NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking from Japan on Tuesday, defended unity with the Asian country in the face of the war in Ukraine, warning that China will learn lessons from the situation and that the conflict could soon be extrapolated to the Pacific region.
«What is happening today in Europe could happen tomorrow in East Asia. So we must stand united and firm. United for freedom and democracy,» he said at a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, an appointment that has shown the closing of ranks with Tokyo in the international situation caused by Russian aggression.
In this regard, Stoltenberg has stressed that a Russian victory by military means over Ukraine would send a message that authoritarian regimes can achieve their goals by force. «This is dangerous. Beijing is watching closely. And learning lessons that can influence its future decisions,» he has warned, insisting that transatlantic and Indo-Pacific security are «deeply interconnected.»
In the face of security alerts in Tokyo over China’s more assertive behavior internationally, NATO has said it shares «concern» over Beijing’s role and its military rise. «It bullies its neighbors, threatens Taiwan and tries to control critical infrastructure, as well as spreading disinformation about NATO and the war in Ukraine,» it has said.
In this sense, the former Norwegian prime minister has affirmed that China is not an «adversary» for the Atlantic Alliance but he does understand «the magnitude of the challenge» it represents and has defended working hand in hand with Japan.
ALLIANCE BETWEEN NORTH KOREA AND THE WAGNER GROUP Likewise, the NATO secretary general has indicated his concern about North Korea’s «provocations», following the ballistic tests on Japanese islands. «We continue to monitor the situation closely and call on Pyongyang to comply with international law,» he said.
At this point, Stoltenberg has denounced the North Korean regime’s ties with the Russian paramilitary entity Wagner Group, after claiming that Pyongyang is supplying missiles and rockets to this organization for use in the context of aggression against Ukraine.
«It demonstrates once again how the security of the Euro-Atlantic area and the Indo-Pacific area are connected,» he said in his remarks alongside Kishida.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
