Rutte: China could use Russia to distract NATO
China may pressure Russia to launch an attack on NATO countries in order to divert the alliance’s attention from the Indo-Pacific region, where Beijing is reportedly preparing for a potential assault on Taiwan, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview with New York Times.
“It is highly likely that China will make strategic use of Russia,” Rutte remarked, referring to Beijing’s broader plans concerning Taiwan. He warned that Americans and Europeans must not be naïve about this risk.
“If Xi Jinping were to attack Taiwan, he would first call his partner in all this, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who resides in Moscow, and say: ‘Hey, I’m moving forward with this plan, and I need you to distract the West by stirring up conflict in Europe—targeting NATO territory,’” Rutte explained.
He views this as one of the most realistic scenarios for the near future. To deter both Russia and China, Rutte outlined two essential measures. First, any attack on NATO must be made to appear so self-destructive to the Kremlin that it would be unthinkable.
“Second, we must deepen cooperation with the Indo-Pacific—an approach strongly emphasized by former President Trump. We are tightly interconnected, working together in defense industries and innovation between NATO and the Indo-Pacific,” the NATO chief added, as quoted by G4Media.ro.
Recently, China has shown increasing support for Russia, despite this contradicting its long-standing official stance. Beijing reportedly informed the European Union—through its foreign minister—that it would not allow Russia to lose or Ukraine to win.
For Beijing, the Kremlin serves not only as a future lightning rod for conflict but also as a crucial supplier of resources. China purchases large volumes of Russian oil and gas, and recent reports indicate that Russia has sharply increased its metal exports to China.
Rutte concluded that while the United States protects NATO territory in Europe, it is also defending its strategic interests in Asia. However, he emphasized that the U.S. can only be truly secure if the Atlantic, Europe, and the Arctic are also secure.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
