoing” about possible sanctions.
He said that China shares many technologies, such as microelectronics, which are key for Russia to build missiles, weapons that they use against Ukraine.”
The head of NATO added that “at some stage we have to consider certain economic costs if China does not do this, does not change its behavior.”
Beijing is already under some sanctions for its support of Russia, with the US announcing restrictions last month that will affect around 20 companies based in China and Hong Kong.
China defends its business with Moscow, saying it does not sell lethal weapons and is “cautious about the export of dual-use goods in accordance with laws and regulations.”
Stoltenberg’s visit to Washington came as the Kremlin confirmed that Vladimir Putin would visit North Korea on Tuesday. This comes after his visit to China last month.
Russia is becoming increasingly isolated on the world stage after the start of a full-scale war with Ukraine in 2022. Putin has repeatedly said the balance of power in the West is shifting, and he is working to strengthen ties with like-minded leaders.
“Russia is now increasingly joining authoritarian leaders”, – said Stoltenberg, listing Iran, Beijing and North Korea.
He said the North sent artillery shells to Russia, and in return Russia provided advanced technology for North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs. So, North Korea is helping Russia wage an aggressive war against Ukraine.”
Speaking ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden, the NATO chief also announced that more than 20 countries are expected to meet the 2% defense spending target this year – more than any other year since it was pledged in in 2014.
“It’s good for Europe and good for America, especially because a lot of that extra money is being spent here in the United States.”, – emphasized Stoltenberg.
He also addressed comments he made to the Telegraph on Sunday, which indicated that NATO may be considering increasing the number of deployed warheads as a means of containing growing threats from Russia and China.
The comments were criticized as “nothing more than another escalation of tension” by Kremlin spokesman Dmytro Peskov. But Stoltenberg said it was a “general message” that NATO is a nuclear alliance and that any attack on a NATO member “will trigger a response from the entire alliance.”
“NATO’s goal is not to wage war, its goal is to prevent war,” – the head of NATO emphasized.
