China is watching US drama over arming Ukraine: Nato chief
- ‘What matters is that Ukraine gets continued support, because we need to realise that this is closely watched in Beijing,’ Jens Stoltenberg said
- If Ukraine were abandoned by the US and its allies, China might be tempted to take military action to seize control of Taiwan, analysts warn
US military funding for Ukraine carries a key deterrent message for China, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg argued on Sunday at the start of a Washington visit aimed at lobbying Congress to continue funding the war against Russia.
Stoltenberg plans to make the case in Washington this week for continued aid to Ukraine.
“What matters is that Ukraine gets continued support, because we need to realise that this is closely watched in Beijing,” Stoltenberg said on Fox News.
Analysts say Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary, is watching to see if once-strong Western support for Ukraine is now petering out.
He said the agreement being negotiated in the US Congress is “a good deal”. US aid to Ukraine, Stoltenberg said, has been just a fraction of the Pentagon budget, and yet “we have been able to destroy and degrade the Russian army substantially”.
“And therefore we should continue to do so,” he said.
Stoltenberg is expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday.
On Tuesday he is expected to meet Republican and Democratic lawmakers involved in the Ukraine aid debate.