On Tuesday, June 18, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken stated that the support of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the Russian defense industry base “must be stopped,” and indicated that the United States will impose new sanctions on Russia as needed.
During a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visiting Washington, Blinken said the U.S. is investigating countries that support the Russian defense industry base, including China, North Korea, and Iran, “because it is these countries that enable Russia to continue its war efforts.”
Blinken pointed out that “around 70% to 90% of the machine tools and microelectronic products imported by Russia come from China. This enables Russia to maintain the operation of its defense industry base, sustain the operation of war machinery, and continue its wartime activities. Therefore, this situation must be stopped.”
Stoltenberg expressed his agreement with Blinken’s remarks, adding that “China (CCP) is trying to establish normal relations with NATO European countries while allowing Russia to launch aggressive wars against European countries, posing the biggest security challenge to Europe since the end of World War II.”
The 75th NATO Summit will be held in Washington from July 9 to 11, where countries will discuss how to address current and future challenges.
During the joint press conference, Stoltenberg demonstrated NATO’s determination to end aggressive wars with numbers. This year, defense spending in Europe and Canada increased by 18%, the largest increase in decades.
Currently, 23 out of NATO’s 32 member countries have met the goal of defense expenditures accounting for 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a target set at the Wales NATO Summit in 2014. When Biden took office in 2021, only 9 member countries had achieved this goal.
Stoltenberg stated that NATO has 500,000 troops on high alert, with the number of combat troops in the alliance’s eastern region doubled, and NATO is stronger than ever with the inclusion of Sweden and Finland.
Additionally, last Thursday, June 13, Biden and Ukrainian President Zelensky signed a bilateral security agreement, marking the long-term support the U.S. will provide to Ukraine in defending against Russia.
Blinken revealed that approximately 20 countries, and possibly more, are expected to sign bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.