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NATO was criticized by Moscow and Beijing on Thursday for saying Russia posed a “direct threat” and said China posed a “serious challenge” to global stability.
During a summit in Madrid, the Western military alliance said the world was plunged into a dangerous phase of competition from the great powers and faced a host of threats, from cyber-attacks to climate change.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at the end of the meeting on Thursday that member states agreed on a “fundamental change in our prevention and defense” and sent a clear message to Moscow that the alliance was committed to its borders. eastern.
“We live in a more dangerous world, in a more unpredictable world, where a fierce war is taking place in Europe.”said Mr. Stoltenberg. “At the same time, we also know that this situation could worsen if it turns into a genuine war between Russia and NATO.”
Mr. Stoltenberg went on to say: “We want to remove any room for miscalculations, or misunderstandings, from Moscow, about our willingness to defend every inch of NATO territory,” he said. That is the main responsibility of NATO. “
During their three-day talks in Spain, NATO leaders formally invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, after overcoming opposition from Turkey. If the membership of the Nordic countries is approved by 30 member states, this would give NATO a new 1,300-kilometer border with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that he would respond in the same way if the two Nordic countries allowed NATO troops and military infrastructure on their territory. He said Russia should “It created the same threats to the territories from which threats are made against us.”
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Putin’s threats were “nothing new”. “Of course, you can expect surprises from Putin, but I doubt he will attack Sweden or Finland directly.” said Mrs. Kallas.
China accused the alliance of “deliberately attacking and tarnishing Beijing.” The Chinese mission in the European Union said NATO “It claims that other countries present challenges, but it is NATO that is creating problems around the world.”
NATO leaders focused in the last session of their summit on the Sahel region in Africa and the Middle East, where political instability – exacerbated by climate change and food insecurity caused by the war in Ukraine – is pushing a large number of emigrants to Europe.
“It is in our interest to continue working with our close partners in the south to fight common challenges together.” said Mr. Stoltenberg.
But it was Russia that dominated the summit. Mr Stoltenberg said Moscow ‘s aggression against Ukraine had brought “the biggest change in NATO’ s collective defense since the end of the Cold War”.
The attack destroyed Europe’s peace, and in response NATO has sent troops and weapons to Eastern Europe on an unprecedented scale in decades. Member states have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in military and civilian aid to strengthen its resilience.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who addressed the summit with video, demanded more. He urged NATO to send modern artillery systems and other weapons, and warned leaders that they would either have to provide Kiev with the assistance it needed, or “In the future, they would face a war with Russia and NATO.”
“The question is, who is next? Moldova? Apo Baltic? Or Poland? The answer is: all “, he said.
NATO leaders agreed to dramatically increase military strength along the alliance’s eastern flank, where countries from Romania to the Baltic states are worried about Russia’s future plans.
They announced plans to nearly increase the alliance’s rapid reaction force, from 40,000 to 300,000 troops, by next year.
US President Joe Biden, whose country provides most of NATO’s combat power, announced a major increase in the US military presence in Europe, including a permanent US base in Poland, two destroyers others based in Rota, Spain, and two other squadrons of F35 aircraft in Britain.
The expansion of the US presence will include 100,000 troops in Europe, up from 80,000 before the start of the war in Ukraine.
President Biden said Putin had hoped NATO members would split after he attacked Ukraine, but the Russian leader received the opposite response.
However, tensions between NATO allies have emerged as the cost of energy and other essential goods has risen sharply, in part due to the war and harsh Western sanctions on Russia. There are also tensions over how the war will end and what concessions Ukraine should make.
Funding remains a sensitive issue – only nine of NATO’s 30 members currently meet the organization’s target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense.
Britain, one of nine members, announced on Thursday another $ 1.21 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
In what Mr Stoltenberg called a “transformative” meeting, leaders unveiled NATO’s new Strategic Concept, which outlines its priorities and goals for the next decade.
The latest such document, in 2010, called Russia a “strategic partner.” Now, NATO is accusing Russia of using tools such as “aggression and annexation” to expand its reach.
The 2010 document did not mention China, but today addresses concerns about Beijing’s growing economic and military reach.
“China is not our opponent, but we must be clear about the serious challenges it represents.” Mr Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.
NATO said China was “trying to overthrow the rule-based international order, including in space, cyber and maritime fields” and warned of its close ties with Moscow.
The alliance said, however, that it remained “open to constructive engagement” with Beijing.
China responded by saying NATO was a source of instability and vowed to protect its interests.
Since NATO positions China as a “systematic challenge”, we must pay close attention to it and respond in a coordinated manner. “When it comes to acts that undermine China’s interests, we will respond strongly and decisively.” says the Beijing Declaration./Voa
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