NATO Chief Warns of Threats from China, Russia
(MENAFN) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cautioned on Wednesday that China and Russia pose escalating dangers to the transatlantic alliance.
He confirmed that NATO is gearing up for the possibility of a full-scale Russian assault on alliance territory within the next few years.
“Xi Jinping, the president of China, before he would attack Taiwan, he will first make a call into Moscow to ask (Russian President) Putin to keep us busy in this part of Europe,” Rutte told reporters during a press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.
Rutte emphasized China's rapid military expansion, noting that the country now operates more naval vessels than the United States.
“They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They have now 1,000 nuclear warheads. This is not to organize parades in Beijing. This is indeed to use, to make use of this,” he said, forecasting China’s intentions to assert control over Taiwan.
“Our assumption is, based on many discussions we have had, and of course, what we know from our sources is that the risk is increasingly there,” Rutte added, highlighting the growing likelihood of conflict.
The NATO chief pointed out that security challenges originating from the Indo-Pacific region have significantly intensified in recent years.
He referenced North Korea’s active role in supporting Russia in the Ukraine conflict, China’s supply of dual-use technology to Russia, and Iran’s sharing of drone capabilities with Russian forces.
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