The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) this Friday urged alliance members to assess their “dependence on authoritarian regimes” such as China, given the implications of the weight of Russian gas in Europe.
“The war in Ukraine has demonstrated our dangerous dependence on Russian gas, so we must evaluate our dependence on other authoritarian regimes such as China. We must manage risk, reduce our vulnerability and increase our resilience,” said Jens Stoltenberg.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, days before the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Romania on Tuesday and Wednesday, the official stressed the need to “strengthen resilience in the face of the challenges posed by China.”
“China is not an adversary, but it is intensifying its military modernization, increasing its presence from the Arctic to the Western Balkans, from space to cyberspace and seeking to control the critical infrastructure of NATO allies,” he listed.
This coming Tuesday and Wednesday, the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s main political decision-maker, will meet in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, at the level of foreign ministers to discuss the war in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion, as well as other geopolitical issues.
“The Foreign Ministers of Finland and Sweden will join us in all discussions in Bucharest and it is time to complete the accession process and welcome them as full members of our Alliance. It will make them more secure, make NATO stronger and the Atlantic Alliance more secure.” Jens Stoltenberg stressed.
Asked about the resolution adopted two days ago by the European Parliament, in which it recognized Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, the leader of the Atlantic Alliance stressed that “the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and civilian populations [na Ucrânia pelas forças russas] This is a war crime.”
“And that’s why it’s so important that investigations are carried out so that all the facts are established,” he added, stressing that “NATO allies are also helping and supporting Ukraine’s ongoing efforts with forensic and legal support to be able to establish the facts.” and bring to justice the perpetrators of these horrific attacks.”
MEPs approved at a plenary meeting in Strasbourg (France) on Wednesday a resolution condemning Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine, namely on civilian facilities and infrastructure, as “acts of terror and war crimes.”
The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused the flight of more than 13 million people – more than six million internally displaced people and more than 7.8 million to European countries – according to the latest UN data, which classifies this migration crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion, justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security, was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and economic sanctions on Russia.
The UN has presented 6,595 civilian deaths and 10,189 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, emphasizing that these figures are much lower than the real ones.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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