Russia and China are new cooperation, which raises NATO concerns.. Details

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russian-

Chinese cooperation in the Arctic poses a challenge to NATO's values and interests.

Writing in the Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, Stoltenberg stated that “Russia has significantly increased its military activity” in the Arctic in recent years, adding that “Russia’s ability to counter NATO reinforcements constitutes a strategic move to challenge the alliance.” .

In this regard, Stoltenberg said that China, which is also "expanding its presence" in the region, has declared itself a "semi-polar country" and plans to create a "Polar Silk Road" connecting China to Europe via the Arctic.

“Earlier this year, Beijing and Moscow pledged to intensify practical cooperation in the Arctic as part of a deep strategic partnership that challenges our values and interests,” said the NATO Secretary General.

According to Stoltenberg, NATO is "interested in maintaining security, stability and cooperation in the Arctic."

In this context, the NATO Secretary General noted that "once Finland and Sweden join the alliance, seven of the eight Arctic countries will be NATO members."

"The membership of Finland and Sweden will significantly improve our position in the Far North and our ability to strengthen our Baltic allies," he said.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the official participation of Helsinki and Stockholm in the strategic planning of NATO, and the possibility of providing the territories of these countries for the deployment of weapons attacks, will change the security situation in the Baltic and Arctic region. It will require a review of the methods of defense of the Russian territory.

The US Under Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs,

 Colin Cole, said that the US administration expects Ukraine to gradually join NATO within a few years.

According to the Russian news agency TASS, when asked whether Washington believes that Ukraine will be fully integrated into NATO weapons systems after three years and will not need Soviet-type weapons, Kal said: “It is possible that after years they will be able to use the systems and ammunition that they produce However, I will say that according to my predictions, in the period of time we are talking about here, Ukraine will gradually switch to standard NATO equipment.