NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that he was “increasingly worried” about possible military support from China to Russia in its offensive in Ukraine.
“We are increasingly concerned that China may be considering providing lethal support for Russia’s war” in Ukraine, the official told a press conference in Brussels, echoing Washington’s concerns.
European Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, had assured him that China was not supplying arms to Russia and had no plans to do so.
“We have to remain vigilant but as far as I know there is no evidence that China has done what it says it is not doing,” Borrell said.
Jens Stoltenberg also refuted the accusations made by Russian President Vladimir Putin who affirmed in his speech that the Western threat justified the invasion of Ukraine.
“No one is attacking Russia. Russia is the aggressor. Ukraine is the victim (…) It was President Putin who started this imperial war of conquest. It is Putin who continues the escalation of the war”, hammered the secretary general of the Alliance.
“We see no signs that President Putin is preparing for peace. On the contrary, as he made clear today, he is preparing for more war,” the Norwegian official added.
21/02/2023 16:05:44 – Bruxelles (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
