A NATO chief has warned that Europe is heading towards a “dire security threat” from three adversaries amid the nearly three-year-long Russia-Ukraine war.
Secretary-General Mark Rutte stressed that China, Iran, and North Korea would threaten Europe and the US if Ukraine is forced into accepting a peace deal that favours Russia.
Rutte warned of Russia supplying missile technology to North Korea, money to Iran, and giving China “thoughts about something else” in an apparent reference to Taiwan.
He told the Financial Times: “[Xi Jinping] might get thoughts about something else in the future if there is not a good deal [for Ukraine].
“We cannot have a situation where we have Kim Jong Un and the Russian leader and Xi Jinping and Iran high-fiving because we came to a deal which is not good for Ukraine.
“Because in the long term, that will be a dire security threat not only to Europe but also to the US.”
Rutte made an appeal to Trump, who said he’d end the war in “24 hours”, to take this threat seriously as part of a bid to maintain ties with Western allies and continue aid to Ukraine.
He says he told the president-elect: “Look at the missile technology which is now being sent from Russia into North Korea, which is posing a dire threat not only to South Korea, Japan, but also to the US mainland.
“Iran is getting money from Russia in return for, for example, missiles, but also drone technology. And the money is being used to prop up Hezbollah and Hamas but also steering conflict beyond the region.
“So the fact that Iran, North Korea, China and Russia are working so closely together . . . [means] these various parts of the world where conflict is, and have to be managed by politicians, are more and more getting connected.
Rutte also suggested that a victory for Russia could lead to China seizing Taiwan as Xi looks to replicate Putin. He added: “And there is one Xi Jinping watching very carefully what comes out of this.”
He said the most pressing issue in the protracted war is supplying Ukraine with military support ahead of potential peace talks, not debating the country’s bid to join NATO.
He concluded: “The most important thing now is to make sure that whenever Zelensky decides to get into peace talks, that he can do this from a position of strength. That for me is now priority number one.
“For the immediate future, the most important thing is to get your military aid into Ukraine, particularly air defence, but also the offensive systems they need to fight a war.”
