UPDATE - NATO chief says alliance, Indo-Pacific partners 'must work ever more closely together'

ADDS WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - NATO and its Indo-Pacific allies “must work ever more closely together” to face global challenges posed by Russia's war against Ukraine and China's mounting support for the Kremlin, the head of the military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of a closed-door meeting, Stoltenberg said leaders from the alliance's 32 nations, its four Indo-Pacific partners -- Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea -- and the EU "will address our shared security challenges, including Russia's war against Ukraine, China's support for Russia's war economy and the growing alignment of authoritarian powers."

"In response, we must work ever more closely together to preserve peace and protect the rules-based international order," he said.

The session is the first leader-level meeting on Thursday as NATO prepares to end a three-day summit in Washington.

US President Joe Biden separately met on the sidelines of the sit-down with Australian Deputy Premier Richard Marles, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to discuss "increasing connectivity between Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security," the White House said.

"They expressed grave concern over the increasing military and economic cooperation between Russia and the DPRK, which violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. The leaders also discussed their shared concerns over the People’s Republic of China’s support to Russia’s defense industrial base," it said in a readout of the meeting, referring to North Korea by its official acronym.

"President Biden welcomed the growing contributions of NATO’s Indo-Pacific Partners to global security, including their investments in defense, support to Ukraine, and strong leadership in the Indo-Pacific," it added.

The White House announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Australian, Japanese, New Zealander and South Korean counterparts "intend to meet later this year to advance further cooperation among our countries."

Stoltenberg and Biden will hold news conferences later Thursday to close the gathering. Stoltenberg is also expected to hold a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy early in the afternoon.