Munich (Germany) (EFE).- The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, warned this Saturday of the risk that what is happening today in Ukraine, in reference to the illegal invasion by Russia, will happen in the future in Asia .
Beijing is “watching closely” to see the “reward” that Russia receives “for its aggression. What is happening in Europe today could happen in Asia tomorrow,” said Stoltenberg, speaking at a panel at the Munich Security Conference along with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister from Denmark, Mette Frederiksen.
The NATO chief explained that he recently visited South Korea and Japan, countries that “see the link between what is happening in Europe and what is happening in Asia.”
“If Putin wins (…) it will have had an impact on the decisions and calculations that Beijing is making in its world. So it’s about our overall security. This is not about regional security, ”she stressed.
In addition, Stoltenberg called not to make “the same mistake” with China as with Russia, in reference to the dependence on products and raw materials that Europe is forced to import.
“The war in Ukraine has made clear the danger of excessive reliance on authoritarian regimes. Not long ago, many argued that importing Russian gas was purely a matter of economics. It is not a political issue. This is about our security because Europe’s reliance on Russian gas made them vulnerable,” he said.
Among the lessons that the war in Ukraine has left behind, the head of the Atlantic Alliance considered that “the most important is that North America and Europe must stay together.”
“In a more dangerous world we need our transatlantic alliances more than ever,” Stoltenberg said, adding that “without NATO, there is no security in Europe.”
For this reason, he considered that “this is not the time to look beyond the Alliance” but to “strengthen and expand our alliances to promote peace, protect our shared security and defend the global system based on our values and international law” .
In this context, he referred to the future accession of Finland and Sweden.
“What matters is that both of you become members as soon as possible. Not if one becomes a member before another. The most important thing is to get them both in as soon as possible,” she said.
He explained that he continues to “work hard” towards that goal, since Turkey and Bulgaria are the only allies that have not yet ratified the accession of Finland and Sweden.
China says it will continue to make “efforts” to achieve peace in Ukraine
Wang Yi, the head of Chinese foreign policy, said today that “China will continue to make efforts” to achieve peace in Ukraine, but asked Europe to “think calmly” about what can be done to stop the war.
“We have to think calmly, especially our friends in Europe, about what can be done to stop the crisis. Although China is not a directly involved party, we will continue to try to facilitate peace talks,” Wang said during his address at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday.
According to Wang, since the “crisis” in Ukraine began last year, China has suggested that Russia and Ukraine “sit together at one table” to reach a “political solution” to the conflict.
