NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned China over its continued support for Russia, emphasising that “there will and must be some consequences.”
It’s not sustainable and viable that China continues to fuel the biggest security threat challenge for NATO allies, especially in Europe, by propping up the Russian war economy.
Stoltenberg spoke to reporters in Ottawa, where he arrived to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The alliance chief also welcomed Canada’s status as a NATO ally.
Asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea, Stoltenberg noted the importance of unity among NATO allies.
It’s extremely important that we [NATO], in light of the alignment between Russia, China and North Korea, are also working more closely with our partners in the Asia Pacific, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia.
Stoltenberg continued by warning China over its behaviour in support for Russia, underscoring that “there will and must be some consequences.”
Asked about Canada’s plans to meet the alliance’s goal of having members spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, Stoltenberg urged allies to meet the target. He also stressed the importance of NATO investing in its defence and preventing war.
The best way to ensure that we preserve peace is to stand together as NATO and invest as we have agreed. We have agreed in NATO to invest at least 2%.
Ahead of the press conference, Stoltenberg was presented with the Louis St. Laurent Award of Excellence for his “outstanding service to peace and security” during an event hosted by the NATO Association of Canada and the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association.
