According to China, NATO should have been sent straight to the waste bin after the USSR was dissolved, and the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine could have been avoided.
“As a product of the Cold War, NATO should have become history when the Soviet Union disintegrated,” said Beijing spokesperson Zhao Lijian during a press conference on Friday, as cited by RT News. He went on to criticize the western-led military bloc for gradually expanding east towards Russia’s borders, violating promises made to the former Soviet Union and ultimately compromising Moscow’s security. This made NATO “the initiator and biggest promoter of the Ukraine crisis” on account of Washington he lamented, adding that the bloc should think long and hard about what security benefits it actually offers to the European Union.
Moscow repeatedly attributed NATO’s decades-long eastward expansion as the straw that finally broke the proverbial camel’s back in terms of reasoning behind the military operation in Ukraine. The Chinese government, too, has frequently accused the West of stoking the flames with Russia and failing to acknowledge the country’s legitimate security concerns. Beijing continues to refrain from joining the West in its sanctions against Russia, instead calling such restrictions illegal and deemed to fail in resolving the conflict ultimately caused Washington in the first place.
The US, in the meantime, blasted China for being on the “wrong side of history” by failing to support Ukraine, with the Biden administration going as far as threatening to punish Beijing should it provide aid to Russia’s military or economy.
Information for this briefing was found via RT News. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
