NATO ‘increasingly concerned' that China might supply arms to Russia: Stoltenberg

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - NATO is “increasingly concerned” that China, which recently proposed a 12-point peace plan to end the Ukraine war, might supply arms to Russia, the alliance chief said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the SAMAK Nordic Summit in Helsinki, Finland, Jens Stoltenberg stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is preparing for more war” as he “is launching new offensives, mobilizing more troops and reaching out to North Korea and Iran to get more weapons.”

“We are also increasingly concerned that China may be planning to provide lethal support for Russia,” he said, urging NATO to continue supporting Ukraine.

He explained that even when the war ends, NATO “must break the cycle of Russian aggression” by enabling Ukraine to deter and defend itself against future attacks.

Stoltenberg called on NATO to provide long-term security arrangements for Ukraine because the country belongs to the “Euro-Atlantic family.”

“The end of this war will not be a return to normal in our relations with Russia” as Moscow has been “dismantling the whole arms-control architecture,” he added.

According to Stoltenberg, NATO countries must dedicate more to the defense budget even if it risks reducing spending on other policies in order to preserve security in a “more dangerous world.”

He also welcomed the willingness of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to continue talks on the ratification of Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership and said the parties will meet next week in Brussels.

“It is time to finalize the process, and have Sweden and Finland as full members in our alliance,” he said.

Commenting on US remarks that China will provide lethal aid to Russia, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday said: "China has been actively promoting peace talks and the political settlement of the crisis. The US is in no position to point fingers at China-Russia relations. We do not accept coercion or pressure from the US."