China cannot support Russian war in Ukraine without harming own interests - Rutte

This was announced by incoming NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Tuesday during his first press conference as the head of the Alliance, reports an Ukrinform correspondent.

"China has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine. China cannot continue to fuel the largest conflict in Europe since the second world war without this impacting its interests and reputation," Rutte said.

He recalled that Russia also receives military support from North Korea and Iran, which forces NATO to consider security issues in a global dimension.

"NATO’s focus must remain, obviously, on Euro-Atlantic security, keeping our 1 billion people safe. But the threats we face are increasingly global. Therefore I will deepen our partnerships with like-minded nations, near and far, that share our values," the new head of the Alliance said.

He especially noted the role of NATO's partnership with the European Union, which allows realizing the potential of cooperation in multiple areas, from joint support to Ukraine to countering hybrid threats.

According to Rutte, he also intends to promote the expansion of Allies' partnership with countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel region to foster stability in NATO’s Southern neighborhood. More must be done to counter the threat of terrorism to NATO nations and populations, the new secretary general believes.

"Later this month, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea are participating in a NATO Defence Ministerial for the first time. I look forward to welcoming them and forging a shared approach to our shared challenges," Mark Rutte added.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on October 1, the NATO Headquarters in Brussels hosted a ceremony where the powers of the NATO Secretary General were handed by Jens Stoltenberg to the new head of the Alliance, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte.

Photo: President’s Office