NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called on China to condemn Russia over what he called Moscow’s “brutal invasion” of Ukraine.
“China should join the rest of the world condemning strongly the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia,” Stoltenberg said during a press briefing on March 15. “China has an obligation as a member of the U.N. Security Council to actually support and uphold international law.”
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law so we call on [China] to clearly condemn the invasion and of course not support Russia,” he added.
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion against Ukraine on Feb. 24, dozens of countries have publicly condemned the aggression, but not China. The communist regime has refused to call the Russian attack an invasion and provided tacit support to its biggest ally, most notably by abstaining twice in United Nations votes.
Officially, China has positioned itself as neutral in the war, saying it respects Ukraine’s sovereignty but also recognizing what the communist regime describes as “legitimate security concerns” of Russia.
China has “actively promoted” on the Internet Moscow’s justifications for the war, while advancing “anti-U.S. and anti-NATO narratives,” according to a recent report from the German Marshall Fund of the United States. For example, China promoted the claims about neo-Nazi influences in Ukraine, a justification for Moscow’s invasion, and Russia’s claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was hiding at the U.S. Embassy in Poland.
Stoltenberg was asked whether NATO had seen evidence that China was providing Russia with military help or other assistance. In response, the NATO boss said the alliance was “closely monitoring any signs of support” from the Chinese regime to its northern neighbor.
Recently, several media reports have cited unnamed U.S. officials that Russia had requested military assistance and financial aid for its war from Russia, and Beijing had signaled willingness to comply with the request. China and Russia have denied the allegations.
By Frank Fang
