NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg opens the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels, April 5, 2023. Stoltenberg warned China against supplying Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine, saying such a move would carry serious consequences. (NATO)
NATO’s top official on Wednesday warned China against supplying Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine, saying such a move would have serious consequences for Beijing.
“Allies have been clear that any provision of lethal aid by China to Russia would be a historic mistake, with profound implications,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at the end of two days of talks in Brussels that included U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his allied counterparts.
At NATO headquarters, members gathered this week to welcome Finland into the alliance fold. They also took stock of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has raised security concerns that extend beyond Europe.
Allies met with officials from several Pacific countries, including Japan, South Korea and Australia, to deliberate on the “global consequences” of Russia’s war, Stoltenberg said.
“This war is not only an attack on Ukraine, but on the international rules-based order that preserves peace and stability,” he said. “If President (Vladimir) Putin wins in Ukraine, it will send a dangerous message to authoritarian leaders around the world that they can achieve their goals through brute force.”
The NATO chief declined to detail what types of consequences China could face if it begins supplying lethal aid to Russian troops, but U.S. officials also have said such a step would have costs.
Stoltenberg said Moscow and Beijing’s ties have grown closer since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with China “propping up Russia’s economy.”
Joint military drills between the two countries also have increased, he said.
“What we know is Russia is more and more dependent on China,” Stoltenberg said.
The North Atlantic Council convenes a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, April 5, 2023. NATO officials warned China that there would be unspecified consequences if it provided lethal weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine. (NATO)
Meanwhile, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sought to position himself as a dealmaker, offering a 12-point peace plan to end the war. But that proposal, which calls for an end to hostilities without Russia ceding any of the territory it has captured since it launched its full-scale offensive last year, has gone nowhere.
“What we do know is China has not been able to condemn the brutal invasion of Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.
In Brussels, allies also agreed to develop a multiyear assistance program for Ukraine that is focused on aligning the country’s military with NATO standards.
“This will assist Ukraine on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration, because Ukraine’s future is in the Euro-Atlantic family,’ Stoltenberg said.
Still, that doesn’t mean NATO membership is on the horizon for Ukraine.
While Kyiv has been vocal about its desire to become a member, NATO hasn’t taken any concrete steps to make Ukraine’s aspirations a reality. There are considerable divisions within the alliance about whether such a move is a good idea.
Stoltenberg said the question of future NATO membership for Ukraine isn’t the main priority now.
Instead, allies are focused on giving Ukraine what it needs “to prevail as a sovereign, independent nation in Europe,” he said.
